CCU

Men's Soccer Season Wrap Up

       

Men's Soccer Season Wrap Up

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COASTAL Eliminated From Big South Tournament Following 3-1 Loss to Radford: The Coastal Carolina men’s soccer team, which allowed just two goals in six league regular season games, allowed three in the semifinal round of the Big South Conference Tournament as the top-seeded Chanticleers fell 3-1 to No. 4 seed Radford at Eagles Field on the campus of Winthrop, Nov. 17. Freshman Ross Kelly netted the Chanticleers’ lone goal.

 

dUBE nAMED pLAYER OF THE YEAR: Senior Kheli Dube was named the Big South Player of the Year. He led the league in points scored (27), while finishing second in goals (11) and third in assists (5). He was named the Big South Player of the Week a league-record four times this season and was also named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week, Oct. 7. He tallied five game-winning goals on the season and becomes the first Chanticleer to claim the Player of the Year honor since Joseph Ngwenya won the award back-to-back in 2002 and 2003.

 

DOCKING TABBED COACH OF THE YEAR: Head Coach Shaun Docking was selected as the Big South Coach of the Year. Docking led the Chants to a perfect 6-0 slate to become just the fifth team in the history of the Big South to finish with a perfect conference record. He has been named the Big South Coach of the Year five times, with four of the honors coming while at the helm for Coastal. Docking guided the Chants to the No. 1 seed in the Big South Conference Tournament in 2007.

 

VAN DEN BERG EARNS SCholar-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Senior Kevin Van Den Berg was named the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Van Den Berg, who carries a 3.87 grade point average as a business management and finance double major, led the Big South with eight assists and ranks among the national leaders in assists per game. He added four goals on the season. Van Den Berg was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team after being voted to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team. He is a two-time member of the All-Academic Team.

 

RUSSELL AND WHITMAN SELECTED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Junior Kyle Russell and sophomore Dane Whitman were selected to the 2007 Big South All-Tournament Team, the league announced following the conclusion of the annual tournament, Nov. 18. Liberty took home the tournament championship after downing Radford 2-1 to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

 

FOUR CHANTS NAMED TO ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS: The Chants had three members selected to the All-Big South First Team and one to the Second Team. Senior Kheli Dube, senior Kevin Van Den Berg and junior Kyle Russell were named to the First Team, while junior Djamel Bekka was selected to the Second Team.

 

TWO CHANTS SELECTED TO ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM: Freshman Matt Schroeder and Kelly Porter were named to the All-Freshman Team. Schroeder helped the defense post five shutouts, while Porter netted five goal and added an assist.

 

CHANTS EARN NO. 1 SEED IN BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT: The Coastal Carolina University men’s soccer team earned the No. 1 seed in the Big South Tournament. It marked the fifth time that Coastal has secured the No. 1 seed in the Big South Tournament.

 

DUBE NAMED BIG SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK A LEAGUE RECORD FOURTH TIME: Senior Kheli Dube was named Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 11. The honor marked a Big South-record fourth time this season Dube was named the league’s Player of the Week. Dube netted two game-winning goals as CCU posted a 2-0 record for the week. Dube took advantage of a 1-on-1 situation with the goalkeeper, finding the back of the net in the 68th minute propelling Coastal past Winthrop 2-1. In the regular season finale, his 11th goal of the season was difference as the Chants downed Radford 1-0.

 

LEAGUE PERFECTION: With its 6-0 slate this season, CCU became just the fifth team in the history of the Big South to finish with a perfect conference record. CCU accomplished the feat in 1989 with a 6-0 record. The other three teams to win every league game were Campbell (6-0) in 1984, Radford (6-0) in 1991 and UNC Greensboro (7-0) in 1996.

 

TURN THE BEAT AROUND: Coastal began the season tied for the worst seven-game start in program history, tying with the 1981 squad that also opened the season 1-5-1. But unlike the ‘81 Chants, who finished 4-12-1, the ‘07 team rebounded by winning nine of its next 11 games to win the Big South regular season championship.

 

HURRAY FOR DUBE: Senior Kheli Dube ranks among the national leaders in both points and goals per game. Dube ranks 16th in the nation in points per game, averaging 1.59. He also ranks 16th in the NCAA with 0.65 goals per game. 

 

NGWENYA LEADS DYNAMO TO MLS CUP: CCU alum Joseph Ngwenya (2000-03) netted a goal in the 61st minute to help the Houston Dynamo to a 2-1 victory against the New England Revolution to claim the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup at RFK Stadium, Nov. 18. The MLS Cup is the second for Ngwenya, who was also part of the 2005 MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy squad.

 

WE’RE GOING STREAKING: With its season ending loss to Radford, the Chants’ five game win streak was snapped. The longest win streak in school history came in 2002 when Shaun Docking led the Chants to 15 consecutive wins. On the opposite side, the longest losing streak in school history reached six games twice, the first during the school’s inaugural season in 1978 and again in 1988.

 

VAN DEN BERG NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM: Senior Kevin Van Den Berg was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team. Van Den Berg was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team selection in 2006. Van Den Berg, who carries a 3.87 grade point average as a business management and finance double major, currently leads the Big South in assists with eight. He has added four goals for 16 points. Van Den Berg was a Big South All-Academic Team honoree in 2006.

 

COMING UP BIG IN THE BIG SOUTH: CCU outscored its Big South opponents 12-2 during the regular season, including shutouts against VMI, UNC Asheville, High Point and Radford. In league games, senior Aaron Weant has recorded two shutouts and allowed just one goal in 270 minutes between the pipes, while redshirt freshman Phillip Latham has turned in 166 scoreless minutes and one shutout.

 

USING YOUR HEAD: Both of freshman Robbie McRight’s goals this season have come by way of a header and each were game-winners in 1-0 league contests. The Marietta, Ga., native knocked in his first career goal against VMI, Sept. 29, and he headed in his second goal against High Point, Oct. 28.

 

HOME SWEET HOME: Despite an 0-3 start at home this season, the Chants have posted an astonishing 58-18-5 (.747) record at the CCU Soccer Field during Head Coach Shaun Docking’s 10-year tenure at the helm of the program.  After an 0-3 start, CCU rebounded to post a 5-4 mark at home. CCU has rolled off nine straight league wins at home and have not lost to a Big South opponent at the friendly confines of the CCU Soccer Field since dropping a 2-1 decision against Radford, Oct. 4, 2005.

 

STATS AND TRENDS: CCU outscored its opponents 36-31 on the season... The Chants were 9-3-1 when they scored the first goal... Coastal was 6-2 when leading at the half, 2-3 when trailing and 2-3-1 when tied at the break.

 

DOCKING DOMINATES: Head Coach Shaun Docking is 49-17-2 (.736) against Big South opponents during the regular season during his 10-year span at the helm for CCU. He has posted a 14-5-2 (.714) record at the Big South Tournament.