Four Men's Soccer Players Earn All-Region Recognition

NSCAA | D3KICKS

St. Louis, Mo., January 3, 2008 – Four Washington University men’s soccer players were selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) NCAA Division III All-South Central Region first team, as announced by the association. Seniors Matt Hemphill, Onyi Okoroafor and Elie Zenner, in addition to sophomore John Smelcer, all garnered the recognition. Okoroafor and Zenner were also named to the D3Kicks.com All-Central Region first team.

Hemphill, a defender, started in all 23 of Washington University’s contests and anchored a Bear defense that allowed just 15 goals in 2007.  He was also selected to the all-University Athletic Association (UAA) second team, and was a first-team all-UAA selection after his junior season.   

Okoroafor is an all-South Central Region selection for the second-consecutive year, having been selected to the third team in 2006. He started in 20 of the Bears’ 23 contests, and made the move from midfielder to defense three weeks into the season. Okoroafor also earned first-team all-UAA honors, garnering a second-team all-conference distinction a year ago.

Smelcer started all 23 games in goal this year, making 70 saves and boasting a goals against average (GAA) of 0.63, the fifth-lowest single-season mark in Washington U. history. The 2006 UAA Rookie of the Year, Smelcer also earned second-team all-UAA honors in 2007.

Zenner appeared in 19 WU contests in 2007 and is an NSCAA All-South Central Region honoree for the second-consecutive year, making the third team in 2006. He tallied six points with a goal and four assists this season, and was another key component of the Bears’ defensive unit. Zenner was named to the 2007 ESPN the Magazine College Division Academic All-America Third Team, becoming just the third player in program history to receive the honor. He also repeated as a first-team all-UAA honoree.

Washington U. fell to eventual national runner-up Trinity University, 2-1, in the sectional finals on Nov. 18. The Bears finished the season with a 16-5-2 overall record, and advanced to the sectional finals for the first time since the 1995 season. The postseason finish was the Bears’ best under head coach Joe Clarke, and the team’s 16 victories signify Clarke’s best single-season total at Washington U., and the men’s soccer team’s highest mark since the 1995 squad picked up 16 wins.