The California Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches honored five UCSD men’s soccer players for their performances this season and for helping the Tritons earn a wild card slot in the CCAA playoffs and reach the Division II NCAA Far West Region semifinals for the first time.
The voters gave awards to Tritons up and down the field and in all grade levels, including senior defender Jonathan Shum and sophomore midfielder Matthew Davey, both selected to the All-CCAA First Team. Freshman midfielder Brett Maurer garnered Freshman of the Year honors while sophomore forward Jon Krupansky and junior defender Luke Russell took home All-CCAA Second Team honors.
Co-captain Shum was honored for the third year in a row for his strong defensive play. He previously earned an All-CCAA Second Team selection in 2002 and an All-CCAA Honorable Mention in 2001.
“”It was really exciting to be noticed by the coaches,”” Shum said. “”It was humbling to be honored for the position I play [defender], and it speaks for how good we are as a team.””
Shum was named co-captain for the Tritons this year, which means he has taken on more responsibilities in addition to maintaining his high level of play.
“”It was hard at first being captain because of having more responsibilities, but I just relaxed and improved my play over the season,”” Shum said.
Fellow honoree Krupansky thought his captain was well deserving of the honor and admired his contribution to the team.
“”Shum was a great leader. He was an inspiration on and off the field,”” Krupansky said. “”His actions were amazing.””
Davey, who was voted All-CCAA Honorable Mention in his rookie season a year ago, joined Shum in the All-CCAA First Team. This midfielder made life difficult for opponents all season with his offensive prowess and led the Tritons in three offensive categories: goals scored (eight), assists (eight) and points (24). A penalty kick specialist, Davey, nicknamed “”Daveyesque”” like pro soccer star David Beckham, converted four of five penalty kick opportunities this season.
“”I’m proud as I could be of Davey,”” Krupansky said. “”He was solid in every game. Even if he was having a bad game, he was still just as good as anybody out there.””
Maurer also had high praise for Davey: “”I can’t say enough about him. He’s the best player on the team.””
Maurer surprised Armstrong and his teammates by stepping up and playing strong all season. The numbers he put up in his freshman year ‹ four goals and five assists ‹ impressed coaches enough to vote him Freshman of the Year.
“”Brett was deserving of the award,”” Armstrong said. “”He had a wonderful year. As a freshman, you don’t always know how [they will turn out], but he was a house on fire.””
Maurer was a clutch player for the Tritons, ending two overtime matches against Cal State Stanislaus and Grand Canyon with game-winning goals. His three game-winners rank him at the top in that category for UCSD.
“”I am just happy about getting the opportunity to play. It was cool to get the award. It pays off for the hard work,”” Maurer said.
Maurer said he enjoyed playing soccer in his first year; it was a chance for him to just play and not worry about anything else.
“”I just love having the ball on my feet,”” Maurer said. “”It was fun being out there and not worrying about anything for two hours.””
The All-CCAA Second Team honorees, Krupansky and Russell, were voted for their reliable defensive play and for stepping up and contributing offensively for the Tritons. Russell put points on the board with his four goals, all headers, including a hat trick against rival Cal State San Bernardino to kick off the season at home. In addition, his fourth goal of the season came at the right time for his team, lifting UCSD out of a hole to upset Cal State Dominguez Hills, ranked No. 2 at the time.
Russell suffered a thigh injury on Oct. 18 that sidelined him for the next five games. He returned to action in a reserve role in the Tritons final game of the year, when they were eliminated in the playoffs. But, his play during the season was good enough for a CCAA recognition.
“”Luke had a funny season because it was an injured season,”” Armstrong said. “”But he deserved [the All-CCAA Second Team selection], and I look forward to his play next season.””
Krupansky, a 2002 All-CCAA Honorable Mention, was second on the team with five goals and third in points with 11, making him a solid player for UCSD this season.
“”I was very pleased [to get the honor] coming in from last year, where I made a small impact,”” Krupansky said. “”This year, as a whole, I made a larger impact.””
Armstrong was also pleased with Krupansky being selected to the All-CCAA Second Team and expects even more from his forward.
“”I will be very surprised if he doesn’t make All-CCAA First Team next season,”” Armstrong said.
