NCCSIA Announces 2012 North Carolina University Division All-State Men’s Soccer Team

The North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) announced its selections for the 2012-13 University Division All-State men’s soccer team on Tuesday. Twenty players representing seven different North Carolina universities were named to the 2012-13 NCCSIA University Division men’s soccer all-state teams.

Atlantic-10 regular season champion Charlotte placed four individuals on the all-state first team, while High Point had three representatives.  Southern Conference champion Elon and  Campbell had two players named to the first unit.

Junior Klay Davis of Charlotte was named the first-team goalkeeper after completing a season in which he was the backstop for a defense which recorded nine shutouts and limited opponents to one goal or fewer in 18 games. Davis helped the 49ers capture the Atlantic 10 regular season title and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was named both first-team All-Atlantic 10 and second team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region.

High Point senior Fejiro Okiomah was the leading vote getter among defenders. Okiomah had two goals on the season and anchored a defense which allowed just 19 goals in 20 games while also tying an HPU Div. I record with nine shutouts. Okiomah was named first-team All-Big South and first team All-South Atlantic Region by the NSCAA.

Okiomah is joined on the first-team defense by junior Thomas Allen of Charlotte and junior Travis Golden of Campbell. Allen started all 22 games on a defense that held 18 opponents to a goal or less and recorded nine shutouts. He finished with five points on two goals and an assist and was named both first-team All-Atlantic 10 and second –team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region. Golden played all but 42 minutes in central defense for a Campbell team which recorded seven shutouts on the season. He was named first-team All-Big South.

Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year Donnie Smith of Charlotte leads the first-team midfield. Smith finished the season with 12 points on four goals and four assists. He was named first-team All-Atlantic 10 and first-team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region. He was also named an NSCAA first-team Scholar-All-American. Smith was selected by the New England Revolution with the 21^st overall pick of the 2013 MLS Draft.

Senior Shawn Sloan of High Point joins Smith on the first-team after a season which saw him finish third in the nation in assists per game. Sloan played in 15 games and finished with 22 points on six goals and a team-high 10 assists. He finished second in the Big South and 10^th in the nation in total assists. Sloan was named first-team All-Big South and third-team All-South Atlantic Region. He was drafted by the Columbus Crew in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft.

Fellow Big South member Mitchell Cardenas was selected to the first-team after finishing with eight goals and 14 assists in 2012. Cardenas played every minute for Campbell and led the nation in total assists. He also ranked 22^nd in the nation in points. Cardenas was named first-team All-Big South and first-team All-South Atlantic Conference. He was drafted by the Kansas City Wizards in the 2013 MLS Draft and is now playing professionally in Mexico.

Elon’s Gabe Latigue rounds out the All-State midfielders for 2012. Latigue finished the season with 16 points on five goals and six assists. He was named the Southern Conference Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and a member of the conference’s All-Tournament team after scoring the game-winning goal for the Phoenix against Wofford, his second game-winning goal of the season. Latigue was named second-team All-Southern Conference and second-team All-South Region by the NSCAA.

Sophomore Giuseppe Gentile is the fourth and final member of the first-team from Charlotte. Gentile had 25 points on nine goals and seven assists in 2012. He scored three game-winning goals and helped Charlotte reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Gentile was named second-team All-Atlantic 10 and first-team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region.

Elon’s Chris Thomas finished the 2012 season as the nation’s leading goal scorers in the country with 23 in 22 games. Thomas also led the nation with 51 points, adding five assists to his 23 goals. The senior was named a Herman Trophy Semifinalist and the Southern Conference Player of the Year. He was also named first-team All-Southern Conference and first-team All-South Region by the NSCAA.

High Point’s Mamadee Nyepon is the final member of the 2012 first-team and the third member from HPU. Nyepon led High Point with 29 points on 13 goals and three assists. The sophomore ranked first in the Big South in goals per game, finished tied for second in total goals and fourth in total points. His six game-winning goals led the conference and his 13 total goals is the second-most scored in a season in High Point’s Div. I era. Nyepon was named first-team All-Big South and third-team All-South Atlantic Region by the NSCAA.

The NCCSIA All-State second team is comprised of High Point’s Kody Palmer, Austin Yearwood and Adam Sewell, Appalachian State’s Lee Williams, Gardner-Webb’s Jon Ole Reinhardsen, Elon’s Matt Wescoe and Daniel Lovitz, Charlotte’s Tyler Gibson and UNC Greensboro’s Hakan Ilhan.

Nominees were submitted by North Carolina sports information professionals and voted on by the NCCSIA members.

Founded in 2002, The North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) is comprised of sports information professionals from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions from the state of North Carolina. The purpose of the organization is to promote collegiate athletics at all schools. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina, and whose area of responsibility lies within sports information.

NCCSSIA selects all-state teams in the University (Division I) and College (Division II, III, NAIA) divisions for men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball.

North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association
2012 University Division All-State Men’s Soccer Teams

& - Named to 2011 All-State Team
% - Named to 2010 All-State Team