[FOOTBALL]

Peach Belt Announces Men’s Soccer All-Conference Team

AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference announced the 15-member men’s soccer All-Conference team today. USC Spartanburg’s Ricky Charles was named the conference’s Player of the Year while his head coach, Greg Hooks, was the Coach of the Year. Clayton College & State University’s Andre Rall was chosen as the Freshman of the Year. All awards were selected by the league’s seven head coaches.

Ricky Charles has led the nation and the Peach Belt in scoring each of the past two years, turning in 18 goals and 14 assists for the #4-ranked Rifles this season for 50 points. He also ranks among the league and national leaders in goals and assists. The senior from St. George’s, Grenada, has scored in 13 of the 15 matches USCS has played in this season and has nine multi-goal matches. An all-conference and third-team All-American last year, Charles is the seventh Rifle, and second straight, to be named the conference’s Player of the Year.

Andre Rall is the first Clayton State Laker to ever win Freshman of the Year honors. The true freshman from Johannesburg, South Africa, was a starter for CCSU at sweeper, helping the Lakers to the third-best scoring defense in the Peach Belt Conference this season. Rall also had a goal and an assist in 2003.

Dr. Greg Hooks was selected the PBC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career at USC Spartanburg. In his 10th year with the Rifles, coach Hooks has captured his fourth PBC Championship after leading his team to a 6-0 conference record and 14-1 overall. The Rifles have been nationally-ranked all year and were the #2 team in the nation for four straight weeks. Hooks’ Rifles team went undefeated in PBC conference play for the fourth time, the first since 1999.

Below is the 2003 men’s soccer all-conference team. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

• Almir Barbosa, USC Spartanburg

• Ricky Charles, USC Spartanburg

• Ben Chavolla, Francis Marion

• David Dowling, Clayton State

• Victor Duncan, North Florida

• Sascha Gorres, UNC Pembroke

• Mike Greenaway, Francis Marion

• Luke Ibbetson, Lander

• Jiska Lansivuori, Lander

• Graeme Little, UNC Pembroke

• Gary Lynch, USC Spartanburg

• Peter Martisek, Lander

• Andre Rall, Clayton State

• Preben Ringerike, USC Spartanburg

• Veit Schaidinger, UNC Pembroke

Player of the Year: Ricky Charles, USC Spartanburg

Freshman of the Year: Andre Rall, Clayton State

Coach of the Year: Greg Hooks, USC Spartanburg

Charles scored hat trick to lead USC to victory

SPARTANBURG, S.C - Grenadian international Ricky Charles scored a hat trick and Preben Ringerike added two goals as seventh-ranked USC Spartanburg defeated Brevard 8-1 Tuesday night at the County University Soccer Stadium.

 USCS (1-0-0), the topped ranked team in the Southeast Region, looked a little disorganized in the back early on as three new defenders and a new starting goalkeeper fought to compose the defense under Brevard’s (0-2-0) counter attacks.  With just under seven minutes into the match, a Rifle defender was called for a hand-ball in the box.  Brevard’s Tarik Smith took the penalty kick and slid a shot past USCS keeper Janiel Simon to give the Tornadoes a 1-0 lead.

 As quick as Brevard scored, the USCS defense regrouped just as quickly.  With the back under control, the Rifle attacking players turned up the heat on the Tornadoes.  Ringerike took a perfect touch pass from Charles and found the back of the net in the 14^th-minute to even the match at 1-1.  Ringerike then put the Rifles ahead after Almir Barbosa made a run down the right flank, crossed the ball to Ringerike, and Ringerike bent a shot right to left just inside the right post and out of reach of Brevard keeper Trevor Redpath just 1:11 after the first USCS goal.

 Charles gave the Rifles a little breathing room when Gary Lynch took a free kick, lifted a pass 25 yards over the head of the Brevard defense, and found the feet of the charging Charles.  Charles pounded a shot in the back of the net for a USCS 3-1 lead.  Liam Slack finished the scoring in the first half when he took a pass from Barbosa and punched a shot into the net.

 With USCS leading comfortably 4-1 heading out of the intermission, Charles and the rest of the Rifles decided to put asleep any thoughts of a Brevard comeback.  Shamir Vieira ran down the right side, crossed a pass to the center of the box where Slack flicked a header to the right side of the box, and Charles pounded a shot into the net to give the Rifles a 5-1 lead.  The entire play happened just 29 seconds into the second half.

 Charles finished off the scoring with the play of the night.  Barbosa crossed a pass to Charles just to the left of the box.  Charles gained control and started left.  His defender closed on him and Charles lifted the ball over and behind his head, gaining control and started back right.  He faked his defender, turned back left, faked again, and turned right.  Two short steps and one shot later and USCS led 6-1.

 Slack scored in the 72^nd-minute on an assist from Josh Richardson, and Richardson added a goal off an assist from David Stoval to end the scoring in the match.

 USCS out-shot Brevard 17-4 and held a 10-5 edge in corner kicks.  Despite taking four shots, one which was the penalty kick goal, Brevard did not force Simon or reserve keeper Terence McGee to make a save in the match.

 USCS hosts Pfeiffer Saturday night at 7:00 at the County University Soccer Stadium.