December 8, 1999

FOUR PALADINS NAMED TO ALL-SOUTH FIRST TEAM

GREENVILLE, SC -- A Furman record five Paladins were named the NSCAA/adidas All-South Region team. Scott Blount, Matt Goldsmith, Daniel Alvarez, and John Barry Nusum each earned first team honors for the first time in their careers, while senior Seth Marks was named to the third team.

Furman, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament and finished the season with a school-best 21-2-1 record, placed more members on the first team than any other school placed on all three teams combined.

Sophomore goalkeeper Scott Blount, playing in his first full season in goal finished 11th in the nation with a 0.68 goals against average. Blount made 85 saves and allowed 16 goals on the year. He was a first team All-Southern Conference pick and was named MVP of the UAB/Nike Classic early in the season. Blount was also selected to the Soccer America Team-of-the-Week on September 9.

Sophomore defender/midfielder Matt Goldsmith adds first team All-South honors to an already impressive collegiate resume. Goldsmith, a member of the U.S. Under 20 National Team, is a two-time first team All-SoCon selection, a College Soccer Weekly honorable mention All-American in 1998, a College Soccer Weekly preseason second team All-American this season, the Southern Conference freshman-of-the-year in 1998, and a member of the November 17 Soccer America Team of the Week this season. Goldsmith finished the year with four goals and an assist.

Sophomore forward John Barry Nusum produced one of the most successful single season point productions in Furman history. Nusum, who scored 17 goals while tallying nine assists, placed third on the Furman single season points chart with 43. Nusum, one of the most exciting players in the region, finished 11th in the nation in points. Nusum was also a first team All-Southern Conference pick.

Senior Daniel Alvarez culminated a great career with a stellar senior season. After earning third team All-South honors as a sophomore and second team All-South honors as a junior, Alvarez was named to the first team this season. Furman's all-time leader in career assists with 41, Alvarez broke Furman's single season assist mark and finished first in the nation in assists with 16 on the year. Alvarez also earned first team All-Southern Conference honors.

Senior Seth Marks, who earned first team All-South honors a year ago, was selected to the third team this season. Marks anchored a Furman defense that allowed only 0.72 goals per match. Marks finished the year with five assists and was a first team All-Southern Conference selection.

UNCG's Alejandro Moreno earned first team honors meaning that the Southern Conference accounted for five of the top 11 selections.