November 14, 2001

FURMAN MEN¹S SOCCER PLACES SIX PLAYERS ON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM; NUSUM, DEMPSEY BRING HOME TOP HONORS

GREENVILLE -- The Furman men's soccer team placed six players on the 2001 All-Southern Conference team, including three first team citations on Thursday. Hermann Trophy and MAC Award finalist John Barry Nusum captured the Player-of-the-Year award, while freshman midfielder Clint Dempsey garnered freshman-of-the-year honors.

Nusum was also selected to the first team All Southern Conference squad along with Matt Goldsmith and Scott Blount. Dempsey, Anthony Esquivel, and Sergei Raad were second team all-conference selections. Nusum, a senior from Devonshire, Bermuda, earns his first Southern Conference Player-of-the-Year citation, though he is a two-time first team All American. He is Furman's all-time leader in career goals with 60 and points with 159. Nusum leads the Paladins this season with 15 goals and 7 assists. Nusum is the fourth Paladin to win SoCon Player-of-the-Year honors in the last six seasons.

Dempey, a freshman from Nacogdoches, Texas, is the fifth Paladin in the last seven years to win the award. He has totalled four goals and six assists on the year as he is one of only two players to start every match this season.

"John Barry and Clint are both deserving of these awards," said Furman head coach Doug Allison. "John Barry is one of the best players in the nation and Clint has made an immediate impact as a freshman."

Matt Goldsmith makes his fourth straight appearance on the first team All-Southern Conference squad. A senior, from Roswell, Ga., Goldsmith has started every match of his career and has two goals and three assists this season. Scott Blount makes his third straight first team appearance as he leads the conference with a 0.96 goals against average.

Sergei Raad has become a strong offensive threat this season as he is tied for tenth in the nation in assists with 10 assists to go with 10 goals on the year. Anthony Esquivel is tied for third on the team with 16 points as he has scored five goals and notched six assists on the year. Furman sports a 14-4 overall record, an 8-0 SoCon mark, and a national ranking of 18th by Soccer America.

The Paldins open the Southern Conference Men¹s Soccer Tournament Thursday at 4:30 against Wofford in Charleston, S.C.

First Team All Southern Conference

• GK - Scott Blount, Furman
• D - David Peoples, Davidson
• D - Matt Goldsmith, Furman
• D - Mike Hemphill, UNCG
• MF - Jordy Broder, Appalachian State
• MF - Erik Ozimek, Davidson
• MF - Chris Goos, UNCG
• MF - Jonathan Rios, VMI
• F - Chris Norbet, Davidson
• F - John Barry Nusum, Furman
• F - Alejandro Moreno, UNCG

Second Team All Southern Conference

• GK - John Simmons, VMI
• D - Mark Thornton, Appalachian State
• D - Allen Greenridge, College of Charleston
• D - Derek Kilburn, Davidson
• D - Michael Kozak, Wofford
• MF - Clint Dempsey, Furman
• MF - Anthony Esquivel, Furman
• MF - Jeff Russell, Georgia Southern
• F - Jeff Files, College of Charleston
• F - Sergai Raad, Furman
• F - Tony Moffat, Georgia Southern

Southern Conference Freshman-of-the-Year

• Clint Dempsey, Furman

Southern Conference Player-of-the-Year

• John Barry Nusum, Furman

Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year

• Steven Ross, VMI