Spartan Men Well-Represented on OCSA All-Ohio and Academic All-Ohio Teams
Complete OCSA Division III Academic All-Ohio Teams
Complete OCSA Division III All-Ohio Teams
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Case Western Reserve University men's soccer team was honored for its performance on the field and in the classroom in 2011 as the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association tabbed three Spartans to the Division III All-Ohio team and four to the Division III Academic All-Ohio squad.
Accolades have come in bunches for the 2011 Spartans, as the team turned in one of the best seasons in program history with a 15-5 overall record and the second University Athletic Association Championship and NCAA Tournament berth in program history.
Seniors Niro Wimalasena (Mason, Ohio/Mason), Vinny Bell (Parma Heights, Ohio/Valley Forge) and Kyle Alsup (Avon, Ohio/Detroit Country Day, Mich.) were all first-team Academic All-Ohio selections, while junior Eric Erb (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) earned second-team honors.
Wimalasena and Bell were also first-team All-Ohio picks, while Alsup landed a spot on the second team.
Wimalasena, a chemical engineering major with a 3.72 grade point average, was previously named a Capital One Academic All-American® as well as an All-American and Collegiate Scholar All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The first player in program history to receive all three awards, the team captain started all 20 matches and helped lead the Spartans to eight shutouts and a 0.98 goals against average. For his career, Wimalasena started a school-record 76 matches and was selected to the All-University Athletic Association Team in each of his four seasons.
Bell, the reigning two-time UAA Most Valuable Player and an NSCAA second-team All-American, became the first two-time All-American in program history with his selection in November. Carrying a 3.40 GPA as an accounting major, he finished the 2011 season with UAA-bests and program records of 20 goals and 50 points en route to setting the school's all-time records for career goals (43) and career points (101). Nationally, Bell ranked seventh in the nation in points per game (2.50), sixth in total points (50), seventh in total goals (20), tied for eighth in goals per game (1.00) and tied for 19th in total assists (10).
Alsup, a chemical engineering major with a 3.50 GPA, played in 19 matches and accumulated six points on two goals and two helpers. He also played a key role in the Spartans' eight shutouts to earn second-team All-UAA and third-team NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region honors.
Erb, a nutritional biochemistry and metabolism major with a 3.95 GPA, played in 19 matches with 16 starts. He ranked third on the squad with 21 points on nine goals and three assists while contributing four game-winning goals.
