Nov. 10, 2004
MACON, Ga. - UCF head coach Bob Winch and junior goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh headlined the list honorees when the Atlantic Sun Conference announced its 2004 postseason men's soccer honors on Tuesday morning. Winch earned his first ever A-Sun Coach of the Year, while McIntosh claimed his second consecutive A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year award.
In his 12th year at the helm of the Knights' program, Winch guided the team to a 7-2 record in the conference as UCF won a share of the regular season championship and earned the No. 1 seed in the A-Sun Tournament. In the past three seasons, the Golden Knights have captured two conference regular season championships, two consecutive tournament crowns and a pair of NCAA Division I tournament berths. Winch has compiled a 109-99-15 record during his tenure at UCF.
As the Knights' starting keeper, McIntosh received his second A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference honors. He led the league with five shutouts and was second in saves (75) and third in goals-against-average (1.12). Entering this weekend's tournament, McIntosh has made 58 consecutive starts in goal and has a career GAA of 1.21, which ranks fifth all-time at UCF.
Like McIntosh, senior tri-captain Tim Sobczak was voted to the Atlantic Sun All-Conference First Team for the second consecutive year. He has been a constant on the UCF defense since transferring from Florida Atlantic in 2001. Before suffering an injury that caused him to miss the last two matches, Sobczak had started 53 consecutive matches. This season, he also notched his first collegiate point on the game-winning goal against IPFW.
Three Golden Knights - senior John Sobczak, junior Jon Imran and sophomore tri-captain Alejandro Gessen - were also selected to the A-Sun All-Conference Second Team. Sobczak was named to the squad as a defender but split his time at midfield and backfield during 2004. He scored the second goal of his career against Mercer, which sent the match into overtime.
Imran, a forward, was UCF's leading goal scorer for the second season. His eight tallies tied him for third among all A-Sun players, while his 17 total points ranked him in a tie for seventh. Imran scored three goals against Lipscomb and knocked in three gamewinners.
A midfielder and 2003 A-Sun Freshman of the Year, Gessen scored three goals - two off successful penalty kicks - to tie for third on the team. He was one of only three Golden Knights to start all 16 matches.
Rookie Phillip Michael Hall was UCF's lone representative on the A-Sun All-Freshmen Team. He started all 16 games in the backfield and notched the game-winning goal in a 2-0 shutout of Campbell four days before his 17th birthday.
After a first round bye, the Golden Knights (8-6-2) play the winner of the No.4 Georgia State/No.5 Belmont match in the A-Sun Tournament semifinals at 4 p.m. in Macon, Ga.