Aug. 18, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Senior Ryan Roushandel of the UCF men's soccer team has been named to the 2008 Preseason All-Conference USA squad, the league office announced Monday afternoon. The co-captain, a 2007 all-conference selection, was voted to the squad by the league's head coaches.
"It is nice for Ryan to get recognized for all of his hard work on and off the field," head coach Bryan Cunningham said of the senior. "Hopefully this pays dividends for him as we embark on the 2008 season."
Roushandel, a native of Atlanta, Ga., is a two-year starter for the Knights since transferring from Clemson. In 2007, Roushandel led UCF with eight goals and 17 points in earning All C-USA Second Team honors. He also was selected to the NSCAA All-South Region Third Team and named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.
Florida International junior forward Juan Guerra and Kentucky's Barry Rice, a junior defender, were named the Preseason C-USA Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Tulsa had three players named to the 10-member team, Kentucky and South Carolina each had two players, and UCF, SMU, Memphis, and Florida International had one apiece.
Roushandel and UCF get the 2008 season underway with five consecutive games away from their home field. The Knights open the season against two Big Ten opponents at the Ohio State Bert and Iris Wolstein Classic in Columbus, Ohio. The squad begins with a 5:00 p.m. tilt against Penn State on Friday, August 29. Two days later, UCF will square off against the host Buckeyes at 2:30 p.m.
All home matches at the UCF Soccer Complex are free to the public this season. The Knights will have a total of seven games on their home field, including the opener against Memphis on Saturday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
2008 C-USA PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Juan Guerra, Jr., F, Florida International
2008 C-USA PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Barry Rice, Jr., D, Kentucky
2008 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE USA TEAM
Ryan Roushandel, Sr., F, UCF
Juan Guerra, Jr., F, Florida International
Barry Rice, Jr., D, Kentucky
Masumi Turnbull, Sr., M/F, Kentucky
Michael Coburn, Sr., D, Memphis
Ryan Mirsky, Sr., D, SMU
Jimmy Maurer, So., GK, South Carolina
Jeff Scanella, Jr., M/F, South Carolina
Chris Clements, Sr., D, Tulsa
Eric DeFrietas, Sr., M/F, Tulsa
Jose Parada, Jr., F, Tulsa