ORLANDO – As announced by Academic All-America Tuesday afternoon, the No. 12 UCF men’s soccer team saw three members selected to the 2023 Academic All-District Men’s Soccer Team as voted on by College Sports Communicators.
Defenders Anderson Rosa and Timothy Arias, as well as forward Emmanuel Bam, were all recognized for the combination of their accomplishments on the field and in the classroom, with each producing a GPA of at least 3.50. Accompanying the honor received by each, the three are also now eligible for consideration on the CSC Academic All-American ballot, with the results set to be announced Dec. 19.
Rosa once again took up his mantle as an integral member of the Knights’ defensive efforts throughout the fall campaign, starting each of UCF’s 16 matches and playing 1,458 of the Knights’ 1,460 total minutes. He also pushed his consecutive starts streak to 60 in a row to begin his collegiate career.
In his 16 matches, Rosa set single-season career-bests in goals scored (3), points (7), penalty kick goals (1), game-winning goals (1) and shot attempts (18), and he tied his career-best with five shots on goal.
He converted his first collegiate penalty kick in the Knights’ 2-0 win over Brown Sept. 9, and later scored his first career game-winner in the Knights’ 3-2 win at South Carolina Oct. 22.
Defensively, he aided in a Knights defensive unit that allowed two or fewer goals in 15 of the team’s 16 matches, as well as one or fewer goals in nine games this fall. The defender also won 52 percent of his duels throughout the regular season.
Arias took on an increased role within the Knights’ defensive unit this fall, appearing in a season-high 14 games and totaling 1,250 minutes played. He recorded his first collegiate point, an assist, during UCF’s Sept. 15 draw with then-No. 4 West Virginia, and set single-season career-bests in shot attempts (8) and shots on goal (3).
Arias also won 62 percent of his duels and completed 85 percent of his passes throughout the regular season, accompanied by an aerial duel win rate of 69 percent.
In his second season with the Knights, Emmanuel Bam took a dramatic step forward offensively, scoring the first four goals of his collegiate career and adding four assists while appearing in all 16 matches.
His first career goal also marked his first career game-winning goal at then-No. 9 Clemson Aug. 24, and he later notched his second career game-winning goal in the Knights' 3-1 win over NC State Sept. 1. The sophomore also scored in UCF's wins over Coastal Carolina and Georgia State, and he recorded his first career multi-assist game in helping lead the Knights to a 3-2 win at South Carolina Oct. 22.
Upon the conclusion of his 2023 campaign, Bam set single-season career-bests in appearances (16), goals (4), assists (4), points (12), shot attempts (20), shots on goal (9) and game-winning goals (2). Bam also completed 74 percent of his dribbles and 56 percent of his crossing attempts during the regular season, while winning 52 percent of his duels and 55 percent of aerial duels.
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