Five MU Men's Soccer Players Named All C-USA

Nov. 13, 2002

CHICAGO - Five Marquette men's soccer players were named to the various All-Conference USA teams, the league announced. Senior defender Steve Lawrence headlined the list for Marquette as he was named first-team All C-USA and was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Senior midfielder Mike Robards and junior forward Derek Gutierrez were named second-team All C-USA . Senior forward Eric Marshall and senior defender Tom Nolan were named third-team All C-USA.

Lawrence, a senior from Brookfield, Wis., has been the backbone of the Marquette defense. Lawrence was rewarded as first-team All-Conference USA and Conference USA Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year for his innate ability to direct the Marquette defense and neutralize the opponent's attack. In his four seasons at Marquette, the Golden Eagles have recorded 19 shutouts, including five this season. He has helped Marquette hold its opponents to 163 shots, 88 fewer than MU. A preseason All-Conference selection, Lawrence is a four-time All C-USA selection, earning second team honors as a sophomore and junior in addition to his selections this year.

Joining Lawrence as first-team All-Conference are: Jason Cole, Saint Louis; Hunter West; South Florida; Flavio Monteiro, UAB; Jack Jewsbury, Saint Louis; Joe Hammes, Saint Louis; Marin Pusek, UAB; Jeff Thwaites, South Florida; Adrian Cann, Louisville; Nick Gannon, Saint Louis; Clint Baumstark, UAB. Louisville's Adrian Cann shares the Defensive Player-of-the-Year award with Lawrence.

Robards, a senior from Lenexa, Kan., has shown he has offensive talents as well as defensive this season. Currently, Robards is third on the team in scoring with four goals and 12 points. He is second on the squad in assists with four. He has been especially dangerous later in the season, scoring a goal and adding three assists in Marquette's last eight matches. A career seven goal, 11 assist performer, Robards has proven to be well-rounded as both an attacker and as a defender. This is Robards' first selection to any All C-USA team.

Gutierrez, a junior from Overland Park, Kan., is tops on the team in scoring with seven goals and 17 points. He also leads the team in shots with 46. Gutierrez has been available to MU all season after missing seven games to injury last year. He started the year as a preseason All C-USA selection and scored Marquette's first goal of the year against Evansville. In addition, he had a goal and an assist against Wright State in a 4-1 win. He scored MU's tally against Cincinnati and scored the match winner against Wis.-Green Bay. He also scored against Louisville and Wisconsin.

Marshall, a senior from Brookfield, Wis., has proven to be a force down the stretch. Tied with Gutierrez for the team lead with seven goals and 17 points, Marshall had two goals and two assists in MU's last five matches. He leads the team with three match winning goals, scoring the winner against Memphis, Charlotte and Wright State. In conference play, Marshall scored five goals and three assists. He had three multiple point games on the year, scoring two assists against Louisville, two goals against Charlotte and two against Memphis. He was named to the College Soccer News Team of the Week after having two goals against Memphis. This is his first selection to an All C-USA team.

Nolan, a senior from Palatine, Ill., uses his 6-foot-4 frame to be a physical defender or win balls out of the air with his head. In addition to his defensive abilities, Nolan is often used as a target on set pieces. He has three career goals, scoring twice as a freshman. While involved in the MU offense to an extent, it is on the defensive end that Nolan does his best. It was Nolan's save off the goal line of a Saint Louis shot that ultimately led to the Golden Eagles 1-0 shutout of the Billikens and eventually led to the Conference USA title. In making that save, Nolan was named to Soccer America's National Team of the Week.

The Golden Eagles continue their season on Friday, Nov. 15 in the Conference USA tournament semifinal round. MU will play the winner of the South Florida/Cincinnati contest at 5:30 p.m. in Saint Louis.

2002 CONFERENCE USA MEN'S SOCCER AWARDS

First-Team All-Conference USA F: Jason Cole, Saint Louis F: Hunter West, South Florida F: Flavio Monteiro, UAB MF: Jack Jewsbury, Saint Louis MF: Joe Hammes, Saint Louis MF: Marin Pusek, UAB MF: Jeff Thwaites, South Florida D: Adrian Cann, Louisville D: Steve Lawrence, Marquette D: Nick Gannon, Saint Louis GK: Clint Baumstark, UAB

Second-Team All-Conference USA F: Simon Bird, Louisville F: Derek Gutierrez, Marquette F: Mira Mupier, Charlotte MF: Nick Walls, Saint Louis MF: Mike Robards, Marquette MF: Josh Gardner, Cincinnati MF: Tim Brown, Cincinnati D: Chris Schmidt, Memphis D: Kevin Wickart, Saint Louis D: Jared Vock, South Florida GK: Troy Perkins, South Florida

Third-Team All-Conference USA F: Wiremu Patrick, Cincinnati F: Luke Rojo, DePaul F: Eric Marshall, Marquette MF: Clyde Simms, East Carolina MF: Mike Kirchhoff, Saint Louis MF: Shane Carew, Charlotte MF: Fernando Tolomelli, Louisville D: Tom Nolan, Marquette D: Brandon Dobbs, Cincinnati D: Tony McManus, UAB GK: Martin Hutton, Saint Louis

All-Freshman (No position restriction) Hunter West, South Florida Cooper McKee, Saint Louis Omar Jarun, Memphis Jelani Grant, Louisville Jarrett Devereaux, Cincinnati Floyd Franks, Charlotte Dayton O'Brien, Memphis Daniel Ronan, Memphis Danny Wynn, Saint Louis Brad Sokolowski, Louisville Matthew Neeley, Louisville

Freshman of the Year Hunter West, South Florida

Co-Defensive Player of the Year Adrian Cann, Louisville Steve Lawrence, Marquette

Player of the Year Jason Cole, Saint Louis

Coach of the Year Tony Colavecchia, Louisville