Three members of the University of Pittsburgh men’s soccer team earned All-ACC accolades as announced by conference officials Wednesday morning.
Sophomore Edward Kizza was named First Team All-ACC and senior Javi Perez was tabbed Second Team All-ACC, while freshman Chandler Vaughn was selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Kizza became the first Pitt soccer player in program history to be named First Team All-ACC while receiving his second All-ACC Team honor in as many years after being selected to the All-Freshman Team last season. The sophomore forward had one of the most prolific offensive seasons in program history, collecting 15 goals in 19 matches for the Panthers. The Kampala, Uganda, native finished the season tied for third in school history in goals, while ranking fifth in points (30). No Pitt player had previously cracked the top 10 in single-season goals since 1977 and single-season points since 1997. Kizza ranks fourth in the nation in goals, seventh in points and 12th in shot accuracy (.622), while leading the ACC in each category.
Perez, the squads’ senior captain, earned Second Team All-ACC honors for the second consecutive season. The Valencia, Spain, native played a major role as the team leader and was an integral component to the Panther midfield. Perez ranked second on the team in points (11), goals (four) and assists (three).
Vaughn, a freshman from Woodbridge, Va., appeared in 18 matches while making 15 starts for Pitt. He was a key contributor to a Panther defense that recorded five shutouts on the season. Vaughn collected two assists in his inaugural campaign.
The Panthers finished the 2018 season with an 8-10-1 overall record and a 2-6 mark against ACC opponents. Pitt collected two wins against ranked opponents on the year, including its first-ever ACC Tournament victory over No. 7 Virginia. The squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, where it eventually fell to No. 8 Duke in a penalty kick shootout.
2018 ACC Men’s Soccer Individual Awards
Coach of the Year: Bobby Muuss, Wake Forest
Offensive Player of the Year: Omir Fernandez, So., M, Wake Forest
Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Comsia, Sr., D, North Carolina
Midfielder of the Year: Bruno Lapa, Jr., M, Wake Forest
Freshman of the Year: Issa Rayyan, Fr., M, Duke
2018 All-ACC Men’s Soccer Teams
First Team
Daniele Proch, Jr., M, Duke
Tate Schmitt, Sr., F, Louisville
Nils Bruening, Sr., F, North Carolina
Alex Comsia, Sr., D, North Carolina
Mauricio Pineda, Jr., M, North Carolina
James Pyle, Sr., GK, North Carolina
David Loera, So., F, NC State
Edward Kizza, So., F, Pitt
Tajon Buchanan , So., F, Syracuse
Omir Fernandez, So., M, Wake Forest
Bruno Lapa, Jr., M, Wake Forest
Second Team
Simon Enstrom, Sr., F, Boston College
Will Pulisic, So., GK, Duke
Brandon Williamson, Jr, M., Duke
Issa Rayyan, Fr., M, Duke
Geoffrey Dee, Sr., M, Louisville
John Nelson, So., D, North Carolina
Thomas Ueland, Sr., F, Notre Dame
Patrick Berneski, Gr., D, Notre Dame
Javi Perez, Sr., M, Pitt
Kristo Strickler, So., M, Virginia Tech
Brad Dunwell, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Third Team
Ciaran McKenna, Sr., M, Duke
Cherif Dieye, Jr., M, Louisville
Jack Skahan, Jr., M, North Carolina
Manny Perez, So., F, NC State
Tommy McCabe, Jr., M, Notre Dame
Felicien Dumas, Sr., D, Notre Dame
Kamal Miller, Sr, D, Syracuse
Joe Bell, So., M, Virginia
Henry Kessler, So., D, Virginia
Mathijs Swaneveld, So., GK, Virginia Tech
Sam Raben, Sr., D, Wake Forest
All-Freshman Team
Kristofer Konraddson, Fr., M, Boston College
Charlie Asensio, Fr., D, Clemson
Issa Raayan, Fr., M, Duke
Aedan Stanley, Fr., D, Duke
Chandler Vaughn, Fr., D, Pitt
Ryan Raposo, Fr., M, Syracuse
Daryl Dike, Fr., F, Virginia
Cabrel Happi Kamseu, Fr., F, Virginia
Aboubacar Keita, Fr., D, Virginia
Daniel Steedman, Fr., F, Virginia
Aristotle Zarris, Fr., F, Wake Forest