GREENSBORO, N.C. – Thirty-three student-athletes were recognized on Tuesday as part of the 2017 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Team, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
The All-ACC Team is led by Wake Forest’s Jon Bakero, the Offensive Player of the Year, North Carolina’s Cam Lindley, the Midfielder of the Year, and Wake Forest’s Kevin Politz, the Defensive Player of the Year. NC State’s Manny Perez was named the Freshman of the Year, and Wake Forest’s Bobby Muuss was voted as Coach of the Year.
Bakero leads the nation in points (39), is second with 13 assists, is eighth with 13 goals, and has led a Demon Deacon offense that ranks second in the country with 2.94 goals per game. The senior from Sitges, Spain, has scored in 10 of 18 games played this year and tallied a point in all but three games. Bakero is the second Wake Forest player in the last three seasons to be named ACC Offensive Player of the Year, joining Jack Harrison in 2015.
Lindley has helped orchestrate a Tar Heel offense that ranks third in the country with 2.61 goals per game and a defensive unit that allows only 0.870 goals per game. The sophomore midfielder from Carmel, Indiana, is fourth in the nation with 11 assists on the season and is the first North Carolina player to win the award since its inception in 2014.
A senior from Morganville, New Jersey, Politz leads a Wake Forest defensive unit that leads the ACC and is tied for eighth nationally with 0.540 goals allowed per game. The Deacon defense hasn’t allowed a goal in its last six games, and has only conceded more than one goal twice this year. Politz is the first Wake Forest player to win the award since Ike Opara in 2009.
A freshman forward from Garner, North Carolina, Perez is only the second NC State player to be named ACC Freshman of the Year, joining Blas Cardozo in 1992. Perez led the Wolfpack with five goals and 14 points and tallied three game-winning goals on the season.
Under Muuss, the Demon Deacons won the ACC Atlantic Division and earned a berth in the ACC semifinals for the third consecutive year. Currently ranked No. 1 in the country, Wake Forest is 16-1-1 and tied for the most conference wins in league history with a 7-0-1 mark. Muuss is the first coach in ACC history to win three straight Coach of the Year honors.
Louisville’s Tim Kubel was named All-ACC for the fourth time in his career. Clemson’s Oliver Shannon, North Carolina’s Alan Winn, Notre Dame’s Jon Gallagher, and Virginia’s Edward Opoku all were named for a third time.
North Carolina, Virginia, and Wake Forest lead all schools with five players recognized on the All-ACC Teams.
The 2017 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship continues on Wednesday, Nov. 8, with a pair of semifinal matches. No. 1 seed Wake Forest will host No. 5 Clemson, and No. 6 Virginia will welcome No. 7 Notre Dame. Both matches will be at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
2017 ACC Men’s Soccer Individual Awards
Coach of the Year – Bobby Muuss, Wake Forest
Offensive Player of the Year – Jon Bakero, Sr., F, Wake Forest
Midfielder of the Year – Cam Lindley, So., M, North Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year – Kevin Politz, Sr., D, Wake Forest
Freshman of the Year – Manny Perez, Fr., M, NC State
2017 All-ACC Men’s Soccer Teams
First Team
Diego Campos, Sr., F, Clemson @
Oliver Shannon, Sr., M, Clemson #
Tim Kubel, Sr., D, Louisville %
Cam Lindley, So., M, North Carolina @
Alan Winn, Sr., F, North Carolina #
Jon Gallagher, Sr., F, Notre Dame #
Jean-Christophe Koffi, Jr., M, Virginia @
Marcelo Acuna, Sr., F, Virginia Tech @
Ben Lundgaard, Sr., GK, Virginia Tech
Jon Bakero, Sr., F, Wake Forest @
Ema Twumasi, So., M, Wake Forest
Second Team
Brian White, Sr., F, Duke @
Tate Schmitt, Jr., M, Louisville
Mohamed Thiaw, Sr., F, Louisville @
Zach Wright, Sr., F, North Carolina @
Manny Perez, Fr., M, NC State
Javi Perez, Jr., M, Pitt
Mo Adams, So., M, Syracuse @
Pablo Aguilar, Sr., F, Virginia @
Jeff Caldwell, Sr., GK, Virginia #
Edward Opoku, Jr., F, Virginia #
Kevin Politz, Sr., D, Wake Forest @
Third Team
Markus Fjortoft, Gr., D, Duke
Carter Manley, Sr., D, Duke
Will Pulisic, Fr., GK, Duke
Alex Comsia, Jr., D, North Carolina
Mauricio Pineda, So., M, North Carolina
Jeffrey Farina, Sr., F, Notre Dame
Pol Planellas, Sr., M, Pitt
Tajon Buchanan, Fr., F, Syracuse
Sergi Nus, Jr., D, Virginia @
Luis Argudo, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Brad Dunwell, Jr., M, Wake Forest @
All-Freshman Team
Robbie Robinson, Fr., F, Clemson
Will Pulisic, Fr., GK, Duke
John Nelson, Fr., D, North Carolina
David Loera, Fr., M, NC State
Manny Perez, Fr., M, NC State
Alexander Dexter, Fr., F, Pitt
Edward Kizza, Fr., F, Pitt
Tajon Buchanan, Fr., F, Syracuse
Joe Bell, Fr., M, Virginia
Omir Fernandez, Fr., M, Wake Forest
Brandon Servania, Fr., M, Wake Forest
@ - Two-time honoree, # - Three-time honoree, % - Four-time honoree