CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The 2023 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Team and season award winners were announced Wednesday following a vote of the league’s head coaches. Mirroring the league’s balance this season, the five ACC Player of the Year awards were spread amongst six players from five different schools.
Duke senior forward Forster Ajago was voted the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, and Wake Forest senior defender Garrison Tubbs was selected ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Syracuse senior Jeorgio Kocevski and Virginia senior Mouhameth Thiam shared ACC Midfielder of the Year honors, while Notre Dame senior Bryan Dowd was chosen ACC Goalkeeper of the Year. Virginia forward Stephen Annor Gyamfi notched Freshman of the Year laurels. Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley was voted ACC Coach of the Year by his peers.
Ajago leads the ACC and is tied for third nationally in goals this season with 14, one off the national lead. He also has totaled 32 total points this season, by far the most of any ACC player. The native of Navrongo, Ghana, has twice been honored as ACC Offensive Player of the Week.
A native of Brunswick, Georgia, Tubbs anchors the Demon Deacons’ backline and played 1,505 of a possible 1,530 minutes this season. The Wake Forest defense conceded just 14 goals this season, third fewest of all ACC teams.
Kocevski leads all ACC players with 11 assists this season. A native of Liverpool, New York, Kocevski is the first Syracuse player to claim the Midfielder of the Year award.
Thiam has started all 17 games this season for Virginia and totaled five goals as well as four assists. The Dakar, Senegal, native has recorded a pair of game-winning goals. He was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 17.
Dowd has been a linchpin in the stingy Notre Dame defensive attack, allowing just 12 goals while recording 52 saves and a 0.75 goals-against average in 16 matches. The native of Willow Springs, Illinois, owns an ACC-best eight shutouts, 0.75 goals-against average and .813 save percentage this season.
Hailing from Accra, Ghana, Annor Gyamfi is tied for second in the ACC goals with 10 this season, including seven in conference play, which is tied for the most among all players. He is tied for second nationally in goals by a freshman.
Named ACC Coach of the Year for the first time, Riley has led the Fighting Irish to a 11-2-4 record this season, including the first undefeated ACC record (6-0-2) in program history. Notre Dame won the ACC Coastal Division and captured the No. 1 seed in the ACC Championship. The Fighting Irish currently are No. 2 in the NCAA RPI and ranked No. 4 nationally by the United Soccer Coaches. Riley is the second Notre Dame coach to win the award, joining Bobby Clark in 2013.
The semifinals of the 2023 ACC Men's Soccer Championship will be contested Wednesday evening. In the opener at 6 p.m., No. 6 seed Syracuse plays host to No. 7 North Carolina. No. 4 Clemson entertains No. 9 Louisville at 8 p.m. ACC Network will broadcast the semifinal doubleheader. The two advancing teams will face off in the championship match at noon Sunday on ESPNU at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
ACC Men’s Soccer is dominating the latest national rankings. In the NCAA RPI, released Monday, ACC teams hold nine of the top 30 spots: Notre Dame (2), Virginia (6), North Carolina (9), Wake Forest (12), Louisville (14), Duke (16), Syracuse (22), Clemson (26) and Pitt (29).
Eight ACC teams are ranked in the United Soccer Coaches poll, the most of any conference. Notre Dame is No. 4 this week and is followed by Wake Forest (6), North Carolina (7), Duke (8), Virginia (11), Clemson (14), Syracuse (18) and Louisville (20).
2023 ACC Men’s Soccer Season Honors
Offensive Player of the Year – Forster Ajago, Gr., F, Duke
Defensive Player of the Year – Garrison Tubbs, Sr., D, Wake Forest
Co-Midfielder of the Year - Jeorgio Kocevski, Sr., Syracuse; Mouhameth Thiam, Sr., Virginia
Goalkeeper of the Year – Bryan Dowd, Sr., Notre Dame
Freshman of the Year - Stephen Annor Gyamfi, F, Virginia
Coach of the Year – Chad Riley, Notre Dame
2023 All-ACC Team
First Team
Ousmane Sylla, Sr., F, Clemson
Forster Ajago, Gr., F, Duke
Nick Pariano, Sr., F, Duke
Quenzi Huerman, Gr., F, North Carolina
Bryan Dowd, Sr., GK, Notre Dame
Matthew Roou, Jr., F, Notre Dame
Filip Mirkovic, Sr., M, Pitt
Jeorgio Kocevski, Sr., M, Syracuse
Stephen Annor Gyamfi, Fr., F, Virginia
Mouhameth Thiam, Sr., M, Virginia
Garrison Tubbs, Sr., D, Wake Forest
Second Team
Brandon Parrish, Sr., M, Clemson
Ulfur Bjornsson, Fr., F, Duke
Amir Daley, Sr., D, Duke
Julian Eyestone, Fr., GK, Duke
Damien Barker-John, So., F, Louisville
Sander Roed, Jr., M, Louisville
Riley Thomas, Sr., D, North Carolina
Eno Nto, Jr., F, Notre Dame
Trace Alphin, Jr., GK, Wake Forest
Jahlane Forbes, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Hosei Kijima, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Roald Mitchell, Jr., F, Wake Forest
Third Team
Joran Gerbet, Jr., M, Clemson
Pape Mar Boye, Fr., D, Clemson
Nathan Richmond, So., F, Clemson
Antino Lopez, Sr., D, Duke
Josh Jones, Jr., D, Louisville
Sam Williams, So., M, North Carolina
Bryce Boneau, Jr., M, Notre Dame
Kyle Genenbacher, Jr., D, Notre Dame
Daniel Russo, Sr., M, Notre Dame
Jackson Gilman, So., D, Pitt
Lorenzo Boselli, Sr., M, Syracuse
All-Freshman Team
Xavier O'Neil, M, Boston College
Pape Mar Boye, D, Clemson
Ulfur Bjornsson, F, Duke
Julian Eyestone, GK, Duke
Hakim Karamoko, M, NC State
Nolan Spicer, F, Notre Dame
Albert Thorsen, F, Pitt
Stephen Annor Gyamfi, F, Virginia
Brendan Lambe, M, Virginia
Noe Uwimana, D, Virginia Tech
Liam O'Gara, M, Wake Forest