Not only does Tulsa’s Ryan Pore lead the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring, but the junior forward leads the NCAA with 44 points. With the best offensive statistics in NCAA Division I men’s soccer, Pore has been voted the league’s Most Valuable Player by Valley coaches for the second-straight year.
A native of Mansfield, Ohio, Pore is the only student-athlete in Valley men’s soccer history to earn the league’s highest honor in back-to-back seasons. For the third-straight week, Pore is the nation’s leading scorer with 2.60 points per game in 17 contests. A six-foot forward, Pore has registered 17 goals and 10 assists with at least one match remaining.
In addition, Pore is one of the country’s 15 finalists for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. He owns 37 career goals, which ties him for fourth in the Valley record books, plus he is also on pace to break into the league’s Top 10 in career points .
Along with the MVP award, Pore joins the All-Valley First-Team for the second-straight season, another feat only accomplished by three other Valley student-athletes this season.
Besides Pore and Tomasso, the only other All-Conference First-Team repeat performers are Bradley teammates Luke Kreamalmeyer and Chris Dunsheath, and SMU’s Ugo Ihemelu.
The Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year is from SMU, too. Mustang goalkeeper T. J. Tomasso has posted seven shutouts this season. He has allowed just three goals in the SMU’s last nine games for a 0.36 goals-against average. On the year, the senior from Canton, Mich., leads the Valley with a 0.78 GAA.
The league’s top finisher, No. 1 SMU took three spots on the All-Conference First Team, while No. 2 Creighton, No. 3 Tulsa, No. 4 Bradley and No. 6 Southwest Missouri State each landed two student-athletes on the All-Conference First Team. The final slot on the squad included a player from Eastern Illinois.
Vanderbilt’s Joe Germanese earned Freshman of the Year honors. A forward, Germanese scored a game-winning goal against Western Kentucky, which secured the Commodores’ first appearance in the Valley Tournament under head coach Tim McClements. With the St. Louis native’s help, Vanderbilt more than doubled its offensive output from 2003. Germanese concluded his freshman campaign with five goals, six assists and 16 points.
SMU head coach Schellas Hyndman was voted Coach of the Year. With an 8-0 conference record, Hyndman has directed his team to four regular-season MVC titles in five years. An affiliate member in the Valley, Hyndman and his Mustangs own a 36-6-2 record in Valley action.
The All-Missouri Valley Conference Team was honored at a banquet tonight in Omaha, Neb. The semifinals for the State Farm MVC Championship, which will be played Friday at Morrison Soccer Complex, pair No. 1 SMU against No. 4 Bradley at 5 p.m., and No. 2 Creighton against No. 3 Tulsa at 7:30 p.m.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ryan Pore, Tulsa
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
T. J. Tomasso, SMU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Joe Germanese, Vanderbilt
COACH OF THE YEAR
Schellas Hyndman, SMU
2004 Soccer Men’s All-Conference
FIRST TEAM
T. J. Tomasso, SMU
*Chris Dunsheath, Bradley
*Ryan Pore, Tulsa
Julian Nash, Creighton
Alex Smith, SMU
Jimmy Klatter, Eastern Illinois
*Luke Kreamalmeyer, Bradley
Doug Lascody, Southwest Missouri State
*Ugo Ihemelu, SMU
Daniel Wasson, Tulsa
Brett Rodriguez, Creighton
Jon Watson, Southwest Missouri State
*repeat selection
SECOND TEAM
Terry Boss, Tulsa
John Krause, Vanderbilt
Matt Nickell, Drake
Richie Mupfudze, Western Kentucky
Dan Broxup, Evansville
Chris Hamburger, Drake
David Chun, SMU
Lawson Vaughn, Tulsa
Besmir Bega, Drake
Matt Wieland, Creighton
Adam Zenor, Drake
Nick Pollard, Southwest Missouri State
HONORABLE MENTION
All-Conference
Adam Hage, Bradley
Preston Good, Bradley
Tony Odorisio, Creighton
Marc Burch, Evansville
Chris Deal, Southwest Missouri State
Jake Jackson, SMU
Kellan Zindel, SMU
Scott Kincaid, Tulsa
Trey Alexander, Western Kentucky
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Joe Germanese, Vanderbilt
Chris Deal, Southwest Missouri State
Drew DeGurian, Bradley
Matt Allen, Creighton
Tim Bohnenkamp, Creighton
Israel Jones, SMU
Brad Earl, Eastern Illinois
Cory Elenio, Evansville
Dan May, Southwest Missouri State
Todd Goddard, Tulsa
Kyle Schroeder, Western Kentucky