The University of Akron Athletics
Zakuani Named Soccer America Player of the Year
December 17 | Men's Soccer
University of Akron sophomore Steve
Zakuani has been named Soccer America's Player of the
Year for 2008, the esteemed publication announced Wednesday.
Zakuani, who led the nation in goals (20) and points (47) this
fall, is the first Akron player to be named Player of the Year by
Soccer America and just the second sophomore ever to win
the prestigious award following Virginia's Claudio Reyna, who won
the first of back-to-back honors in 1992.
After being named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in
November, Zakuani has been named Top Drawer Soccer's
Player of the Season, earned First Team All-America honors from the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas and
College Soccer News, and was named to the NSCAA All-Great
Lakes Region First Team
To top it all off, Zakuani was recently named one of three
finalists for the Hermann Trophy, which is considered the highest
individual honor in intercollegiate soccer.
Interesting to note, all three of the past Soccer America
Player of the Year winners (O'Brian White, Connecticut in 2007;
Joseph Lapira, Notre Dame in 2006; Jason Garey, Maryland in 2005)
have gone on to win the Hermann Trophy.
The winner of the prestigious award will be announced on Jan. 9,
2009.
Zakuani thrived under the pressure of being one of the nation's top
performers this fall. He
recorded at least one goal in five straight games from Sept. 19 to
Oct. 8 and recorded the first two hat tricks of his young career in
2008. In all, Zakuani scored in 13 of 23 games and recorded at
least one point in 14.
Moreover,
the second-year striker was at his best with the game on the line,
netting seven game-winning goals in 2008. None were as big however
as the decisive score in double overtime to lift the Zips past
Northern Illinois in the MAC Tournament championship game on Nov.
16.
The
native of London, England was also a two-time national player of
the week by Top Drawer Soccer (Oct. 6, Oct. 10) and was
named to 12 national teams of the week by three different
publications, including Top Drawer Soccer, Soccer America
and College Soccer News. Additionally, he was named MAC
Player of the Week six times, a new league record.
Notable Zakuani Career Superlatives
Hermann Trophy Finalist (2008)
Soccer America Player of the Year (2008)
Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Season (2008)
NSCAA/adidas All-America First Team (2008)
NSCAA/adidas All-Great Lakes Region First Team (2008)
Soccer America First Team All-American (2008)
College Soccer News First Team All-American (2008)
MAC Player of the Year (2008)
All-MAC First Team (2008)
Soccer America Preseason All-American (2008)
Two-Time National Player of the Week, Top Drawer Soccer
(Oct. 6, Oct. 10 2008)
National Player of the Week, College Soccer News (Oct. 10,
2008)
Five-Time National Team of the Week honoree, Top Drawer
Soccer (2008)
Four-Time National Team of the Week honoree, College Soccer
News (2008)
Three-Time National Team of the Week honoree, Soccer
America (2008)
Six-Time Mid-American Conference Player of the Week (2008)**
College Soccer News Player to Watch (2008)
MAC Newcomer of the Year (2007)
College Soccer News All-Freshman Team (2007)
NSCAA/adidas All-Great Lakes Region First Team (2007)
All-MAC First Team (2007)
** League record
