Nov. 11, 2014
COLUMBIA, S.C. – 
South Carolina redshirt freshman Mikkel Knudsen captured two individual awards, the Golden Boot and Freshman of the Year, as part of four Gamecocks honored by Conference USA in its 2014 men’s soccer awards.
Senior defenders Mahamoudou Kaba and Braeden Troyer joined Knudsen on the All-Conference USA Second Team, while sophomore midfielder Kurtis Turner captured a spot on the third team.
Knudsen, whose fourth award came as a member of the All-Freshman Team, leads the Gamecocks with seven goals on the year. He posted six of those scores in C-USA play topping all players, giving him the Golden Boot. He’s the fourth Gamecock to garner the Freshman of the Year award, following Mike Gustavson, Jeff Scanella and Jimmy Maurer in South Carolina’s first three years in the league (2005-07). He joins Maurer as one who took both the Freshman of the Year award and a spot on the second team.
Kaba and Troyer, both preseason All-C-USA honorees, gained placement on the second team after working in tandem as the central defenders for the Gamecocks. Kaba scored three goals on the season, including two game-winners, en route to his second conference notation that followed last year’s first-team nod. Troyer tallied one assist on the year while playing on the backline all season. It’s his third-consecutive C-USA second-team honor and his fourth time on an all-conference squad. Troyer joins Maurer as the only Gamecocks to capture all-league honors in four-straight seasons.
Turner garnered third-team honors this season, following up last year’s All-Freshman Team selection. The sophomore ranks second on the team in points, scoring three goals and two assists on the campaign from his central midfield spot.
Kentucky’s Callum Irving claimed three awards, taking the league’s Player of the Year, Defensive MVP and Golden Glove awards. UK coach Johan Cedergren took the Coach of the Year honor, while the offensive MVP went to two players, Charlotte’s Kyle Parker and UAB’s Freddy Ruiz. The 49ers and Wildcats both had three people on the first team, while UAB and New Mexico took two each.
South Carolina takes on the Wildcats on Wed., Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. in the opening round of the C-USA Tournament in Norfolk, Va.
2014 Conference USA Men’s Soccer Awards
Player of the Year
Callum Irving, Kentucky
Offensive MVP
Kyle Parker, Charlotte
Freddy Ruiz, UAB
Defensive MVP
Callum Irving, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year
Mikkel Knudsen, South Carolina
Golden Boot Award
Mikkel Knudsen, South Carolina
Golden Glove Award
Callum Irving, Kentucky
Coach of the Year
Johan Cedergren, Kentucky
All-Conference USA First Team
GK – Callum Irving, Kentucky
D – Biko Bradnock-Brennan, Charlotte
D – Jordan Wilson, Kentucky
D – Darion Copeland, UAB
M – Brandt Bronico, Charlotte
M – Napo Matsoso, Kentucky
M – Ben McKendry, New Mexico
M – Chris Wehan, New Mexico
F – Kyle Parker, Charlotte
F – Quentin Albrecht, FIU
F – Freddy Ruiz, UAB
All-Conference USA Second Team
GK – Austin Pack, Charlotte
D – Mathew Gibbons, New Mexico
D – Nick Miele, New Mexico
D – Mahamoudou Kaba, South Carolina
D – Braeden Troyer, South Carolina
M – Nate Fogelsong, Old Dominion
M – Alex Clay, UAB
F – Justin Laird, Kentucky
F – Daniel Jodah, Marshall
F – James Rogers, New Mexico
F – Mikkel Knudsen, South Carolina
All-Conference USA Third Team
GK – Alex Tiesenhausen, Old Dominion
D – Marvin Hezel, FIU
D – Ivan Svantesson, UAB
M – Dominic Bonilla, Charlotte
M – Daniel Gonzalez, FIU
M – Kristoffer Tollefson, Kentucky
M – Nick Edginton, Marshall
M – Ryan Condotta, Old Dominion
M – Kurtis Turner, South Carolina
F – Monbo Bokar, Charlotte
F – Ryan Price, Florida Atlantic
F – Niko Hansen, New Mexico
F – Jesse Miralrio, Old Dominion
Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Matej Dekovic, Charlotte
Harrison Steadman, Charlotte
Donald Tomlinson, FIU
Petter Riedel, Florida Atlantic
Hampus Agerstrom, Kentucky
Stefan Stojkovic, Kentucky
Christian Kershaw, Marshall
Tyler Edwards, Old Dominion
Mikkel Knudsen, South Carolina
Mathieu Laurent, UAB
DeAndre Robinson, UAB
David Valverde, UAB
