ERAU Men’s Soccer Places Four on All-America Roster
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four members of the 2009 Embry-Riddle men’s soccer squad were named to the All-America team which was announced by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics on Saturday. Ryan Woods was tabbed as a first team All-American, while Viktor Bergstrand, Ryan Maloney and Alexis Pradie garnered second team honors.
Woods captained the Eagles to the 2009 Sun Conference regular season and tournament titles and a quarterfinal appearance in the NAIA National Championship. The Preston, England native played in all but one game for the Blue and Gold this season tallying seven goals and a team-high eight assists for a total of 22 points on the year. He scored the game-winning goal in the Eagles’ 2-0 win over conference foe Savannah College of Art and Design to help ERAU to an undefeated 7-0-2 league record and was a first team All-Conference selection for the second straight year.
Maloney (Chester, England) posted one of the most successful offensive campaigns in ERAU men’s soccer history and was named as The Sun Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He scored 19 goals and contributed seven assists to finish with 45 points, ranking in the top 10 nationally in goals and points. The junior totaled an ERAU single-season best eight game-winning goals to lead the NAIA. Maloney set a new school single-game record for points with 13 against Johnson & Wales (Sept. 8) and also tied the single-game goals mark (6) in that contest.
Bergstrand (Malmo, Sweden) also put his mark on the Eagle records book. After being plagued by injury in his first three seasons, the senior goalkeeper played every minute of ERAU’s 22 games in 2009. He set a new single-season record for shutouts (9) and a career record in the same category with 17. Bergstrand was also a first team All-Conference selection and closed out his four years with the Eagles with a 1.08 career goals against average.
A junior from Marseille, France, Pradie played a large role in helping the Eagles to eight shutouts on the year anchoring the defense in 21 matches. The two-time league Defensive Player of the Week was named The Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He also contributed on the offensive side of the pitch with four goals and an assist, including the game-winner against Northwood (Oct. 13).