Five Men's Soccer Players Earn All-Big South Honors
November 08, 2019 | Men's Soccer
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb men's soccer program placed five student-athletes on the Big South All-Conference squad, which was headlined by Oskar Wang's First-Team selection.
In addition to Wang's All-Big South First-Team selection as a midfielder – three players – forward Abel Gebrekiros, forward Pedro Benito and defender Laurits Lillemose received Second-Team honors. Lillemose also made the All-Freshman team, while midfielder Petter Johansen represented the Runnin' Bulldogs on the All-Academic squad.
"I am proud of these young men for their hard work this season," said head coach Tony Setzer. "They have been great leaders for our team and have given their best while helping our team earn home field advantage for the Big South quarterfinals."
Wang (Neshollen, Norway, Vormsund NTG Kongsvinger) ranked in the top-10 in the Big South in six statistical categories, including third in goals (8) and goals per game (.471), as well as fourth in points (20) and points per game (1.18). The junior midfielder was the team's leader in both goals and points and ended the regular season in a three-way tie with Jorge Salgado and Gebrekiros with four assists.
Wang was a perfect 4-for-4 in penalty kicks and ended the year by scoring in two of Gardner-Webb's last three matches. He netted a goal in a 5-0 rout of UNC Asheville (Oct. 26) and in the win over Presbyterian (Nov. 2) that clinched the #3 seed in the Big South tournament for the 'Dogs.
His lone multi-goal performance came in 5-4 overtime loss to Furman. Against the Paladins, Wang scored in the 32nd, 35th and 81st minutes and also added an assist on Pedro Benito's goal, the first of the match, to play a role in all four of the 'Dogs' goals.
Gebrekiros (Austin, Minn. / Iowa Lakes CC) appeared in 13 of 17 matches and earned five starts for the 'Dogs. He scored four times in the regular season and also assited on four goals for a total of 12 points. 10 of his 17 shots were on target, which placed him second on the team (min. five attempts) with a 58.8 shots on goal percentage.
The Austin, Minn. Native finished fifth in the conference in points (12), points per game (0.92) and assists per game (0.308), while ending the regular season fourth in the league with two game-winning goals. He scored his first goal in the red and black at VMI (Sept. 14). The goal came in the 88th minute and helped the 'Dogs avoid overtime and leave Lexington, Va. with a 2-1 win. He also scored the game-winner in Big South action against Longwood (Sept. 28). His final two goals came at UAB (Oct. 19) and in a win over in-state foe UNC Asheville (Oct. 26).
Benito (Cadiz, Spain / Oklahoma Wesleyan) was Gardner-Webb's second leading scorer with five goals and also added an assist for 11 points in 17 matches. The Cadiz, Spain native started 15 of 17 matches that he played in. Three of Benito's five goals came in Big South play with two winning the match for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
The 'Dogs traveled to USC Upstate on October 8, and the match looked to be headed for overtime, but Benito put an end to things in regulation. In the 88th minute, Salgado sent a pass to Gebrekiros who found Benito for his fourth goal of the year.
Less than a month later, Benito's game-winner at Presbyterian was a big moment for the 'Dogs. After Presbyterian equalized, Benito needed just 75 seconds in overtime to help Gardner-Webb leave Clinton S.C. with a 2-1 win. He dribbled in from the 18 and beat the Blue Hose's Valentin Kliebe in a 1-on-1 situation, winning the match and clinching the #3 seed in the Big South tournament for the 'Dogs.
Two of Benito's five goals were game-winners, which placed him ninth among Big South student-athletes.
Lillemose (Bogense, Denmark / Tietgen Handelsgymnasium) became a vital part of the Gardner-Webb back line as a freshman. He was one of two defenders to play in all 17 matches and logged 1,477 minutes. The newcomer helped Gardner-Webb shut out non-conference opponent Wofford (Sept. 8) and Big South rivals USC Upstate (Oct. 9) and UNC Asheville (Oct. 26).
In addition to being a consistent member of the Runnin' Bulldogs' defense, Lillemose scored one goal and added an assist in his inaugural season in Boiling Springs. He assisted on Gebrekiros' game-winner at VMI and scored the first game-winner of his career at Radford (Oct. 5). With the match deadlocked at one in overtime, Lillemose controlled the ball in the 97th minute and beat Radford's Joseba Incera on the short side, placing the ball into the left corner of the net for the goal.
Johansen (Toensberg, Norway / Wang Toppidrett Toensberg) was named to the Big South's All-Academic team for the second consecutive season. The junior computer science major holds a 3.88 cumulative GPA and played in 16 matches with 13 starts this season. He recorded three points as he was credited with an assist at VMI and the first goal in Gardner-Webb's 5-0 win over UNC Asheville.
The 'Dogs will begin Big South tournament play on Sunday, November 10 at 6 p.m. when they host the Radford Highlanders. The watch will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Fabian Fuentes and Brendan Boylan on the call.
