Four Firebirds Earn Men’s Soccer All-East Coast Conference Honors
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Four University of the District of Columbia men's soccer student-athletes earned All-East Coast Conference honors, including Second Team distinctions for seniors Elio Hernandez and Louis Connor, and Third Team for junior Victor Salinas Furio and sophomore Maurice Schwab.
Hernandez, a four-year veteran midfielder, had a stellar senior season for the Firebirds, leading the team with 14 points on four goals and six assists. His six assists ranked 6th in the ECC, his 14 points ranked 12th, and his 35 shots ranked 14th. The Germantown, MD native registered three points on a goal and assist in three different games, and he assisted both goals in a 2-1 victory over league foe Mercy.
A Health Education major at UDC, Hernandez finished his Firebirds career 1st on the school's all-time career games played list with 67, 4th on the all-time assists list with 13, and T-7th in goals with 14.
Connor, a three-year standout goalkeeper for UDC, also had an outstanding final season with the Firebirds. He ranked 3rd in the conference with 83 saves and 1st in overall minutes played at 1563:42. The Birmingham, England native had a season-high nine saves in the season-opener vs. Bloomfield and two shutout victories vs. Mercyhurst and Daemen.
Also a Health Education major, Connor finished his career at UDC 2nd on the school's all-time career saves list with 234. Also, his 83 saves this season ranks 4th on the single-season record list.
Salinas Furio, a junior transfer out of Valencia, Spain, was one of the most dynamic scoring defenders in the conference as he finished with 10 points on four goals and two assists. Two of his four goals were game-winners, including his header goal in the Firebirds' 1-0 win at Merychurst. The Architecture major also anchored a defensive line that forced two shutouts and allowed only one goal or less four separate times.
Schwab, a sophomore transfer from Vornholz Weg, Germany, led the team and ranked 13th in the ECC with five goals in his first season at UDC. Despite missing two games due to injury, he also added two assists, giving him a team 2nd best 12 points on the season. He also led the team and ranked 7th in the ECC with 44 shots, passing Laurent Seck ('99) for 3rd on the school's all-time single-season record list.
The Firebirds finished the 2015 season 9th in the league standings with an in-conference record of 3-7 and an overall mark of 5-11-1. Five of UDC's losses came by one-goal deficits, including three overtime defeats. Head Coach Matt Thompson returns 16 student-athletes from this year's roster in 2016, including two All-ECC Third-Teamers, Salinsa-Furio and Schwab.