University of South Florida senior Yohance Marshall, who has displayed excellence on and off the field, has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the 2008 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the men’s soccer division.
“It’s a honor just to be nominated,” said Marshall. “It’s an achievement over my four years at USF and it’s a reflection of my gratitude of this program and my teammates.”
These individuals qualified based on their dedication and achievement in four areas: Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition. The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is distinctive from many other honors in that on-the-field performance is only one factor in determining candidacy – a major emphasis is placed on off-the-field commitments and personal character.
“I am happy to see Yohance as one of the ten finalists,” said USF head coach George Kiefer. “Yohance has worked hard in his career at USF and is very deserving of this honor. He is a true student-athlete.”
Marshall, a defender from Trinidad, has been selected as a 2008 First Team Preseason All-American by College Soccer News. Marshall has also been tabbed to the 2008 All-BIG EAST Preseason Team, including being named the BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. In the 2008 season, Marshall has recorded one game-winning goal and a game winning assist, while helping lead the Bulls to eight shutouts and anchor a defense that has a 0.67 goals against average. During the fifth week of the 2008 season, the BIG EAST named Marshall Defensive Player of the Week. In 2007 he helped the Bulls to eight shutouts in 19 games, with a defense posting a 0.85 goals against average. Marshall scored one goal last season. During the fifth week of the 2007 season, TopDrawerSoccer.com selected Marshall to the National Team of the Week after the Bulls held No. 8 West Virginia scoreless in Morgantown. He was also classified as “Hard Working Team Player” in College Soccer News. As well as being a selected to the BIG EAST All-Conference second team, he finished the 2007 season as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Men’s Division I All-Northeast Region second team honoree.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season in response to the trend of college basketball players leaving college early to turn professional. The 10 names below are now on the official ballot for a nationwide vote that began October 16 and will conclude November 19. Votes from coaches and media will be coupled with fan balloting to determine the recipient of the award. Fans can vote online during this time period at www.seniorclassaward.com. Winners will be announced during the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship in Frisco, Texas, scheduled for December 12-14.
The Lowe’s complete release is attached.
Below is the complete list of the top 10 finalists
2008 Men’s Soccer Finalists
Name Position School
Yohance Marshall Defender USF
Matt Besler Defender Notre Dame
Sam Cronin Midfielder Wake Forest
Dylan Curtis Midfielder UC Davis
Michael Fucito Midfielder Harvard University
Adam Gartner Defender Eastern Illinois University
A.J. Glubzinski Goalkeeper United States Military Academy
Garret Guthrie Defender University of Missouri Kansas City
Dylan Sheehan Forward Brown University
O’Brian White Forward University of Connecticut
2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Release (PDF)