Bluefield's Albarran Receives All-Conference Honor - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Freshman forward Erik Albarran was named to the Mid-South Conference Men's Soccer All-Conference Honorable Mention Team.

Albarran is the program's first all-MSC selection as Bluefield joined the powerful Mid-South Conference in the summer after spending a decade in the Appalachian Athletic Conference.

The Houston, Texas, native helped lead an offense that posted 35 goals, second most total in team history, and three more than it scored last year.

Albarran started all but one game for the Red, White & Blue and finished the campaign as the squad's leading scorer. His 15 goals were the most for a BC player, breaking Eric Pozzani's mark of 13 set in 2007, and Albarran's 32 points were the most for a first-year Ram player.

The honor is the latest in a slew of awards for first year talisman scored a conference best six game winners. That mark ranked the 5-foot-8 freshman sixth in the NAIA, while he netted 13-of-15 goals in the second half including his first hat-trick in a come-from-behind 6-4 win over Pikeville (Ky.). Albarran finished the season fourth in the MSC and 37^th in the country in goals (15). Bluefield posted an 8-11-1 overall record and advanced to the MSC Quarterfinals where it was eliminated Cumberlands (Ky.).

University of Rio Grande's Ryota Tonegawa is the MSC Men's Soccer Freshman of the Year. Tonegawa was pivotal in the RedStorm midfield this season while totaling three assists.

Rio Grande coach Scott Morrisey earned Mid-South Coach of the Year after leading the RedStorm to a 9-0 conference mark.

A total of 17 men earned All MSC First Team while 17 others were named all-conference honorable mention as voted on by the conference coaches.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.