Dec. 22, 2011
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Lobo men’s soccer team continues to add to its list of postseason honors for accomplishments both on the field, and in the classroom. Most recently, three players were named to the NSCAA’s 2011 University Division Men’s Scholar All-West Region Team.
Sophomore Kyle Venter and junior Blake Smith were named first-team Scholar All-Region by the NSCAA, while junior Levi Rossi picked up a second-team spot on the list.
The Lobos’ primary centerback out of Aurora, Colo., Venter already has several postseason awards to his credit after leading the team in minutes played on the year with 2,030. Venter added this scholastic All-Region honor to an already impressive resume, consisting of a second-team CoSIDA/Capital One All-American spot and a third-team All-American spot by College Soccer News. He was also named first-team all-conference.
Over the course of the season, Venter found his way onto three all-tournament teams throughout the course of the season, being named the defensive MVP in the TLC Invitational and the UA Tournament, and was named to the MPSF all-tournament team. He also has one MPSF Player of the Week award to his credit.
At New Mexico, Venter is a business major and currently holds a 3.31 cumulative GPA.
Smith, a member of the second-team All-Far West Regional team, also garnered a first-team Scholar All-Region spot with his 3.33 grade point average in business studies. The junior out of Boerne, Texas, was also named to a first-team spot on CoSIDA’s Academic All-District XV list.
To be nominated for this award, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his or her current institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games at the position listed on the nomination form.
Additionally, the student-athlete needs to have completed one full calendar year at his or her current institution and must have reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
Smith finished the season leading the Lobos in scoring and total points with 10 goals and five assists to his name for 25 points on the season. He was once named an MPSF Player of the Week and also earned spots on two national teams of the week over the duration of the year. He was also credited with the game-tying goal that send the Lobos into golden goal overtime with Duke in the second round of the NCAA College Cup.
The Scholar All-Region honor marked the third academic honor for fellow junior Levi Rossi; he also garnered a spot on the third-team, CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-American list after being voted first-team academic all-district alongside Smith.
A psychology major, Rossi holds an impressive cumulative grade point average of 3.79.
While Rossi was one of six Lobos named Academic All-Conference last year, this marks the first All-American honor in Rossi’s career. He is the first Academic All-American for Lobo men’s soccer since 2009.
Rossi, a native of Denver, Colo., started all 22 contests this season on the Lobo back line. He had two goals and three assists for seven total points on the year. His most pivotal offensive effort on the season was his game-winning goal in the 88th minute against San Jose State on Oct. 30 to give the Lobos the 1-0 victory in their second-to-last regular season game.
For a comprehensive list of the Far West Scholar All-Region team, please visit the following link: