NCCSIA honors program-record six UNCW men’s soccer players

WILMINGTON, North Carolina (UNCWSports.com) – A program-record six UNCW men’s soccer student-athletes, including three First-Team selections, have been named to the 2017 North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) All-State Teams.

Sophomore forward Phillip Goodrum, junior midfielder Ben Fisher and freshman defender Hjalmar Ekdal received First-Team accolades, while freshman forward Emil Elveroth, senior midfielder Kalvin Kromer and junior midfielder Joel Bylander garnered a spot on the Second Team.

“This is the most players we have ever had selected to the NCCSIA All-State Teams,” Coach Aidan Heaney said. “I think this indicates the depth of talent in our squad and the contributions of the entire group to our team’s success. Congratulations to our players for this well-deserved recognition. I am very proud of them!”

A First-Team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection, Goodrum started 20 games and was the Seahawks’ leading scorer with seven goals and five assists. The Charlotte, N.C., product was named CAA Co-Player-of-the-Week after scoring a pair of goals in UNCW’s 2-1 victory over William & Mary and earned a spot on the CAA All-Tournament Team.

Fisher, a Second-Team All-CAA selection from Chapel Hill, N.C., ranked fifth on the team with nine points after scoring two goals with a team-high five assists in 17 games. He was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Mike Gibbs Memorial Tournament after sparking the Seahawks to wins over Jacksonville and North Florida.

Ekdal, the CAA Rookie-of-the-Year, earned First-Team All-CAA notice after starting all 20 games as a freshman. The Stockholm, Sweden, defender netted the game-winning goal in the Seahawks’ 1-0 victory over No. 3 North Carolina on Sept. 1 to earn CAA Player-of-the-Week honors. He was also named as the CAA Rookie-of-the-Week after receiving Defensive MVP distinction at the Mike Gibbs Memorial Tournament.

A Third-Team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie selection, Elveroth scored five goals with two assists in his rookie season and led the CAA with four game-winning markers. A native of Halmstad, Sweden, Elveroth ranked second on the team with 32 shots and received the CAA Rookie-of-the-Week Award on Sept. 8 after leading the Seahawks to a 2-0 win over Longwood.

Kromer, a Second-Team All-CAA selection, played in 19 games as a senior and scored two goals with four assists. The Cary, N.C., product tallied the eventual game-winning marker in a 3-1 victory at Coastal Carolina on Oct. 3 and closed out his career with eight goals and eight assists, starting 63-of-72 contests.

Bylander, who earned All-State honors for the second year in a row, started all 20 games and tallied six shots while anchoring the midfield. The Stockholm, Sweden, native has started 53-of-55 games in his three-year career, scoring one goal with three assists.

The Seahawks, who reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, finished the season with a 12-8-0 record.