PITMAN, N.J. (11/4/14) – Five players from the Kean University men's soccer program were named All-Conference by the NJAC on Tuesday, led by freshman forward Sevag Kherlopian, who was named to the league's first-team. Seniors Kelvin Flores and Santiago Roncal and sophomores Robert Barrera and Kevin Olaya were all honorable mention selections.
Kherlopian is the team's leading scorer and is the owner of some of the biggest goals of the season thus far for the Cougars. His strike against Richard Stockton College on Saturday provided the only scoring of Kean's 1-0 playoff win against the Ospreys. Overall, he has nine goals this season – five of which have been game winners. He also leads the team with 20 points this season and has two assists. He has been honored as the NJAC Rookie of the Week twice and was the Player of the Week on October 6.
Roncal has been a leader of a defense that allows just one goal per game (officially 1.02) this year. In addition, he came up with a huge offensive output when Kean upset No. 19 Rutgers-Newark in double overtime this season. He scored twice in the 3-2 victory, doubling his career total to four goals (all scored this year) as the Cougars ended the nation's winning streak.
Flores, a midfielder, has scored a goal and added an assist this year in his first season with the Cougars. But his biggest contribution has been to solidify the defense, which has gone from allowing 33 goals last season to just 21 this year in an equal number of games.
Barrera is tied for the team lead in both scoring categories, with four assists and four goals. His 12 points this season is second on the team. In his first year with the program, he has scored two game-winning goals, including the only score of a 1-0 victory over William Paterson on October 11.
Olaya is the team's third-leading scorer, with four goals and three assists to his name this season for a total of 11 points. He also is the team's go-to penalty kick man, and is 2-for-2 thus far this year. He scored the game-winner against St. Joseph's on September 2 and assisted both Cougar goals in a 2-1 NJAC win over New Jersey City University on October 1.
The Cougars will be back in action on Tuesday night, when they face NJAC regular season champion Montclair State University in the NJAC semifinals at 7 p.m. in Montclair.
