GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College’s Freddy Gomez (Burlington, N.C./Williams) and Bri Eilman (Omaha, Neb/Westside (Nebraska-Lincoln)) both earned All-South Atlantic Region honors Wednesday from the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA). Gomez secured second-team commendation after his first-team selection in 2010.
Eilman earned third-team recognition to become the Quakers’ first women’s soccer all-region pick since 2008.
The all-region honorees were nominated and selected by NCAA Division III soccer coaches. The NSCAA’s South Atlantic region includes select New Jersey and Pennsylvania schools, as well as colleges and universities in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia.
Gomez, a 5-6 forward, started in 14 of 17 games and led the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) with 0.65 goals per game. His career-high 11 goals ranked second in the league and helped him earn First Team All-ODAC recognition for the second straight season. Gomez also had one assist for 23 points on the season, tops on team. He stood second in the league in points and points per game (1.35). One of his best performances came in Guilford’s Oct. 19 match against Hampden-Sydney College, when he buried two goals in Guilford’s 3-2 road win over the Tigers. He also tallied twice in the second half of Guilford’s 3-0 victory at Emory University.
Through three seasons with the Quakers, Gomez has 30 career goals and 11 assists, the fourth and 11th-highest totals in the team’s history, respectively. His 71 career points rank fourth at Guilford.
Gomez helped sixth-year head coach Jeff Bateson’s team to a 6-9-2 overall record (3-7 ODAC). Bateson expects as many as 23 letter winners back in 2011, including Gomez.
Eilman, a midfielder, started 14 games of 20 games and earned Second Team All-ODAC for the third straight year. The team captain had four assists and one goal, totaling six points, which ranked seventh on the team. Eilman concludes her college career ranked 10th among Guilford’s all-time leaders with 12 assists. She also scored 12 goals and 36 points in 47 matches over three seasons. Eilman was named to the 2009 Guilford Student-Athlete Honor Roll and expects to graduate with a degree in religious studies.
Coach Eric Lewis’ Quakers ended the season with a 10-8-2 record, 5-4-2 in the ODAC. Guilford won its most games since 2006 and reached the ODAC Tournament for the 20th straight season. Lewis expects 21 letter winners to return in 2011.