2019 United Soccer Coaches Men's Soccer Scholar All-Region Teams (PDF)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time in program history, two Carson-Newman men's soccer players have been tabbed United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-South Region first team selections with Thaylan Silva and Kensho Yoshikoshi landing on the lists that were released on Monday.
The award marks the second postseason laurel for Silva this season while Yoshikoshi matches a program-high seventh on the year. Their laurels push the team to 16 this postseason, marking the most by a C-N squad since 2015 when the Eagles racked up 18 plaudits while tying for the third-most since 2004.
While they are the first Scholar All-Region picks for the program, the pair is the second and third to be recognized by the organization from an academic standpoint. The first was Sindre Welo in 2015 who was a first-team All-American selection when the group was still the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
To be eligible for Scholar All-Region recognition, student-athletes must have a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) or better throughout career, started more than 50 percent of all games and significantly contribute to their team and are a junior or above in academic standing; and, if a transfer student, in second year at school. All nominations are made by the head coach of current College Services member institutions.
Silva started in 15 of his 17 appearances on the pitch this season en route to second-team All-South Atlantic Conference laurels. He led the league through the regular season with eight assists, tying him for eighth-most in a season in program history. The junior connected for five goals on the year, two of those coming from penalty kicks. His two successful PKs tied him for the sixth-most in a season in team history. He led the team with 18 points.
The Sao Paulo, Brazil native is pursuing a Communications degree at Carson-Newman, holding a 3.72 GPA. He has been an Eagle Scholar among C-N Athletics in both of the past two seasons. His GPA is the highest among the forwards on the All-South Region list.
Yoshikoshi is now the third player in program history to receive seven postseason accolades, joining the ranks of Welo in 2015 and Ross Frame in 2013.
The Tokyo, Japan native has been applauded for his work in the classroom three times this season. He garnered the program's second-ever SAC Scholar-Athlete award just a week ago and was an Academic All-District first-team selection in November from the College Sports Information Directors of America, marking the third-straight year than an Eagle had received the honor.
He added the Scholar-Athlete plaudit to being a first-team All-SAC selection and the Defensive Player of the Year. Outside of the league, he was named a first-team All-Southeast Region selection by both the Division II Conference Commissioners' Association (D2CCA) and the United Soccer Coaches.
Yoshikoshi has maintained a 3.89 GPA as a graduate student and is currently pursuing a Masters in Business. He was tabbed a Platinum Eagle Scholar in September after maintaining a 4.0 GPA through his first year at C-N. Additionally, he is on the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
Helping the team to its 10 SAC Regular season title, Yoshikoshi scored three goals on the season to push his career total to five, all coming on headers. He logged a career day in the 4-2 loss to Lenoir-Rhyne on Oct. 2, scoring both of C-N's goals in the match. His five goals paired with three assists, one coming this season against Lincoln Memorial, gave him 13 points in his career.
For a second-consecutive season, the defender started in all 17 matches played by C-N this season, giving him 34 starts in all 34 of C-N's matches during his career. He was honored during the season as the SAC AstroTurf Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 5, his first weekly honor from the league in his career.
C-N's pair are two of three players from the league to be tabbed Scholar All-Region picks.
