University of North Carolina Athletics
Bolowich, Tar Heels Earn ACC Honors
November 9, 2010 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 9, 2010
GREENSBORO, N.C. - After claiming his third ACC regular season title in dominating fashion, Elmar Bolowich was recognized by a vote of the ACC coaches as the 2010 ACC Coach of the Year. The Tar Heels dominated the voting as well with a league-high six players being named to the All-ACC squads. The California duo of Jalil Anibaba and Michael Farfan were both named to the first team.
Michael Farfan repeats as a first team All-ACC selection after earning the nod a year ago during his All-America campaign. Farfan becomes the first Tar Heel since Marcus Storey in 2003 and 2004 to be named to the first team in back-to-back years. The Wildomar, Calif., native has scored four goals on the year with two assists but three of his goals have been ACC game winners to lead the league.
Joining Farfan on the first team is senior defender Jalil Anibaba who has helped anchor a Tar Heel defense that ranks atop the ACC after allowing just three goals in conference play the fewest of any team since conference play expanded to eight games in 2005. Anibaba has started all 17 matches for the Tar Heels this season.
Four Tar Heels earned second team honors with a pair of seniors leading the way in Eddie Ababio and Stephen McCarthy. Ababio started the year at defender before moving to forward with the injury to Billy Schuler early in the year. The Tampa, Fla., native moved back to defender and has been a key piece to a Tar Heel defense that ranks 18th in the country in goals against average at 0.69.
Stephen McCarthy has tallied a goal and an assist on the year from his defensive midfield position and has been a key piece in Carolina dominating possession throughout the year. The Colleyville, Texas, native has missed the last six matches due to injury but is slated to return this week.
Also earning second team honors were midfielder Kirk Urso and Enzo Martinez. Urso ranks second on the team with 11 points on four goals and three assists in 17 matches. The junior has netted a pair of game winners for the Tar Heels on the year, including the lone goal in a 1-0 win at Virginia.
Martinez has been the offensive spark for the Tar Heels all year long tallying a team-high six goals and four assists. Four of Martinez's goals have been of the game winning variety.
Freshman Bruno Castro made it eight consecutive years that a Tar Heel has been named to the ACC All-Freshman team as the San Pablo, Costa Rica, native earned a spot on the 11-man team. Castro scored the game winning goal at Duke early in the season before suffering a rash of injuries that has kept him out of nine games.
The coach of the year honor marks the fourth time that a Tar Heel head coach has earned the honor as Marvin Allen (1975), Anson Dorrance (1977) and Elmar Bolowich (2000, 2010) have all garnered the award. For Bolowich, it is the third time that he has led his squad to at least a share of the ACC regular season title after his 2000 and 2009 teams tied atop the standings. The outright ACC regular season title is a first for the Tar Heels.
The six players on the All-ACC teams is the most for Carolina since 1982 when six Tar Heels also earned all conference honors.
Carolina will open the ACC Tournament on Wednesday when it takes on the winner of NC State and Virginia Tech at 5:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
| 2010 All-Conference First Team | |||
| Charlie Rugg | Boston College | So. | Forward |
| Ryan Finley | Duke | So. | Forward |
| Cole Grossman | Duke | Sr. | Midfielder |
| Andrew Wenger | Duke | So. | Defender |
| Jason Herrick | Maryland | Sr. | Forward |
| Matt Kassel | Maryland | Jr. | Midfielder |
| Zac MacMath | Maryland | Jr. | Goalkeeper |
| Casey Townsend | Maryland | Jr. | Forward |
| Jalil Anibaba | North Carolina | Sr. | Defender |
| Michael Farfan | North Carolina | Sr. | Midfielder |
| Brian Ownby | Virginia | Jr. | Forward |
| 2010 All-Conference Second Team | |||
| Kyle Bekker | Boston College | So. | Midfielder |
| James Belshaw | Duke | So. | Goalkeeper |
| Ethan White | Maryland | So. | Defender |
| Eddie Ababio | North Carolina | Sr. | Defender |
| Enzo Martinez | North Carolina | So. | Midfielder |
| Stephen McCarthy | North Carolina | Sr. | Midfielder |
| Kirk Urso | North Carolina | Jr. | Midfielder |
| Tyler Lassiter | NC State | Sr. | Defender |
| Clarke Bentley | Virginia Tech | Sr. | Midfielder |
| Anthony Arena | Wake Forest | Jr. | Defender |
| Andy Lubahn | Wake Forest | So. | Forward |
| Akira Fitzgerald | Wake Forest | Sr. | Goalkeeper |
| 2010 All-Freshmen Team | |||
| Chris Ager | Boston College | Defender | |
| Cody Mizell | Clemson | Goalkeeper | |
| Sebastien Ibeagha | Duke | Defender | |
| Jonathan Aguirre | Duke | Midfielder | |
| Patrick Mullins | Maryland | Midfielder | |
| Bruno Castro | North Carolina | Midfielder | |
| Sonny Mukungu | NC State | Defender | |
| Brian Span | Virginia | Midfielder | |
| Jared Watts | Wake Forest | Midfielder | |
| Luca Gimenez | Wake Forest | Midfielder | |
| Kyle Emerson | Wake Forest | Midfielder | |
| Offensive Player of the Year: Ryan Finley, Duke | |||
| Defensive Player of the Year: Andrew Wenger, Duke | |||
| Freshman of the Year: Patrick Mullins, Maryland | |||
| Coach of the Year: Elmar Bolowich, North Carolina | |||
