POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference recently announced its All-Conference awards, and the Gulf South District Champion Pearl River men's soccer team was the recipient of six of them.
Tiago Honorio Jr. (São Paulo, Brazil) was named First Team and the MACCC Player of the Year. Sebastian Kristensen (Randers, Denmark), Emil Corfitzen (Copenhagen, Denmark) and Noah Fazal (Vaerloese, Denmark) took home Second Team honors. Ian Graham (Meridian; Biloxi) was named an Honorable Mention selection. Pearl River's coaching staff, consisting of head coach Drew Gallant and assistants Joe Guinchard and Brandon Butler, were named the Staff of the Year for a second consecutive season.
TIAGO HONORIO JR.
A historic career for Honorio Jr. ends with the MACCC's top honor as the Player of the Year. Honorio Jr. broke nearly every record possible in his sophomore campaign. His 30 goals on the season were the most in a single season in Pearl River history. Against East Mississippi, Honorio Jr. broke the single-match record by scoring six goals in the match. With his strong showing at the NJCAA DII Men's Soccer Championships, Honorio Jr. tied PRCC's career record with the 42nd goal of his career.
Not only did Honorio Jr. bag the goals, but he also picked up assists, wrapping up the year with 10.
"Well deserved. It was easy for him because of the statistics. The things the stats don't show are all the things he did on and off the field as far as leadership goes and being a true team captain. He was a positive leader. He really helped the guys mature. He's just an overall great talent."
SEBASTIAN KRISTENSEN
Kristensen made a massive impact as a freshman centerback for the Wildcats. Not only was he important in keeping teams off the scoresheet, but he was also dynamic when it came to set pieces. In addition to helping the Wildcats pick up six clean sheets on the year, Kristensen had four goals and five assists.
"Sebastian is a really good centerback. It took a little bit for him to adjust early in the season with the way junior college is," Gallant said. "He did a great job for us. A lot of our building and creativity went through Sebastian. He was also good on set pieces. He was good for us all season long."
NOAH FAZAL
Often referred to as the glue for Pearl River, Fazal picks up a Second Team honor. All of Pearl River's play ran through Fazal's feet as he directed traffic and led the team from his midfield position. He finished the year with three assists and four goals.
"He's the most underrated player in the conference and could have been a First Team selection," Gallant said. "He's an all-around great player. We've been really lucky to have him for the last two years. He was probably one of the most important parts of our back-to-back National Tournament appearances."
EMIL CORFITZEN
Corfitzen did whatever was asked of him in his freshman campaign. Although he arrived at Pearl River as an outside back, he transitioned to the top of the formation and was dominant. He wrapped up his first season as a Wildcats with a team-leading 12 assists to go along with 11 goals.
"It was a special freshman season. I felt like he should've been a first team, too," Gallant said. "He's underrated as a player, and he dominated at the National Tournament. The two teams we played were trying to keep it away from him. That's the level of player he is. We're excited to have him back next season, and we will see how far he can carry the team."
IAN GRAHAM
Graham was an incredible defender for Pearl River over the last two seasons. The sophomore was elite when defending but often found his way up the pitch, aiding in the attack. He tallied a pair of assists from his right back position.
"He's turned into a great one-versus-one defender. He does great at defending the ball in the air," Gallant said. "He shut down the best attacking players for opposing teams. We're going to miss him so much. He did so much defending but even brought creativity by moving forward and breaking lines.
STAFF OF THE YEAR
Pearl River wins the Staff of the Year award for a second consecutive season after back-to-back Gulf South District Championships and two National Tournament appearances.
"It's great that it is Staff of the Year so that Joe and Brandon receive the recognition they deserve," Gallant said. "They put in so much work. Whether it's scouting reports and breakdowns of every team or just making sure the team gets the proper nutrition. They work long hours, and this award is definitely for them. We wouldn't be where we are at without those two."
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