ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum College's Lucas Paulini was named the 2007 South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer Freshman of the Year, announced league officials Thursday. Paulini was one of four Pioneers named to the All-SAC Team, while Brett Teach was named the Conference Coach of the Year after guiding Tusculum to a share of the league title in his first season at the Greeneville, Tenn. school.

Paulini and junior forward Bruno Conceicão were named to the All-SAC First Team, while Anteneh Lemma and Matthew Ross earned Second Team recognition.

Paulini, a rookie midfielder from Buenos Aires, Argentina, finished second in the conference in assists (9) and is second on the squad in scoring (23 points). He also accounted for seven goals this season, including a scoring tally in Tusculum's 2-1 win over Mars Hill in Tuesday's quarterfinal match of the Food Lion SAC Tournament.

Conceicão, a native of Aruba Dutch Caribbean, leads the Pioneers in scoring with 15 goals and four assists for his 34 total points. His seven match-winning goals are tied for the most in a Tusculum single-season. Conceicão's goal and point tally are both fourth-best in the conference.

Lemma, a freshman midfielder from Stockholm, Sweden, has accounted for eight points (1 goal, 6 assists) in his 18 matches. Ross, a senior defender from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, has scored two goals, while playing in all 19 outings this season.

Teach led the Pioneers to the program's second South Atlantic Conference Championship and into the semifinal round of the Food Lion SAC Tournament, where they will meet eighth-ranked Wingate University on Friday. Tusculum has posted a 10-7-2 record and is ranked No. 23 in NCAA Division II. The Pioneers have played one of the toughest schedules in school history, facing six nationally-ranked opponents, while posting a 2-2-2 record in those outings. This also marks the eighth time Teach has earned Conference Coach of the Year accolades.


- SAC -


2007 All-South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer Team
FIRST TEAM
F - Leandro Pereira, Lincoln Memorial
F - Debola Ogunseye, Newberry
F - Bruno Conceicão, Tusculum
F - Junior Nyemb, Wingate
MF - Luis Carrizosa, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF - Leonardo de Barros, Lincoln Memorial
MF - Lucas Paulini, Tusculum
MF - Luke Mulholland, Wingate
D - Thomas Ostvold, Carson-Newman
D - Aaron Wheeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
D - Felipe Nogueira, Lincoln Memorial
D - Ben Clark, Wingate
GK - Brent Cole, Lincoln Memorial

SECOND TEAM
F - Omar Cooke, Carson-Newman
F - Daniel Waymont, Mars Hill
F - Kwame Gyamfi, Newberry
MF - Jakop Storhaug, Carson-Newman
MF - Ryan Villiard, Catawba
MF - Nelson Pizzaro, Lincoln Memorial
MF - Shane Abbott, Newberry
MF - Anteneh Lemma, Tusculum
D - Matt Ross, Tusculum
D - Everardo Flores, Carson-Newman
D - Rondon Bacchus, Mars Hill
D - Vitor Souza, Lincoln Memorial
D - Gary Higgins, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK - Sean Merfeld, Mars Hill


SAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year: Brent Teach, Tusculum
SAC Freshman of the Year: Lucas Paulini, Tusculum
SAC Player of the Year: Leandro Pereira, Lincoln Memorial
SAC Scholar Athlete: Daniel Waymont, Mars Hill
SAC Fair Play Award - Carson-Newman