Marshall University Athletics
No. 4 Men’s Soccer Racks up Conference USA Awards
11/9/2021 2:38:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Dolabella named Player of the Year, Offensive MVP and Co-Midfielder of the Year
CHARLOTTE – The No. 4-ranked Marshall men's soccer team accumulated numerous Conference USA postseason awards, the league office announced on Tuesday. The Herd pulled in four specialty awards and had eight players named All-Conference as voted on by the league's coaches.
Graduate student Pedro Dolabella led the way being named the Player of the Year, Offensive MVP and Co-Midfielder of the Year that he shared with teammate senior Vitor Dias. Dolabella makes it back-to-back seasons that the Herd featured the Player of the Year after Dias won in the spring of 2021. It is the third-straight season that Marshall has had the Offensive MVP as redshirt junior Milo Yosef won in 2019 and Dias in the spring. Senior Nathan Dossantos was honored as the Defensive MVP. Dossantos is the first Herd player to be named the Defensive MVP.
Garnering First Team All-C-USA accolades are Dolabella, Dias, Dossantos and Yosef. Four others were named to the Second Team with senior goalkeeper Oliver Semmle, senior right back Jan-Erik Leinhos, senior midfielder Vinicius Fernandes and junior midfielder Max Schneider earning the honors.
Marshall earned the No. 2 seed in the Conference USA Tournament that begins on Wednesday in Charlotte. The Herd received a first round bye and await the winner of No. 6 seed Florida Atlantic and No. 3 seed Charlotte. Kickoff for the semifinal match is set for Friday at 7 p.m., and will be streamed on ESPN+.
"Very happy for our guys receiving these awards," Herd head coach Chris Grassie said. "I believe over the course of the season and this past year, they're thoroughly deserved. As a team, we're focused on winning the C-USA Championship this week, but it's a nice lift for everyone as we train this week.
"For Pedro (Dolabella), I'm so happy for him. The development he has had over the course of his career is amazing. And this year he's really been excellent on the pitch. He's The Mayor of Huntington, and I'll miss him, although I know he'll go onto great things.
"Vitor (Dias) on his day is the best player in college, and he can be unstoppable. I'm glad that he got the recognition for that this year. But if there's one player who surpassed him this year in terms of production, it may be Pedro. Happy for both midfielders of the year. Vitor will go onto a great pro career, I'm sure.
"And Nate (Dossantos), he is the best defender in the conference. I can't wait to see where his career takes him. He's been a beast for us for two seasons, and I've said time and time again, his goal should realistically be the Canadian National Team.
"Milo (Yosef) has had a good season as well, and has really flourished as a provider this year. He's still one of the most dangerous attackers in the country.
"Oli (Semmle), Janer (Leinhos), Max (Schneider) and Vini (Fernandes) have also been terrific this year. And I'm sure they all represent the guys who didn't receive recognition in this set of awards. But there's more to play for now, and our goal is to win the two championships in front of us. That's really what this team is about."
Dolabella has had an impressive final collegiate campaign for the Green & White and adds to his already long list of accolades. The Brasilia, Brazil native was a two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, an All-Academic Team selection and is a Senior CLASS Award Finalist. This is his first selection to the First Team as he was named to the Second Team in the spring and in 2019. Dolabella leads the Herd and the conference in scoring with 10 goals and 26 points. He is third on the squad in assists with six. Dolabella is credited with five game-winners this season out of his 10 scores, good for fourth in the NCAA. He ranks 15th in the nation in total points and points per game (1.73). Dolabella is 19th in goals per game (0.67) and 22nd in total goals.
Dias makes it back-to-back seasons being named Co-Midfielder of the Year, although this time sharing it with a teammate, and his second selection on the First Team. The Brasilia, Brazil native garnered a lot of attention after the spring season and began 2021 being named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Preseason Watch List as well as the Preseason C-USA Player of the Year. Even though Dias was not selected as the Player of the Year, his abilities brough even more attention on the pitch and allowed opportunities to open for his teammates. He was also selected as a Senior CLASS Award Finalist along with Dolabella. Dias finished the regular season with five goals, five assists and 15 total points. He scored two goals and had two assists in the opener at JMU. Three of his goals were game-winners.
Dossantos was tabbed as the Preseason C-USA Defensive Player of the Year and followed through with the MVP award as well as his second First Team selection. Since Dossantos joined the Herd before the 2020-21 season, he has helped Marshall become one of the best defenses in the NCAA. After setting team records with 11 clean sheets in the spring, Dossantos helped lead the Herd to more defensive team records again this season. Marshall went on a shutout streak of seven-straight contests and over 760 minutes without conceding a goal to set new team records. The Oakville, Ontario, Canada native has led the way at center back and leads the team in minutes played with 1,498. He was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week twice.
Yosef put together a nice scoring run late in the season for the Herd, registering a goal or an assist in four-straight matches, Oct. 9-30. The streak began with a goal at FAU (Oct. 9), continued with an assist on the game-winner versus UAB (Oct. 19), rolled on with an assist and the golden goal at Charlotte (Oct. 23) and then concluded with two assists against South Carolina (Oct. 30). The Aachen, Germany native set a career-best this season with seven assists including four total in three-straight contests. Yosef's speed and ball-handling skills make him a menace to opposing defenses as his keeps up the pressure. Yosef leads Marshall in total shots with 37 and has 13 on goal. He earns his third All-Conference selection and his second on the First Team.
Semmle has been spectacular in his brief Marshall career. The Au am Rhein, Germany native has earned eight more clean sheets through the end of the regular season and is second all-time in program history with 19 total in just 33 matches. Semmle has led the Herd in the net with over 1,400 minutes played, allowing only 15 goals good for a 0.95 goals against average. He has 45 saves and a .750 save percentage to go along with a 10-2-3 record. Semmle helped lead the way during Marshall's program-record breaking string of seven-straight clean sheets and over 760 minutes of shutting out opponents. In his short Herd career, Semmle has 22 wins and a 0.55 goals against average that is tops in team history.
Leinhos earned his second All-Conference selection and has been a major force for the Herd on the back line and along the outside at right back. His ability to chase down and dispossess opposing attackers, and then push the ball back downfield on the attack has been key to Marshall's success. The Felsberg, Germany native is fourth on the team in minutes played with 1,339. Leinhos scored his lone goal of the season with a long-range blast at Charlotte. He also has three assists. In his career, Leinhos has played nearly 6,200 minutes on the pitch in 72 matches.
Fernandes stepped up in a big way in 2021 providing a big scoring punch either with his five goals or his team-leading eight assists. All eight of his helpers were on non-set pieces. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native opened the season with a goal in the first four matches as well as three total assists. He scored once and had two assists at then No. 21 JMU. Fernandes had a goal and another assist against Akron and tied his career and season-best with two assists versus Butler. He registered a helper in six contests this season and three coming on game-winners. Fernandes is 17th in the NCAA in assists per game (0.53) and 22nd in total assists.
Schneider has been another key piece in the Herd's game plan either getting back and helping on defense or pushing the ball downfield. His leg strength has been used on free kicks near the goal as he blasted one from outside the 18-yard box against then No. 4 WVU for his first goal of the year. The Cologne, Germany native also scored on a penalty kick at No. 19 FIU. Schneider uses his height, speed and leaping ability to win challenges in the midfield and keep the ball in Marshall's possession. He also has two assists.
2021 C-USA Men's Soccer All-Conference Award Winners
Player of the Year
Pedro Dolabella, MF, Marshall
Offensive MVP
Pedro Dolabella, MF, Marshall
Defensive MVP
Nathan Dossantos, D, Marshall
Co-Midfielders of the Year
Vitor Dias, Marshall and Pedro Dolabella, Marshall
Goalkeeper of the Year
Jan Hoffelner, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year
Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, F, FIU
Coach of the Year
Kyle Russell, FIU
Golden Boot Award
Preston Popp, F, Charlotte
Golden Glove Award
Jan Hoffelner, Kentucky
All-Conference USA First Team
GK: Jan Hoffelner, Kentucky
D: Kareem Riley, FIU
D: Luis Grassow, Kentucky
D: Nathan Dossantos, Marshall
MF: Joe Brito, Charlotte
MF: Matteo Gasperoni, FIU
MF: Marcel Meinzer, Kentucky
MF: Vitor Dias, Marshall
MF: Pedro Dolabella, Marshall
F: Preston Popp, Charlotte
F: Stephen Afrifa, FIU
F: Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, FIU
F: Milo Yosef, Marshall
All-Conference USA Second Team
GK: Oliver Semmle, Marshall
D: Delasi Batse, Charlotte
D: Nicholas Itopolous, Coastal Carolina
D: David Garcia, FIU
D: Robert Screen, Kentucky
D: Jan-Erik Leinhos, Marshall
MF: Emile Rzepecki, Coastal Carolina
MF: Alonso Coello Camarero, Florida Atlantic
MF: Vinicius Fernandes, Marshall
MF: Max Schneider, Marshall
MF: Eliot Goldthorp, Old Dominion
MF: Peter Clement, South Carolina
F: Kameron Lacey, Charlotte
F: Alvaro Garcia-Pasqual, Coastal Carolina
F: Filip Jauk, Florida Atlantic
F: Nathaniel St. Louis, UAB
All-Conference USA Third Team
GK: Leon Schmidt, Coastal Carolina
GK: Tyler Hogan, FIU
D: Marcelo Lage, Coastal Carolina
D: Oscar McConnell, Coastal Carolina
D: Tom Abrahamsson, Florida Atlantic
D: Lucca Rodrigues, Kentucky
D; Josh Thacker, Old Dominion
MF: Alessandro Negri, Charlotte
MF: Julian Hodek, FIU
MF: Bailey Rouse, Kentucky
F: Ivan Mykhailenko, Florida Atlantic
F: Daniel Evans, Kentucky
F: Logan Frost, South Carolina
C-USA All-Freshman Team
Alessandro Negri, MF, Charlotte
Ian Pilcher, D, Charlotte
Alvaro Garcia-Pasqual, F, Coastal Carolina
Michael Fowler, F, Coastal Carolina
Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, F, FIU
Julian Hodek, MF, FIU
Filip Jauk, F, Florida Atlantic
Davide Romeo, MF, Florida Atlantic
Oliver Juul, D, Kentucky
Martin Soereide, MF, Kentucky
Eliot Goldthorp, MF, Old Dominion
Harrison Myring, F, South Carolina
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
Graduate student Pedro Dolabella led the way being named the Player of the Year, Offensive MVP and Co-Midfielder of the Year that he shared with teammate senior Vitor Dias. Dolabella makes it back-to-back seasons that the Herd featured the Player of the Year after Dias won in the spring of 2021. It is the third-straight season that Marshall has had the Offensive MVP as redshirt junior Milo Yosef won in 2019 and Dias in the spring. Senior Nathan Dossantos was honored as the Defensive MVP. Dossantos is the first Herd player to be named the Defensive MVP.
Garnering First Team All-C-USA accolades are Dolabella, Dias, Dossantos and Yosef. Four others were named to the Second Team with senior goalkeeper Oliver Semmle, senior right back Jan-Erik Leinhos, senior midfielder Vinicius Fernandes and junior midfielder Max Schneider earning the honors.
Marshall earned the No. 2 seed in the Conference USA Tournament that begins on Wednesday in Charlotte. The Herd received a first round bye and await the winner of No. 6 seed Florida Atlantic and No. 3 seed Charlotte. Kickoff for the semifinal match is set for Friday at 7 p.m., and will be streamed on ESPN+.
"Very happy for our guys receiving these awards," Herd head coach Chris Grassie said. "I believe over the course of the season and this past year, they're thoroughly deserved. As a team, we're focused on winning the C-USA Championship this week, but it's a nice lift for everyone as we train this week.
"For Pedro (Dolabella), I'm so happy for him. The development he has had over the course of his career is amazing. And this year he's really been excellent on the pitch. He's The Mayor of Huntington, and I'll miss him, although I know he'll go onto great things.
"Vitor (Dias) on his day is the best player in college, and he can be unstoppable. I'm glad that he got the recognition for that this year. But if there's one player who surpassed him this year in terms of production, it may be Pedro. Happy for both midfielders of the year. Vitor will go onto a great pro career, I'm sure.
"And Nate (Dossantos), he is the best defender in the conference. I can't wait to see where his career takes him. He's been a beast for us for two seasons, and I've said time and time again, his goal should realistically be the Canadian National Team.
"Milo (Yosef) has had a good season as well, and has really flourished as a provider this year. He's still one of the most dangerous attackers in the country.
"Oli (Semmle), Janer (Leinhos), Max (Schneider) and Vini (Fernandes) have also been terrific this year. And I'm sure they all represent the guys who didn't receive recognition in this set of awards. But there's more to play for now, and our goal is to win the two championships in front of us. That's really what this team is about."
Dolabella has had an impressive final collegiate campaign for the Green & White and adds to his already long list of accolades. The Brasilia, Brazil native was a two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, an All-Academic Team selection and is a Senior CLASS Award Finalist. This is his first selection to the First Team as he was named to the Second Team in the spring and in 2019. Dolabella leads the Herd and the conference in scoring with 10 goals and 26 points. He is third on the squad in assists with six. Dolabella is credited with five game-winners this season out of his 10 scores, good for fourth in the NCAA. He ranks 15th in the nation in total points and points per game (1.73). Dolabella is 19th in goals per game (0.67) and 22nd in total goals.
Dias makes it back-to-back seasons being named Co-Midfielder of the Year, although this time sharing it with a teammate, and his second selection on the First Team. The Brasilia, Brazil native garnered a lot of attention after the spring season and began 2021 being named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Preseason Watch List as well as the Preseason C-USA Player of the Year. Even though Dias was not selected as the Player of the Year, his abilities brough even more attention on the pitch and allowed opportunities to open for his teammates. He was also selected as a Senior CLASS Award Finalist along with Dolabella. Dias finished the regular season with five goals, five assists and 15 total points. He scored two goals and had two assists in the opener at JMU. Three of his goals were game-winners.
Dossantos was tabbed as the Preseason C-USA Defensive Player of the Year and followed through with the MVP award as well as his second First Team selection. Since Dossantos joined the Herd before the 2020-21 season, he has helped Marshall become one of the best defenses in the NCAA. After setting team records with 11 clean sheets in the spring, Dossantos helped lead the Herd to more defensive team records again this season. Marshall went on a shutout streak of seven-straight contests and over 760 minutes without conceding a goal to set new team records. The Oakville, Ontario, Canada native has led the way at center back and leads the team in minutes played with 1,498. He was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week twice.
Yosef put together a nice scoring run late in the season for the Herd, registering a goal or an assist in four-straight matches, Oct. 9-30. The streak began with a goal at FAU (Oct. 9), continued with an assist on the game-winner versus UAB (Oct. 19), rolled on with an assist and the golden goal at Charlotte (Oct. 23) and then concluded with two assists against South Carolina (Oct. 30). The Aachen, Germany native set a career-best this season with seven assists including four total in three-straight contests. Yosef's speed and ball-handling skills make him a menace to opposing defenses as his keeps up the pressure. Yosef leads Marshall in total shots with 37 and has 13 on goal. He earns his third All-Conference selection and his second on the First Team.
Semmle has been spectacular in his brief Marshall career. The Au am Rhein, Germany native has earned eight more clean sheets through the end of the regular season and is second all-time in program history with 19 total in just 33 matches. Semmle has led the Herd in the net with over 1,400 minutes played, allowing only 15 goals good for a 0.95 goals against average. He has 45 saves and a .750 save percentage to go along with a 10-2-3 record. Semmle helped lead the way during Marshall's program-record breaking string of seven-straight clean sheets and over 760 minutes of shutting out opponents. In his short Herd career, Semmle has 22 wins and a 0.55 goals against average that is tops in team history.
Leinhos earned his second All-Conference selection and has been a major force for the Herd on the back line and along the outside at right back. His ability to chase down and dispossess opposing attackers, and then push the ball back downfield on the attack has been key to Marshall's success. The Felsberg, Germany native is fourth on the team in minutes played with 1,339. Leinhos scored his lone goal of the season with a long-range blast at Charlotte. He also has three assists. In his career, Leinhos has played nearly 6,200 minutes on the pitch in 72 matches.
Fernandes stepped up in a big way in 2021 providing a big scoring punch either with his five goals or his team-leading eight assists. All eight of his helpers were on non-set pieces. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native opened the season with a goal in the first four matches as well as three total assists. He scored once and had two assists at then No. 21 JMU. Fernandes had a goal and another assist against Akron and tied his career and season-best with two assists versus Butler. He registered a helper in six contests this season and three coming on game-winners. Fernandes is 17th in the NCAA in assists per game (0.53) and 22nd in total assists.
Schneider has been another key piece in the Herd's game plan either getting back and helping on defense or pushing the ball downfield. His leg strength has been used on free kicks near the goal as he blasted one from outside the 18-yard box against then No. 4 WVU for his first goal of the year. The Cologne, Germany native also scored on a penalty kick at No. 19 FIU. Schneider uses his height, speed and leaping ability to win challenges in the midfield and keep the ball in Marshall's possession. He also has two assists.
2021 C-USA Men's Soccer All-Conference Award Winners
Player of the Year
Pedro Dolabella, MF, Marshall
Offensive MVP
Pedro Dolabella, MF, Marshall
Defensive MVP
Nathan Dossantos, D, Marshall
Co-Midfielders of the Year
Vitor Dias, Marshall and Pedro Dolabella, Marshall
Goalkeeper of the Year
Jan Hoffelner, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year
Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, F, FIU
Coach of the Year
Kyle Russell, FIU
Golden Boot Award
Preston Popp, F, Charlotte
Golden Glove Award
Jan Hoffelner, Kentucky
All-Conference USA First Team
GK: Jan Hoffelner, Kentucky
D: Kareem Riley, FIU
D: Luis Grassow, Kentucky
D: Nathan Dossantos, Marshall
MF: Joe Brito, Charlotte
MF: Matteo Gasperoni, FIU
MF: Marcel Meinzer, Kentucky
MF: Vitor Dias, Marshall
MF: Pedro Dolabella, Marshall
F: Preston Popp, Charlotte
F: Stephen Afrifa, FIU
F: Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, FIU
F: Milo Yosef, Marshall
All-Conference USA Second Team
GK: Oliver Semmle, Marshall
D: Delasi Batse, Charlotte
D: Nicholas Itopolous, Coastal Carolina
D: David Garcia, FIU
D: Robert Screen, Kentucky
D: Jan-Erik Leinhos, Marshall
MF: Emile Rzepecki, Coastal Carolina
MF: Alonso Coello Camarero, Florida Atlantic
MF: Vinicius Fernandes, Marshall
MF: Max Schneider, Marshall
MF: Eliot Goldthorp, Old Dominion
MF: Peter Clement, South Carolina
F: Kameron Lacey, Charlotte
F: Alvaro Garcia-Pasqual, Coastal Carolina
F: Filip Jauk, Florida Atlantic
F: Nathaniel St. Louis, UAB
All-Conference USA Third Team
GK: Leon Schmidt, Coastal Carolina
GK: Tyler Hogan, FIU
D: Marcelo Lage, Coastal Carolina
D: Oscar McConnell, Coastal Carolina
D: Tom Abrahamsson, Florida Atlantic
D: Lucca Rodrigues, Kentucky
D; Josh Thacker, Old Dominion
MF: Alessandro Negri, Charlotte
MF: Julian Hodek, FIU
MF: Bailey Rouse, Kentucky
F: Ivan Mykhailenko, Florida Atlantic
F: Daniel Evans, Kentucky
F: Logan Frost, South Carolina
C-USA All-Freshman Team
Alessandro Negri, MF, Charlotte
Ian Pilcher, D, Charlotte
Alvaro Garcia-Pasqual, F, Coastal Carolina
Michael Fowler, F, Coastal Carolina
Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, F, FIU
Julian Hodek, MF, FIU
Filip Jauk, F, Florida Atlantic
Davide Romeo, MF, Florida Atlantic
Oliver Juul, D, Kentucky
Martin Soereide, MF, Kentucky
Eliot Goldthorp, MF, Old Dominion
Harrison Myring, F, South Carolina
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
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