UR has three named All-Region

Courtesy of UofRAtheltics.com

A successful 2017 campaign for the Rochester men’s soccer team has continued into the postseason award season, as three Yellowjackets have garnered All-East Region recognition from the United Soccer Coaches.

Senior forward Geoffrey Rouin was selected as a 1st Team choice, junior defender Lucas Loecher was selected for the 2nd Team and junior midfielder Bryce Ikeda was honored as a 3rd Team All-Region choice.  It is all three players’ first All-Region award from the United Soccer Coaches. 

Overall in 2017, the Rochester team posted a 14-4-3 overall record and matched the programs deepest run in the NCAA Division III Tournament, reaching the national quarterfinals (Elite 8).  To get there, UR posted tournament wins over Connecticut College, SUNY Oneonta and Amherst College.  The Yellowjackets were 4-2-1 in UAA conference play, finishing in third place in the UAA standings.

Rouin was a 1st Team All-UAA honoree in 2017 and posted a breakout campaign in his final year with UR.  He scored a whopping 14 goals, adding two assists for a team high 30 points, the highest scoring output by a Yellowjacket since 2006.  He started all 21 games, and recorded seven game-winning goals, tying the Rochester single-season record, with one of them coming in the NCAA Sweet 16 against Amherst.

Loecher anchored a stifling UR defense all season long, ranking third on the team in minutes played by a field player.  He appeared in 20 games, making 19 starts along the back line, helping Rochester surrender just 19 goals all season long (0.90 goals per game).  UR’s overall goals against average of .868 on the season ranked just outside the top-50 in NCAA Division III, with the Yellowjackets combined to post nine shutouts and hold eight other opponents to a single goal. 

Ikeda, a co-captain for the 2017 season, had another great year manning the midfield for Rochester.  In starting all 21 games, the junior ended up third on UR in scoring with a total of 14 points, coming on five goals and four assists.  He scored one game-winning goal, coming against conference rival NYU on October 15th.  Ikeda also picked up an assist on the game-winner in UR’s NCAA Sweet 16 comeback win over Amherst on November 18th.