SHREVEPORT, LA. - Hugo Juliao was named Red River Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and five Pilots were named First Team All-Conference, announced by the conference office on Wednesday night. The selections come on the eve of the Pilots’ (12-6-1, 7-3-1) semifinal matchup with Houston-Victoria in the RRAC Tournament.
Juliao, along with Brandon Watts from Houston-Victoria, was named the RRAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year as he solidified the Pilots’ defense all season long en route to a 11 win regular season campaign and a 7-3-1 record in conference play. He has appeared in all 19 games this season for the Pilots, while starting in 18 of them during his senior season. He sits with five assists this season but his recognition for each match does not show up in the box score. He has continuously made it tough on opposing teams trying to find the back of the net against the Pilots this season.
“I am very happy for Hugo,” said Head Coach Phillip Bohn. “He has been a huge part of our program for four years and been such an important student-athlete for us. He is a quality player and an exceptional person. I could not be more happy for his recognition as the the top defender in the conference.”
Along with being named Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Juliao was also named First Team All-Conference. Joining him on the first team were fellow Pilots Maurice Theart, Julius Williams, Scott Neil, and James Averies. The Pilots led all teams in the conference with five first team selections.
Theart has scored nine goals this season with seven of those goals coming in conference play. Williams used this season to break the all-time scoring record at LSUS, as he has scored eight goals total with five goals coming in conference play. He also has six assists to this point and a total of 44 points. Neil has been outstanding in the midfield for the Pilots this season. He currently sits with three goals and seven assists. When Neil contributes, the Pilots win. The Pilots are 11-0 this season when Neil notches a point as he is one of the main distributors for the Pilots to this point of the season. Averies, along with Juliao, has been a lockdown defender this season for the Pilots. He has scored three goals but his high level of play has come defensively for the Pilots this season.
“These five boys are very deserving of their individual recognition,” said Coach Bohn. “Each of them has been an integral part of our growth and success as a team. We would not be where we are today without these boys.”
The Pilots also had two members be named to the All-Freshman Team, also announced by the conference on Wednesday. Abdoul Karim Pare was named to the team after scoring 11 goals and notching two assists to this point of the season. Martin Rassmussen was also named to the All-Freshman Team after playing huge minutes defensively for the Pilots this season.
“As I tell the boys, individual recognition comes with team success,” continued Coach Bohn. “They have all been a big part in helping the Pilots grow and achieve success.”
The Pilots will be back in action on Thursday, November 11th as they take on Houston-Victoria in the semifinals of the RRAC Tournament. The match will kick off at 5 p.m. CT from Texarkana, Texas and the campus of Texas A&M Texarkana.
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