KANSAS CITY, Kan. - For the first time since 1994, America East has three men's soccer National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Americans and they all hail from UMBC. The Retrievers' Pete Caringi III, Oumar Ballo and Kadeem Dacres were all tabbed NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Americans on Friday.
Caringi is America East's first-ever first-team selection while Ballo earned second-team honors and Dacres was a third-team choice.
The trio led UMBC to one of the best seasons an America East men's soccer team has ever had as the Retrievers went 16-1-3, captured its third league crown in four years and became the first America East team to receive a seed in NCAA Men's Soccer Championship since the field expanded to 48 teams in 2001.
Caringi III was the first repeat America East Striker of the Year in the 12-year history of the award and also was the Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship. Despite being a marked man all season, Caringi tallied league bests of 29 points and 13 goals.
Ballo earned Defender of the Year honors as well as first-team all-league honors by leading a UMBC defense that registered a 0.70 team GAA and seven shutouts.
Dacres, the America East Midfielder of the Year, ranked third in America East with 18 points and fourth with seven goals. He was also a first-team all-conference honoree.
The teammates are the first America East men's soccer trio to earn All-America honors in the same season.
The trio joins the four field hockey All-Americans that were named last week to give America East seven so far this season. In all, 156 America East student-athletes across all sports have been named All-Americans since the start of the 2007-08 academic year.