Nov. 21, 2008

IRVING, Texas - Three Conference USA Men's Soccer Players have been selected to Top Drawer Soccer's National Teams of the Year – a variation of All-America teams – it was announced on Friday. Tulsa senior GK Tyrel Lacey was named to third-team along with Kentucky D Barry Rice. Tulsa freshman Austin Neil, the league's Freshman of the Year, was selected to the second team All-Rookie squad.

Rice, C-USA's first back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honoree, has roamed the backline for the Wildcats since arriving on campus as a freshman in 2006. One of the top defenders in the college game, Rice started all 21 games for UK, logging 1989 minutes, the third-most on the team. Rice totaled two goals and one assist, with both goals serving as game-winners – including a game-winning goal in the Conference USA semifinal against UCF.

A force in the air, Rice’s aerial prowess necessitated the keeping of a new stat for the UK soccer program, the number of contested header attempts Rice won and lost. Throughout the season, Rice claimed a staggering number of header attempts, finishing the year winning 189-for-218 contested header attempts, an 87-percent clip.

Lacey, a senior from Jenks, Okla., picked up Team of the Season third team accolades. He has recorded 72 saves and allowed just 12 goals in over 1,814 minutes. Lacey has the nation’s 10th -best saves percentage (.857) and 14th-best goal-against average (.60). He has already been named to the All-Conference USA first team and picked up two TDS Team of the Week honors this season.

A freshman from Broken Arrow, Okla., Neil was selected to the second team All-Rookie Squad. Neil leads all TU scorers with 10 goals and four assists for 24 points. He was named as the C-USA Freshman of the Year, and picked up All-Freshman team and second team all-conference accolades. Neil was a TDS Team of the Week honoree once this season.