LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sophomore Kentucky defender Barry Rice, the 2007 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, has been named to the First-team All-Region, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced.
?I certainly believe that Barry is amongst the finest players in college soccer,? Kentucky head coach Ian Collins said. ?This opinion is obviously shared by many other coaches. The honor is a testament to his tremendous work ethic and his high quality of play. We are very proud of Barry and he has a great future ahead of him.?
Rice, a native of Parma, Ohio, was a fixture on the UK defense this season, serving as a leader on the offensive and defensive ends for a young Wildcat squad. Rice, an athletic and physical defender, emerged as a major threat on the offensive side as well, leading UK with seven goals and 15 points. Rice netted six of his seven goals off headers with his other lone goal coming off a free kick in a 3-1 win over Marshall. Rice led UK in nearly every category, including minutes played (1652), games started (17), and game winners (3), in addition to leading the Wildcats in goals and points. Rice, who during his freshman season earned C-USA All-Freshmen team honors, was honored at the conference tournament as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, as well as first-team C-USA accolades.
The All-Region honor is the 27th such honor for a Wildcat player since 1993. Since 1993, a UK player has appeared on the All-Region team every year. Last year, Michael D?Agostino and Riley O?Neill earned NSCAA All-Midwest accolades. D?Agostino and O?Neill are currently playing professional soccer in Europe, with D?Agositino suiting up for Blackpool in the Football League Championship division.
Kentucky wrapped up its season in November, posting a 7-10-2 record and a 5-2 conference record. Highlighting the season was a thrilling 2-1 upset win over then-ranked No. 1 SMU on November 3. The Wildcats battled significant injury issues throughout the season, at times missing as many as 13 players from the regular playing rotation. UK?s season ended in a C-USA round one loss to Marshall, 3-1.
