Aug. 27, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky junior defender Barry Rice – a member of the Hermann National Player of the Year Trophy Watch List – has been named a third-team preseason All-American, the College Soccer News announced.
Rice, a native of Parma, Ohio, has garnered a bevy of awards in the preseason, including Conference USA preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors. A 5-foot-11 defender, Rice was also named of 48 players nationally to the Hermann Trophy Watch List, an award annually given to the top player in collegiate soccer.
The reigning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, Rice had a dominating season in 2007, while serving as the physical and emotional leader of the injury-depleted Wildcats. Rice led UK in goals (7) and points (15), while ranking third in the conference in game winners.
In 2006, Rice totaled one goal and five assists, starting all 21 games for the 14-win Wildcats, with his lone goal a game-winner.
Since 2005, when Kentucky became a member of C-USA, a Wildcat has been named the preseason conference defensive player of the year three times.
2008 First-Team Preseason All-America
O’Brian White – Senior – Forward – Connecticut
Andre Akpan – Junior – Forward – Harvard
Marcus Tracy – Senior – Forward – Wake Forest
A. Bedoya – Senior – Midfielder – Boston College
Brad Ring – Senior – Midfielder – Indiana
Ryan Maduro – Senior – Midfielder – Providence
Sam Cronin – Senior – Midfielder – Wake Forest
Yohance Marshall – Senior – Defender – USF
Calum Angus – Senior – Defender – Saint Louis
Omar Gonzalez – Junior – Defender – Maryland
Jovan Bubonja – Junior – Goalkeeper – UIC
2008 Second-Team Preseason All-America
Byron Dacy – Junior – Forward – Creighton
Cody Arnoux – Junior – Forward – Wake Forest
Mike Grella – Senior – Forward – Duke
Kyle Patterson – Senior – Midfielder – Saint Louis
Chris Wright – Senior – Midfielder – New Mexico
Michael Fucito – Senior – Midfielder – Harvard
Patrick Murray – Senior – Midfielder – Furman
Chris Clements – Senior – Defender – Tulsa
Matt Besler – Senior – Defender – Notre Dame
Ofori Sarkodie – Junior – Defender – Indiana
Stefan Frei – Junior – Goalkeeper – California
2008 Third-Team Preseason All-America
Michael Ferguson – Junior – Forward – Loyola Chicago
Chris Pontius – Senior – Forward – UC Santa Barbara
Daniel Revivo – Senior – Forward – Winthrop
Graciano Brito – Senior – Forward – Quinnipiac
Trevor Banks – Senior – Midfielder – Old Dominion
Toni Stahl – Junior – Midfielder – Connecticut
Stephen McCarthy – Junior – Midfielder – Santa Clara
Mark Blades – Junior – Defender – Northwestern
Barry Rice – Junior – Defender – Kentucky
Rhett Bernstein – Senior – Defender – Brown
Zack Simmons – Senior – Goalkeeper – Massachusetts
