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Springfield, Ohio — Wittenberg University men's soccer standouts Matt Borland, class of 2009 from Kettering, Ohio, Shane Price, class of 2009 from Minford, Ohio, and Justin Jenkins, class of 2009 from Dublin, Ohio, have claimed their final awards of their illustrious collegiate careers after earning 2008 All-Ohio honors from the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Coaches Association.
Borland earlier earned his second first-team All-Great Lakes Region award before moving up to second-team All-America after third-team honors in 2007. Price was selected first-team all-region before falling just short in balloting for the All-America teams. They both made first-team All-Ohio, with Borland also claiming Player of the Year honors - the first Tiger to claim such lofty recognition. Jenkins, who missed almost half of the 2008 season with a broken collarbone, nevertheless picked up second-team All-Ohio honors.
The All-Ohio award comes on the heels of the regional and national honors and Borland's third straight first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and second straight Offensive Player of the Year award. He ranked second on the team with seven goals and first in the NCAC with 13 assists, finishing his career with 27 goals, 30 assists and 84 total points. His assist total broke the school record by six.
Price was the team leader in goals with 13, matching his total from 2007. A two-time first-team All-NCAC honoree, Price finished his career with 36 goals and 78 total points, both among the best in school history.
Jenkins was the undisputed leader of the Tiger defense for most of his collegiate career. The 2005 NCAC Newcomer of the Year spearheaded a unit that allowed just 10 goals during a school-record 13-game winning streak to start the 2008 season. After his injury, Wittenberg was outscored 13-10 in seven games before he returned to the lineup for a first round NCAA Division III Tournament loss to Carroll (Wisc.).
The Tigers finished the 2008 season with records of 16-4-1 overall and 6-3 in the NCAC, good for a second-place tie. After breaking school records for wins in a season and consecutive victories (13), Wittenberg reached its first-ever NCAC Tournament title game, falling in a penalty kick shootout to Ohio Wesleyan, and earned their first NCAA Division III Tournament berth in 12 years. For the fifth time in national tournament play, however, Wittenberg lost a one-goal decision, this time to Carroll, 3-2, in the first round.
Written By: Ryan Maurer
020-09