AUGUSTA, GA – The Peach Belt Conference has announced the 2022 men’s soccer All-Conference team. Clayton State’s Geo Rios was named the Offensive Player of the Year while Flagler’s Tirso Trueba the newly-created Defensive Player of the Year. Flagler’s George Winser was named the Freshman of the Year while Lander’s Lee Squires and Clayton State’s Pete Petersen were named co-Coaches of the Year.
Rios earns his second straight major postseason award as he was one of three co-Players of the Year in 2021. A junior midfielder from Lawrenceville, Ga., he is currently ranked third in NCAA Division II in assists per game and second in total assists with 14. He has nine more assists than any other player in the league and added four goals. He is ranked sixth in the PBC in points per game and was twice named the PBC Player of the Week this season. He is the first Laker to win a major post-season award in back-to-back seasons and gives Clayton State the Offensive Player or Player of the Year award for a seventh time.
Tirso Trueba played more minutes in goal than any PBC keeper in 2022 and was named the PBC Goalkeeper of the Week four times, earning more weekly honors than any other PBC player. A sophomore from Puebla, Mexico, he leads the PBC in save percentage and is tied for the league lead with five shutouts on the year. He is third in goals against average at 1.000 per game, but that number was reduced to 0.83 in conference contests. He also had all five of his shutouts against PBC teams. He becomes the first player to be named the Defensive Player of the Year as the award is new for the 2022 season.
George Winser was a key part of a Flagler defense that led the PBC in fewest goals allowed in 2022. The freshman defender from Hook, England, started in all 15 games in his first collegiate season and was third on the team in minutes played. Named the PBC Defender of the Week on Oct. 24, he also led the team and was tied for second in the league with five assists, four of those coming against conference opponents. Winser becomes the second Flagler men’s soccer player to be named the PBC Freshman of the Year, the first since Joseph Toby in 2009.
Lee Squires led his Lander Bearcats to their 11th regular-season championship in 2022 and fourth of his tenure. Currently in his eighth season as head coach, Squires’ Bearcats are ranked #17 in the nation and #11 in the latest NCAA Super Region 2 poll, the only PBC team to appear in either poll. Lander is currently second in the PBC in scoring and third in scoring defense and is the #1 seed for this week’s PBC Tournament. Squires wins the PBC Coach of the Year honor for the fourth time.
Pete Petersen is one victory away from moving into a tie for second place in the Peach Belt’s all-time coaching wins list. In his 19th season at Clayton State, Petersen’s Lakers enter the PBC Tournament as the #3 seed after posting a 9-4-4 overall record, the third time in the last four years Clayton State has been among the top three in the standings. The Lakers are 6-0-2 in their last eight games heading into tournament play and forward Langston Blackstock was named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week on Oct. 26. Petersen earns his fifth PBC Coach of the Year honor.
The men’s soccer All-Conference team is listed below, as selected by the league’s head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
2022 PBC Men’s Soccer All-Conference Team
First Team
Forwards
Langston Blackstock, Clayton State
Marco Gueli, Lander
Paul Hansen, Flagler
Max McNulty, Lander
Midfielders
Geo Rios, Clayton State
Mikkel Goeling, Young Harris
Vic Delgado Miller, Clayton State
Kevin Rubaszewski, Lander
Defenders
Alistair Danjon, Lander
Christian Ransome, Clayton State
Jed Smith, Lander
Goalkeeper
Lorenzo Ferrari, Lander
Second Team
Forwards
Lucas Bedleg, Georgia Southwestern State
Liam Fisch, Flagler
Joe McInnes, North Georgia
Pato Padilla, Young Harris
Midfielders
Marc Birkelund, Flagler
Carson Dinger, Lander
Rob Dymond, Lander
Matteo Landais, Georgia Southwestern State
Defenders
Sacha DeCorte, Young Harris
Pieter Hamhuis, Young Harris
Chris Salamatou, Georgia Southwestern State
Goalkeeper
Tirso Trueba, Flagler
Offensive Player of the Year
Geo Rios, Clayton State
Defensive Player of the Year
Tirso Trueba, Flagler
Freshman of the Year
George Winser, Flagler
Select Sport Gold Ball Award
Langston Blackstock, Clayton State
Elite 16 Award
Samuel Maardh, Lander
Co-Coaches of the Year
Lee Squires, Lander
Pete Petersen, Clayton State