CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – In only his sophomore season, Roraigh Yearwood has made his mark not only on the soccer programs at Campbellsville University but now the Mid-South Conference. The MSC coaches selected Yearwood as the 2013 Men's Soccer Player of the Year.
The London, England native led the Tigers in every major stat category throughout 2013 (18 goals and eight assists) and with him being in just his second season, he still has a bright future at CU.
"This is a huge honor to receive this award," said Yearwood. "I did not expect it and I am grateful for the opportunity."
Yearwood finished second in the MSC regular season with 17 goals and eight assists. He was behind Rio Grande's Luiz Filho (26 goals) and Pikeville's Dean Johnson (15 assists). He now sits at 18 goals with a goal in the quarterfinals matchup last Saturday, Nov. 9 against Georgetown College.
"I had a goal coming into the season to score 20," said Yearwood. "I'm at 18 right now, but the season isn't over yet."
The major factor that set Yearwood apart from other players in the MSC was how well rounded he was. Teams started to mark Yearwood throughout the year and that is when he got his teammates involved.
"He has been great this year but it only works if he has a good team around him," said CU Head Coach Adam Preston. "He not only scored goals for us but his passes led to goals in key times throughout the season."
Yearwood started to make his mark when he scored two goals in three straight games against Brescia University, Salem International and Cumberland University.
With this award, it is the first time CU has had an MSC Player of the Year. Casey Clark (2008) and Jamie Allen (2010) won the MSC Freshman Players of the Year.
Also it's the first time since 2009 when an underclassman won the prestigious conference award. Rio Grande's Scott Bibby was selected as the Freshman of the Year and also the Player of the Year.
"Being the first to win this award is a reflection on me, my coaches and my team," said Yearwood. "It shows how well we all work together. I do not receive this award without my teammates."
Campbellsville was also third in the MSC with four first-team All-Conferenece honors; Yearwood, John Kennedy, Ryan Foster and Max Malachiyev were all selected. Eurodger Bargblor, Jr. was the lone second-team selection for Campbellsville.
The Tigers were also one of the top teams in the conference with six Academic All-Conference selections: Gustav Carlsson, Gabriel De Freitas, Kennedy, Adam Linderholm, Chris Moyo, and Dru Sin.
To earn Academic All-Conference a student-athlete has to be at least a sophomore and maintain a 3.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
"I am proud of the team and how they played together all year," said Preston. "They all fed off Roraigh and he fed off them. It's great to have five selections for the All-Conference teams but having six guys win Academic All-Conference shows that we care about more than just soccer."
Campbellsville (15-2-1, 6-2-1) will play in the MSC quarterfinals against University of Rio Grande (13-2-2, 7-0-2) on Thursday, Nov. 14. The match is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. The semifinals and finals matches will be played in Columbia, Ky. on the campus of Lindsey Wilson College.
To follow the Tigers in their MSC semifinals matchup and the rest of the post season, check out @CvilleTigers and Campbellsville Tigers on Facebook.
MSC Media Release
