St. John's University Athletics
Soccer America Tabs Gustafsson And Becerra As Preseason All-Americans
8/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 28, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - Seniors Joel Gustafsson and Nelson Becerra have each been selected as preseason All-Americans by Soccer America. Gustafsson was selected to the first team, while Becerra was named to the second team.
The duo has received numerous honors leading up to the 2009 campaign. Both players were named to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team, with Gustafsson being a unanimous selection, while College Soccer News named both first team preseason All-Americans. Gustafsson has also been named to the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch List and was named the Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.
A second team NSCAA All-American and the defending BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Gustafsson led a defensive unit that allowed just 13 goals in 25 games. With the defender anchoring the back line, St. John's led the nation and set a new school-record with 16 shutouts. The All-BIG EAST first team selection tallied a career-high three goals and added one assist to register a career-high seven points.
The reigning BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and a third team NSCAA All-Region selection, Becerra led the Red Storm in points (23), goals (8) and assists (7) in 2008. The midfielder also had a team-best five game-winning goals. A first team All-BIG EAST choice, Becerra converted a game-winning penalty kick in overtime to cap a rally from a 2-0 deficit against Indiana and send St. John's to the NCAA College Cup with a 3-2 win.
The Red Storm finished 19-3-3 (8-1-2) a year ago and reached the NCAA College Cup for the fourth-time in program history. The squad was ranked No. 4 in the final NSCAA poll of the season and enters 2009 ranked No. 1 in the College Soccer News preseason poll. The defending BIG EAST Red Division regular season champions, St. John's led the nation with a school-record 16 shutouts. A stingy defense and a well-balanced offensive unit helped the team outscore the opposition 39-13 on the year.
