St. John's University Athletics
Becerra, Gustafsson Named Preseason All-Americans
8/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 6, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - Seniors Nelson Becerra and Joel Gustafsson have each been selected as preseason All-Americans by College Soccer News. Both Becerra and Gustafsson were named to the first team, joining Corben Bone and Ike Opara (Wake Forest) as the only teammates on the first team.
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.
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 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.
