Tuesday,
November 18, 2003
Written by Andrew Silver
MEDFORD – Senior midfielder Brian Mikel (Tuscon,
AZ/Canyon del Oro) of the Tufts University Men's Soccer team was named to
the All-Conference Second Team by the New England Small College Athletic
Conference (NESCAC). One way or
another, the quad-captain managed to make his presence felt on the field
throughout the season for the Jumbos. Mikel
was one of only two Jumbos to start in all 15 of the team's games, and was the
only Jumbo to earn All-Conference honors.
Constantly
making plays in the midfield for Tufts, it was a season in which statistics did
not really do the talking for Mikel. His
lone goal came in the first half of a 2-2 draw against Bates in late September.
With only one goal on the season, being named All-Conference is a
testament to Mikel's strong work ethic and constant hustle during his time on
the field. His play certainly
earned the respect of the NESCAC coaches who voted on the All-Conference
honorees.
Mikel
led the team in shots this season with 35, but many of them were taken in an
effort to create dangerous opportunities for his teammates around the goal. As a midfielder, he often sacrificed the chance to
participate in the Jumbos' offense and instead opted to unselfishly contribute
on the defensive end. It was on the
attack, however, where Mikel excelled most.
Constantly setting up his teammates by taking the ball on his own,
playing long balls, or making delicate passes, opposing teams always needed to
exercise caution when he was on the field.
Mikel's
career for the Jumbos involved much more scoring until this season when he took
on more of a playmaker's role. In
his four-year Tufts career, he made 40 starts and totaled nine goals with ten
assists for a total of 28 points. Along
with earning much attention from opponents on the field, Mikel won the respect
of his teammates and coaches and was rewarded as one of this season's
quad-captains. As captain, Mikel
helped lead the somewhat young Jumbo squad to a 6-7-2 overall record and a 4-4-1
record in the NESCAC for fifth place. His
leadership will certainly carry over toward building the team over the next few
years.
Mikel
was an All-NESCAC First Team selection last season.
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