University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Photo by: Matt Hawley/Pitt Athletics
Löeffelsend Headlines List of Nine All-ACC Awardees
11/10/2021 10:29:00 AM | Men's Soccer
PITTSBURGH – Graduate student Jasper Löeffelsend was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season today, leading a total of nine players to earn All-ACC honors.
As Löeffelsend was named to the First team, joining him on the Second Team are senior Rodrigo Almeida, sophomore Bertin Jacquesson, junior Valentin Noel, senior Arturo Ordoñez, junior Veljko Petkovic and graduate student Jackson Walti. Earning Third Team accolades is graduate student goalkeeper Nico Campuzano and receiving All-Freshman Team is Guilherme Feitosa. The nine players honored is the second most in program history and a total of 19 players have been honored in the past two seasons combined.
Also earning an ACC honor is Head Coach Jay Vidovich, who was named ACC Coach of the Year for the second straight year and seventh time in his career. It is his second ACC Coach of the Year award as Pitt's head coach, earning the previous five at Wake Forest.
Löeffelsend, from Cologne, Germany, becomes the first back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year award winner since Wake Forest's Ike Opara in 2008-09, a player coached by Vidovich. Löeffelsend enters tonight's match eighth in the nation in assists per game (0.62) and tied for first in the ACC in total assists (8).
He has helped the Panthers become the number one assist team in the country as they lead the nation in total assists (51) and assists per game (3.19). He also scored his first career goal at home vs. UMass Oct. 25, netting two to help Pitt defeat the Minutemen 5-1. In just 28 career games played, the 2020 Second Team All-American is third all-time in career assists with 17.
Almeida is earning his first All-ACC honor as he has had a career year for the Panthers in 2021. The midfielder leads the team in goals (7), is third in assists (6) and leads the squad and is sixth in the ACC in total points with 20. The Salvador, Brazil, native's highlights this season include two goals against No. 4 North Carolina, and three assists at home vs. UMass. He was named to CollegeSoccerNews' Team of the Week Nov. 1.
Jacquesson has had one of the best second half's of any player in the country, totaling 16 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in his last nine games. The forward is tied with Löeffelsend for the conference lead in total assists and has five goals to his name this year. The Lorrez-Le-Bocage, France, native is ninth in the ACC in points per game (1.12) and is fifth in shot accuracy (.543). The honor was his fourth overall, as he earned Freshman of the Year, All-ACC Second Team and All-ACC Freshman Team last season.
Noel garnered his fourth career ACC honor after a 2020-21 season that saw him earn ACC Offensive Player of the Year and named a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy award. Noel is second on the team in goals with six and third in points (16). Noel has been on fire as of late, totaling nine points in his last four games, including two games with two goals. He scored both goals against Virginia Tech last Sunday in Pitt's 2-1 double-overtime victory over Virginia Tech in the ACC Quarterfinal.
Ordoñez is earning his third All-Conference award as he received All-Freshman in 2019 and Third Team last season. A mainstay in the backline the past three seasons, Ordoñez has totaled three goals and one assist this season. The Salou, Spain, native has been a key factor into Pitt's home winning streak as Pitt has outscored its opposition 34-8 during its 19-match run at home.
Petkovic, from Queens, N.Y., picked up where he left off from a 2020-21 campaign that saw him earn TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year. He is earning his fourth career accolade, receiving All-Freshman and Third Team in 2019 followed by Second Team a season ago. In 10 games played, Petkovic has five goals and five assists on 23 shots for the year. His 15 points are fourth best on the team and his 58 career points currently rank eighth in the Panther record book.
From Vevey, Switzerland, Walti earns his second career honor after being named to the Second Team in 2020. A three-year captain of the midfield, Walti has two assists to his credit this season. The graduate student is second on the team in minutes played (1,482) and has logged nearly 6,000 minutes for his career.
In his second year in goal for the Panthers, Campuzano earns his second All-ACC accolade. The Cantabria, Spain, product has recorded 42 saves this year with five shutouts to his credit. Campuzano broke the single-season wins record a year ago (16) and is fourth all-time with 27 victories for Pitt. His 11 career shutouts is tied for sixth all-time, while his 3,350 minutes played already ranks third in school history.
Feitosa, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been one of the top freshman in the country's toughest soccer conference, registering three goals and five assists. He recorded his first goal at home vs. Syracuse and followed that up with a goal against Cleveland State and three assists vs. Duke. Feitosa is the ninth player in program history to earn a spot on the All-Freshman team.
As Löeffelsend was named to the First team, joining him on the Second Team are senior Rodrigo Almeida, sophomore Bertin Jacquesson, junior Valentin Noel, senior Arturo Ordoñez, junior Veljko Petkovic and graduate student Jackson Walti. Earning Third Team accolades is graduate student goalkeeper Nico Campuzano and receiving All-Freshman Team is Guilherme Feitosa. The nine players honored is the second most in program history and a total of 19 players have been honored in the past two seasons combined.
Also earning an ACC honor is Head Coach Jay Vidovich, who was named ACC Coach of the Year for the second straight year and seventh time in his career. It is his second ACC Coach of the Year award as Pitt's head coach, earning the previous five at Wake Forest.
Löeffelsend, from Cologne, Germany, becomes the first back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year award winner since Wake Forest's Ike Opara in 2008-09, a player coached by Vidovich. Löeffelsend enters tonight's match eighth in the nation in assists per game (0.62) and tied for first in the ACC in total assists (8).
He has helped the Panthers become the number one assist team in the country as they lead the nation in total assists (51) and assists per game (3.19). He also scored his first career goal at home vs. UMass Oct. 25, netting two to help Pitt defeat the Minutemen 5-1. In just 28 career games played, the 2020 Second Team All-American is third all-time in career assists with 17.
Almeida is earning his first All-ACC honor as he has had a career year for the Panthers in 2021. The midfielder leads the team in goals (7), is third in assists (6) and leads the squad and is sixth in the ACC in total points with 20. The Salvador, Brazil, native's highlights this season include two goals against No. 4 North Carolina, and three assists at home vs. UMass. He was named to CollegeSoccerNews' Team of the Week Nov. 1.
Jacquesson has had one of the best second half's of any player in the country, totaling 16 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in his last nine games. The forward is tied with Löeffelsend for the conference lead in total assists and has five goals to his name this year. The Lorrez-Le-Bocage, France, native is ninth in the ACC in points per game (1.12) and is fifth in shot accuracy (.543). The honor was his fourth overall, as he earned Freshman of the Year, All-ACC Second Team and All-ACC Freshman Team last season.
Noel garnered his fourth career ACC honor after a 2020-21 season that saw him earn ACC Offensive Player of the Year and named a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy award. Noel is second on the team in goals with six and third in points (16). Noel has been on fire as of late, totaling nine points in his last four games, including two games with two goals. He scored both goals against Virginia Tech last Sunday in Pitt's 2-1 double-overtime victory over Virginia Tech in the ACC Quarterfinal.
Ordoñez is earning his third All-Conference award as he received All-Freshman in 2019 and Third Team last season. A mainstay in the backline the past three seasons, Ordoñez has totaled three goals and one assist this season. The Salou, Spain, native has been a key factor into Pitt's home winning streak as Pitt has outscored its opposition 34-8 during its 19-match run at home.
Petkovic, from Queens, N.Y., picked up where he left off from a 2020-21 campaign that saw him earn TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year. He is earning his fourth career accolade, receiving All-Freshman and Third Team in 2019 followed by Second Team a season ago. In 10 games played, Petkovic has five goals and five assists on 23 shots for the year. His 15 points are fourth best on the team and his 58 career points currently rank eighth in the Panther record book.
From Vevey, Switzerland, Walti earns his second career honor after being named to the Second Team in 2020. A three-year captain of the midfield, Walti has two assists to his credit this season. The graduate student is second on the team in minutes played (1,482) and has logged nearly 6,000 minutes for his career.
In his second year in goal for the Panthers, Campuzano earns his second All-ACC accolade. The Cantabria, Spain, product has recorded 42 saves this year with five shutouts to his credit. Campuzano broke the single-season wins record a year ago (16) and is fourth all-time with 27 victories for Pitt. His 11 career shutouts is tied for sixth all-time, while his 3,350 minutes played already ranks third in school history.
Feitosa, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been one of the top freshman in the country's toughest soccer conference, registering three goals and five assists. He recorded his first goal at home vs. Syracuse and followed that up with a goal against Cleveland State and three assists vs. Duke. Feitosa is the ninth player in program history to earn a spot on the All-Freshman team.
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