Akindele and Sullivan earn NSCAA First Team All-American honors;

Strand garners Third Team accolades

GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines men’s soccer team was one of just two teams that had three players named to National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American teams as announced by the NSCAA.

Tesho Akindele and Chike Sullivan, who were both named Daktronics First Team All-American, garnered First Team honors from the NSCAA. They are the first two men’s soccer players at CSM to earn First Team honors in the history of the program. The two players combined to score 30 goals helping the Orediggers lead all of Division II men’s soccer in scoring offense at 3.24 goals per game. Manville Strand is the first goalkeeper at Mines, men’s or women’s; to garnered All-American honors being named to the Third Team.

Akindele, a freshman forward from Thornton, Colo. (Northglenn H.S.), was the 2010 RMAC Freshman of the Year. A unanimous First Team All-RMAC selection, Akindele led the RMAC in goals (19), points (45) and game-winning goals (tied – 5) in his first season at Mines. A First Team Daktronics and NSCAA All-Central Region selection, Akindele recorded three consecutive hat tricks this season becoming the first men’s soccer player to accomplish that feat in the RMAC. His 19 goals established a new single-season program record. Akindele finished the 2010 season ranked third in total goals, fourth in total points, ninth in points per game and 10th in goals per game among Division II players.

Sullivan, a junior midfielder from San Juan, Trinidad & Tobago (St. George’s College), earned Daktronics and NSCAA First Team All-Central Region honors this season. Sullivan was a unanimous First Team All-RMAC selection in 2010 as he led the RMAC in assists (11), ranked fourth in points (33) and fifth in goals (11). Among Division II players, Sullivan currently ranks sixth in total assists and 13th in assists per game.

Strand, a sophomore goalkeeper from Las Vegas, Nev., (Spring Valley H.S.), garnered Second Team All-RMAC honors for the second consecutive season. A Daktronics and NSCAA First Team All-Region pick, Strand led the conference in goals against average (0.64), save percentage (.819) and ranked second in shutouts (8) during the 2010 season. Strand finished the 2010 season ranked seventh among DII goalkeepers in goals against average.

The ninth-ranked Orediggers finished the 2010 season with an overall record of 17-2-2. Mines made its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, third in program history, and won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game against Regis University (5-1). CSM also claimed both the RMAC regular-season and tournament titles.