Cardinals Read: Impressive Trio of Cardinals Garner All-ACC Honors

Louisville, KY – The University of Louisville men’s soccer team is celebrating today as three of its student-athletes have been recognized by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for their outstanding performances this season. Damien Barker-John and Sander Roed have both been selected as second-team honorees, while Josh Jones received third-team honors. This marks the ninth time in the past 10 years that Louisville has had multiple All-Conference selections since joining the ACC.

Barker-John had a slow start to the season, but he soon found his stride and became an instrumental player for the Cardinals. Scoring just one point in the first six matches, the sophomore showcased his skills by scoring eight goals in an eight-match stretch, including several multi-goal performances. Barker-John currently leads the Cardinals with nine goals and 21 points, placing him sixth and fifth in the ACC, respectively.

Roed, a junior, has now earned All-ACC honors for the third consecutive year. After being recognized as a third-team member in his freshman year and a first-team selection last year, Roed has once again proven his abilities on the field. He has scored five goals and is ranked fourth in the league with seven assists. Roed’s most notable performance came in the ACC quarterfinals against No. 2 Notre Dame, where he recorded a hat trick and set a new ACC Championship single-game points record with seven in a 4-3 victory.

Jones, a junior center back, has been a vital part of the Louisville backline this season. Despite missing the first three matches due to injury, Jones has played every match in the last 13 contests. He has also made an impact on the attacking end, scoring a goal against NC State and assisting on the game-winner against Boston College. Jones’ biggest contribution came in the ACC quarterfinals against Notre Dame, where he headed home the game-winning goal in the 89th minute to secure the Cardinals’ spot in the semifinals.

Louisville’s men’s soccer team will now turn their attention to the ACC Championship, with a semifinal match against No. 14 Clemson scheduled for Wednesday night. The game will be televised on the ACC Network, and kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.

In addition to the individual accolades, the ACC also announced its season honors for the 2023 ACC Men’s Soccer season. Forster Ajago from Duke was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Garrison Tubbs from Wake Forest received Defensive Player of the Year honors. Jointly awarded Midfielders of the Year were Jeorgio Kocevski from Syracuse and Mouhameth Thiam from Virginia. Bryan Dowd from Notre Dame took home the Goalkeeper of the Year title, and Stephen Annor Gyamfi from Virginia was named Freshman of the Year. Chad Riley from Notre Dame was honored as Coach of the Year.

Congratulations to all the student-athletes who have earned All-ACC honors for their exceptional performances this season.