USL News Release
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer Leagues PDL has announced its 2011 All-League Team, highlighting the top 11 performers from the league’s 64 teams this season. The 2011 PDL All-League Team was selected through a vote of team management.
A pair of players selected will lead their teams into battle at the 2011 PDL Championship Presented by Umbro this weekend in Bremerton, Washington. Defender Daniel Scott of the host Kitsap Pumas earned his second career all-league selection after also getting the nod in 2009. The Western Conference-champion Pumas will face the Central Conference champion Thunder Bay Chill and all-league defender Wilson Rodrigues Neto in a semifinal on Friday.
Backstopping the 2011 PDL All-League Team is Mitch Hildebrandt of the Michigan Bucks, who turned in an MVP-type season with a league-best 12 shutouts for the Great Lakes Division champions. Also representing the Bucks on the team is defender Stewart Givens, a big reason why Michigan was tied for the league low of nine goals surrendered. Givens also chipped in four goals and four assists. Rounding out the back line is Dillon Barna of the Ventura County Fusion. Barna played nearly every minute for the undefeated Fusion, who allowed 10 goals in 16 games. Joining Barna from the Fusion is midfielder Daniel Barrera, who tallied seven goals and nine assists in 13 games to rank as one of the league’s top midfield scorers.
With three goals and eight assists in 14 games, Central Florida Kraze midfielder Jonathan Mendoza earned his first PDL All-League spot and he is joined by Des Moines Menace standout John Sosa, who chipped in six goals and eight assists.
The PDL’s top three 2011 scorers make up the forward trio on the team, led by scoring and assist champion Milton Blanco of the Fresno Fuego, who tallied 12 goals and 14 assists. The goal-scoring champion, Jake Keegan of the Westchester Flames, tallied a goal per game in his rookie PDL season. Rounding out the group is Chandler Hoffman of the Orange County Blue Star, who finished second to Blanco in points with 36.
2011 PDL All-League Team
GK – Mitch Hildebrandt, Michigan Bucks
D – Dillon Barna, Ventura County Fusion
D – Stewart Givens, Michigan Bucks
D – Wilson Rodrigues Neto, Thunder Bay Chill
D – Daniel Scott, Kitsap Pumas
MF – Daniel Barrera, Ventura County Fusion
MF – Jonathan Mendoza, Central Florida Kraze
MF – John Sosa, Des Moines Menace
F – Milton Blanco, Fresno Fuego
F – Chandler Hoffman, Orange County Blue Star
F – Jake Keegan, Westchester Flames