SDSU'S MEN'S SOCCER: PABLO PELAEZ EARNS FRESHMAN HONORS FROM TOP DRAWER SOCCER

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Aztec midfielder collects fourth postseason award this year

Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 15, 2016 (San Diego) - San Diego State’s Pablo Pelaez (San Diego, Calif.) picked up another postseason award Thursday, earning a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer Men’s Division I Freshman Best XI second-team list, the website announced.

Earlier, the Aztec midfielder was a first-team all-Far West Region selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) after collecting second-team all-conference honors from the Pac-12. In addition, Pelaez was ranked No. 21 on Top Drawer Soccer's midseason freshman top 100 players in October.

Pelaez made a huge splash in his first year on Montezuma Mesa, becoming the first Aztec to garner first-team all-region accolades since Daniel Steres in 2011. The San Diego native started all 18 matches he played in, finishing with seven points on two goals and three assists. Pelaez tallied his first career goal at Stanford on Oct. 13, and registered his first game-winner in an SDSU uniform in the closing seconds of regulation at No. 11 Washington on Nov. 6, to help the Aztecs complete their first-ever season sweep of the Huskies. He shared team lead with 40 shots on the year, including 26 in Pac-12 play, which ranked sixth in the conference.

Not to be outdone, Pelaez was one of a school-record 10 SDSU players to earn Pac-12 all-academic distinction this month after receiving honorable mention.

Pelaez helped San Diego State enjoy one of its finest seasons in 2016, as the Scarlet and Black compiled a 9-4-6 overall record highlighted by its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2006. The Aztecs finished third in the Pac-12 standings with a 4-3-3 mark, recording its first-ever sweep of Washington while taking two from California for the first time since 2009. Not to be outdone, SDSU also registered arguably one of its biggest wins in school history with a 1-0 victory over No. 1 Akron at home on Sept. 2.


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