United Soccer Coaches All-Region Teams

Kansas City, Mo.----The regular season SAC champion Wingate University Bulldogs had five players earn All-Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches. Pedro Santos, Owen Marshall and Pablo Pozos are first team selections, with Aleksa Janjic and Harry Bircumshaw earning second team accolades.

The group helped lead the 'Dogs a 12-5-2 overall record, going 9-1-1 in league play to capture their second straight regular season SAC title and 10th in program history. Wingate ranked as high as eighth in the nation, advancing to the SAC title match while earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Santos adds this to D2CCA first team All-Region honors earlier this year. He is an All-Region selection for the second straight year. The 2023 SAC Defensive Player of the Year helped anchor a WU defense that ranked second in the SAC in league play, allowing just seven goals in 11 SAC matches. In addition to his defensive efforts, Santos collected two goals and three assists on the year. He netted the game-winner against Lenoir-Rhyne, while scoring the 90th-minute game-winner at Anderson to clinch the regular season SAC title for the 'Dogs. He notched an assist in the SAC Tourney victory over Carson-Newman.

Marshall also earned All-Region accolades from the D2CCA, marking the third year he has earned All-Region honors. The 2022 SAC Defensive Player of the Year and consensus first team All-American helped Wingate notch seven shutouts on the year, ranking second in the SAC in goals-against average in league play. Marshall started all 19 games in 2023, earning first team All-SAC honors while also collecting Academic All-District accolades.

Pozos adds this honor to an impressive list of accolades. He was named a D2CCA second team All-Region selection, while also earning first team All-SAC honors in his first season. Pozos was named the SAC Freshman of the Year. He led the Bulldogs with nine goals and six assists on the year, good for a team-best 24 points. He also led the 'Dogs with three game-winning goals. Pozos ranked fifth in the SAC in goals and points. His first career goal came in the win at Belmont Abbey, while notching a goal and an assist in the Emory & Henry victory. He struck again in the next game against Francis Marion, while scoring twice in the Carson-Newman win. Pozos had two goals and an assist in the Newberry victory. He scored in back-to-back games against Mars Hill and LMU.

Bircumshaw was another D2CCA All-Region honoree in his first year with the Bulldogs. The All-SAC midfielder started 18 games on the season, notching a goal and three assists on the season. He also played a key role in one of the region's top defenses. Bircumshaw scored a goal in the win at Newberry. He followed with an assist in the victory over Lenoir-Rhyne. He had assists in back-to-back 2-1 wins at Tusculum and Anderson as the 'Dogs clinched the regular season SAC title.

Janjic adds this to D2CCA second team All-Region honors, while picking up All-Region recognition for the second time in as many years. The first team All-SAC goalkeeper posted a 0.63 goals-against average in league games in 2023, collecting 24 saves on the season with a 0.667 save percentage and 1.22 goals-against average. The sophomore posted five shutouts on the season.