DURHAM, N.C.-Duke University junior Andrew Wenger and freshman Nick Palodichuk recently were honored by Soccer America with end-of-season honors. Wenger was voted to the Soccer America Men's MVPs first team, while Palodichuk captured Soccer America All-Freshman first team honors.
Duke was one of two Atlantic Coast Conference programs to have a player represented on both the MVPs and All-Freshman first teams. Both Wenger and Palodichuk were among four ACC players represented on the first teams of the respective squads.
Wenger, who recently signed a Generation adidas contract and will enter the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, headlined the Duke offense in 2011. He led the ACC with 17 goals and 42 points overall and ranked fourth nationally in total points and sixth in total goals. A starter in every game for Duke over the past three years, Wenger has reaped nearly every ACC award possible. He was selected as the 2011 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, completing the trifecta of ACC major awards after being named the ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
Wenger, a three-time All-ACC first team recipient, is the first player since Jay Heaps to collect All-ACC first team honors in each of his first three seasons. His 17 tallies in 2011 are tied for the most in Duke single-season history, while the 42 points are fifth and the most since Brian Kelley had 43 in 1995.
In 2011, he registered at least one point in 11 games and twice had a career-best seven points. Wenger netted two hat tricks on the year and had five multiple-goal games.
Equally as successful in the classroom, Wenger became the second Blue Devil in program history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America first team honors and has earned spots on both the All-ACC Academic Team and ACC Academic Honor Roll each of his three seasons. He most recently was named to the NSCAA Collegiate Scholar All-America first team, one of four juniors to be honored.
For his career, Wenger has started all 63 games, played all but 131 minutes in that span and registered 21 goals and 13 assists for 55 points.
Palodichuk, an All-ACC second team honoree, led all rookies in the ACC with 22 points from eight goals and six assists in 2011. His 22 points rank fourth among all Division I freshmen, while his eight goals are tied for eighth nationally and second among ACC rookies. The lone freshman to earn a spot on the All-ACC teams started all 21 games and ranked fifth among field players in minutes played.
Registering at least one point in nine games, Palodichuk tallied a career-high two goals in Duke's win over Presbyterian. He turned in a four-point outing at Clemson with a goal and two assists and put away Duke's lone goal in the 2-1 loss to New Mexico in the NCAA Tournament second round.
The Blue Devils finished the year with an 11-8-3 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round for the third consecutive season.
