Aug. 17, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame’s Ryan Finley (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) and Aaron Maund (Dorchester, Mass./The Roxbury Latin School) have been tabbed as preseason All-Americans according to College Soccer News. Finley, a junior forward, was selected to the second team, while Maund, a senior defender, was a third-team pick.
Finley, who is entering his first season with the Fighting Irish after transferring from Duke, was named the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Offensive Player of the Year as he led the league in goals (17) and points (37). He also was named to the 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America third team. Finley tallied 64 points on 28 goals and eight assists during his two seasons with the Blue Devils.
Senior defender Aaron Maund
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Maund’s senior campaign already is off to a good start as he netted the equalizer with less than two minutes left in a 1-1 exhibition draw with Xavier on Tuesday. Maund was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team last week. The central defender has been a mainstay in the Irish lineup, starting all 59 matches in which he has played during his Notre Dame career. He notched one goal and two assists last season. For his career, Maund has seven points on two goals and three assists. Along with earning second-team all-BIG EAST honors last season, he copped third-team all-league accolades as a sophomore. Maund also was named to the All-Great Lakes Region third team in 2009 and 2010.
Notre Dame’s 2011 freshman class was selected as the 14th best rookie class in the nation according to College Soccer News. The five-man class features four high school All-Americans. Comprising the class are: midfielder/defender Nick Besler (Overland Park, Kan.), forward Vince Cicciarelli (Peoria, Ill.), midfielder Robby Gallegos (Aptos, Calif.), midfielder/forward Max Lachowecki (Evansville, Ind.) and midfielder Brendan Lesch (Westport, Conn.).
Besler, Cicciarelli, Lachowecki and Lesch all were named 2010 NSCAA High School All-Americans. Gallegos was not eligible to be an NSCAA All-American since he did not compete with his high school team.
The 11th-ranked Fighting Irish will play an exhibition match at No. 21 Butler on Thursday. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 p.m. (ET) in Indianapolis, Ind. Notre Dame will take to the Alumni Stadium pitch for the first time this season on Monday in an exhibition against No. 6 Creighton. That match is slated for a 7:00 p.m. (ET) start. The Irish will open the regular season Aug. 27 with a home match versus No. 15 Indiana. That game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (ET).
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