Aug. 27, 2008

Junior midfielder Kyle Nakazawa was recognized by Soccer America magazine as a first-team preseason All-American. Nakazawa was also recently named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List for the 2008 season.

Nakazawa, UCLA's 2007 Team MVP, has started every game of his collegiate career (45 starts) and compiled a total of seven goals and 15 assists in two seasons. In 2007, he led the Bruins with seven assists and was second on the team in scoring with 13 points and two game-winning goals, both of which were scored in the final two minutes of the game, at Washington and against New Mexico in the NCAA first round. Nakazawa was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2007 and a Soccer America All-Freshman honoree in 2006. The former youth international totaled 21 career caps with the U.S. Under-17 National Team and was a starter on the U-17 team that placed fifth at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championships.

The Bruins, who are ranked 11th by Soccer America, open the season on Friday, Aug. 29 against fourth-ranked Maryland at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The game will be televised live at 7 pm on Fox Soccer Channel as the NSCAA College Game of the Week.

Soccer America Preseason All-Americans

First Team
Goalkeeper
Zack Simmons (Massachusetts), Sr.

Defenders
Calum Angus (Saint Louis), Sr.
Omar Gonzalez (Maryland), Jr.
Ike Opara (Wake Forest), Soph.
Ofori Sarkodie (Indiana), Jr.

Midfielders
Alejandro Bedoya (Boston College) Sr.
Sam Cronin (Wake Forest) Sr.
Kyle Nakazawa (UCLA), Jr.

Forwards
Andre Akpan (Harvard), Jr.
Marcus Tracy (Wake Forest), Sr.
O'Brian White (Connecticut), Sr.

Second Team
Goalkeepers
Jovan Bubonja (UIC), Jr.
Stefan Frei (California), Jr.

Defenders
Rhett Bernstein (Brown), Sr.
Matt Besler (Notre Dame), Sr.
Yohance Marshall (South Florida), Sr.
Chris Schuler (Creighton), Jr.

Midfielders
Jalil Anibaba (Santa Clara), Soph.
Michael Fucito (Harvard), Sr.
Brad Ring (Indiana), Sr.

Forwards
Cody Arnoux (Wake Forest), Jr.
Mike Grella (Duke), Sr.
Steve Zakuani (Akron), Soph.