GURSON EARNS MASL ALL-SECOND TEAM HONOR

by Jim Fossell

St. Charles, MO

St. Louis Ambush forward Gordy Gurson has been named to the All-Second Team by the Major Arena Soccer League for the 2014-15 season. It is the second post-season award garnered by Gurson, who was also named to the league’s All-Rookie team on March 5. The MASL announced their All-League First, Second and Third Teams today.

In his rookie season, Gurson ranked second in the league in goals scored with 46 and second in points with 64. He started the season with the Seattle Impact and was acquired by the Ambush in a January 12 trade. Among his other accomplishments during the season was a seven goal game, a five goal game, seven hat tricks, 18 assists and 11 power play goals. Because of the trade and the difference in schedules between Seattle and St. Louis, Gurson also appeared in a record 23 games during the 20-game season.

Following is the complete league announcement:


Major Arena Soccer League News Release – March 9, 2015

MASL Announces 2014/15 All-League Teams

Baltimore, MD – The Major Arena Soccer League today announced its All-League First, Second, and Third Teams for the recently completed 2014/15 regular season.

Each team, as well as members of the league front office were each given a ballot and the players who received the most votes at each position were placed on the All-Rookie Team. Because of a tie in the voting, seven players qualified for the First Team instead of six.

MASL leading scorer Leo Gibson was a unanimous selection at forward. Gibson set league records with 93 points, 45 assists, and 15 power play goals for the undefeated Missouri Comets.

Fellow Comet Vahid Assadpour was the only player to be named on every ballot, earning First or Second team nods from every voter. The midfielder was fourth in the league with 61 points on 36 goals and 25 assists.

Two of the three defenders on the First Team also came from the Comets. John Sosa, who was third in points among defenders with 37 as well as 14 blocked shots received the most votes at the position. Brian Harris, last year’s MISL Playoff MVP, was named to the First Team after a season in which he scored 36 points, blocked 18 shots, and went 1-0 with a 5.52 GAA as a sixth attacker/backup.

Baltimore Blast goalkeeper William Vanzela received the third most First Team votes after Gibson and Assadpour after a season in which he went 14-2 with a record 2.83 GAA. Vanzela’s flashy numbers were punctuated by recording four of the league’s six shutouts this season.

Joining Vanzela as the co-captains of Baltimore top-rated team defense is defender Pat Healey. Healey was named to the MASL Team of the Week four times and led the 18-2 Blast with 22 assists while adding seven goals and a league-leading 53 blocked shots.

Last, but certainly not least is San Diego Sockers star forward Kraig Chiles, the only returning MASL player on the list. The three-time MVP finds his way to the First Team for the fifth straight season after scoring 45 goals and 17 assists for the 16-4 Sockers.

The Second Team is led by Comets goalkeeper Danny Waltman who set a league record with 17 wins, Rochester Lancers forward Mauricio Salles, St. Louis Ambush rookie forward Gordy Gurson, midfielder Tiguinho Dias of the Ontario Fury, Sockers defender Eduardo Velez, and Wichita B-52s defender Alex Moseley.

The Third Team features Sockers forward Nick Perera, Oxford City FC of Texas rookie forward Lucas Totti, Dallas Sidekicks forward Freddy Moojen, Turlock Express/Las Vegas Legends defender Enrique Tovar, and Syracuse Silver Knights defender Nelson Santana. Sockers goalkeeper Chris Toth, who is 39-6 in his career, rounded out the Third Team.

The finalists for Most Valuable Player, Goalkeeper of the Year, Defender of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Rookie of the Year will be announced on March 12. The final award winners will be announced at a time and location during the week of the Ron Newman Cup Finals.

2014-15 MASL All-League First Team

Position

Player

Team

Highlights

GK

William Vanzela

Baltimore Blast

Vanzela went 14-2 with a record 2.83 GAA and four shutouts

D

John Sosa

Missouri Comets

Sosa scored 13 goals and 24 assists with 14 blocked shots

D

Brian Harris

Missouri Comets

Harris scored 23 goals and 13 assists with 18 blocked shots

D

Pat Healey

Baltimore Blast

Healey scored seven goals and 22 assists and blocked a league-high 53 shots

M

Vahid Assadpour

Missouri Comets

Assadpour was fourth with 61 points on 36 goals and 25 assists

F

Leo Gibson

Missouri Comets

Gibson was a unanimous pick after scoring 48 goals, 45 assists, 93 points and 15 power play goals as well as most points in a game (12), and eight hat tricks

F

Kraig Chiles

San Diego Sockers

Chiles makes the First Team for the fifth straight year after finishing third in scoring with 45 goals and 17 assists, including 10 hat tricks


2014-15 MASL All-League Second Team

Position

Player

Team

Highlights

GK

Danny Waltman

Missouri Comets

Went 17-0 with a 4.83 GAA to set league record for wins

D

Eduardo Velez

San Diego Sockers

Velez scored 16 goals and 19 assists while blocking 23 shots

D

Alex Moseley

Wichita B-52s

Moseley tied for the scoring league among defenders with 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists)

M

Tiguinho Dias

Ontario Fury

Tiguinho finished seventh in points with 53 on 31 goals and 22 assists and scored five hat tricks

F

Gordy Gurson

Seattle Impact/St. Louis Ambush

The rookie Gurson scored 46 goals and 18 assists and 11 power play goals, and seven hat tricks in a record 23 games played

F

Mauricio Salles

Rochester Lancers

The Lancers long distance threat was fourth with 41 goals and fifth with 57 points

2014-15 MASL All-League Third Team


Position

Player

Team

Highlights

GK

Chris Toth

San Diego Sockers

Toth finished 12-3 with a 4.58 GAA, third in wins and fourth best GAA in MASL

D

Enrique Tovar

Turlock Express/Las Vegas Legends

Tovar finished tied with Moseley in points by a defender with 39 on 12 goals and 27 assists, along with 20 blocked shots

D

Nelson Santana

Syracuse Silver Knights

Santana scored 11 goals and 17 assists and blocked 24 shots as Syracuse’s captain

F

Lucas Totti

Oxford City FC of Texas

Totti was second among rookies with 55 points on 30 goals and 25 assists.

F

Nick Perera

San Diego Sockers

Perera returned to the Sockers after three years in Milwaukee and scored 27 goals and 22 assists to finish ninth in the league with 49 points

F

Freddy Moojen

Dallas Sidekicks

Moojen finished fifth with 39 goals and eighth with 52 points and seven hat tricks