ODURO NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN BY SOCCER AMERICA
8-23-05

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University senior forward Dominic Oduro (Accra, Ghana/University of Ghana) was named first team preseason All-America by Soccer America.

Oduro was previously named second team preseason All-America by College Soccer News.

Oduro started all 21 matches for the Rams in 2004. He led the team and the Colonial Athletic Association with 16 goals and 33 points. Three of his goals were game-winners. VCU was 12-6-3 a year ago and 7-1-1 in the CAA, winning its third consecutive regular-season title. Oduro was named 2004 CAA Player of the Year and was a third-team All-American.

The Rams were the #16 seed in the 2004 NCAA Tournament, one of five schools to be a national seed each of the past three seasons. The Rams eliminated top-seeded Wake Forest in the third round of the NCAA Tournament before falling at top-ranked UC Santa Barbara in the CAA Quarterfinals. It was the farthest that the men’s soccer team had advanced in school history.

VCU is ranked in all four preseason polls this year. The Rams are 11th in the NSCAA poll and 12th in the polls of College Soccer News, Soccer America and Top Drawer Soccer.

The Rams have seven starters and 14 letter-winners returning this fall. Under 11th-year head coach Tim O’Sullivan, the Rams were picked to win the CAA regular-season championship in voting by the league’s head coaches. O’Sullivan has compiled a record in 116-71-24 in 10 seasons with the Rams and 231-179-49 in 22 years as a head coach.

VCU will open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 2, against nationally-ranked North Carolina at 8 p.m. in the first round of the Nike/Alltel Classic at VCU’s Sports Backers Stadium.