South Winston Salem News

Five players from the Carolina University Men's Soccer team have been named to the All-Region Team following their success in securing a third consecutive NCCAA South Region Championship. The players recognized are Karell Buitendijk, William Cothill, Nathan Rue, Robin Salge, and Luke Spillane-Davis.

Karell Buitendijk, a sophomore midfielder from Auckland, New Zealand, participated in 13 games this season with 11 starts. He achieved a career-high of six goals and contributed two assists while playing a significant role in the team's defense.

William Cothill, a sophomore goalkeeper from Johannesburg, South Africa, had an outstanding season. His 74 saves led the NCCAA and set both single-season and career save records at Carolina University. Additionally, his seven clean sheets ranked him fourth in the NCCAA and also established school records.

Nathan Rue, a junior midfielder from Newcastle, England, started 19 games and was pivotal to the Bruins' offensive efforts. With eight assists this season, he ranked third in the NCCAA and second in school history for a single season. Rue also scored six goals and took most of the team's set pieces.

Robin Salge, a junior defender from Bremerhaven, Germany, played in 18 games with twelve starts. He was instrumental in maintaining a strong defense that ranked third in average goals allowed per game (0.81) within the NCCAA. Salge also provided two assists during the season.

Luke Spillane-Davis, a junior forward from London, England, returned strongly after an injury-shortened previous season. His 14 goals not only placed him third in the NCCAA but also set new single-season and career scoring records for Carolina University.

Head Coach Craig Golding praised his players: "Lliam was immense for us all season and constantly made one or two big saves every game to keep us in the game," he said about Cothill. Golding described Rue as "the engine of the team" due to his leadership in assists alongside other central midfielders. On Buitendijk's adaptability: "Karell...is one of our most technical players." Regarding Salge's consistency: "Robin is our quiet leader...you know exactly what you are going to get from him every game." Finally commenting on Spillane-Davis: "Luke had a fantastic season...broke the season scoring record."