Four members of Duke men's soccer have received All-ACC honors, including ACC Offensive Player, Midfielder and Freshman of the Year for sophomores Thorleifur Ulfarsson, Peter Stroud and freshman Shakur Mohammed, respectively. Freshman Ruben Mesalles was also named to the All-ACC Freshman team.
Ulfarsson receives the ACC Offensive Player of the Year as well as First Team honors after scoring 13 goals in 12 games. He currently leads the NCAA in both goals and points per game, and is tied for first in goals in the ACC. Additionally, College Soccer News, TopDrawerSoccer and the United Soccer Coaches have all named the Iceland native national player of the week at some point this season. While the sophomore has built an impressive resume all season, the award comes on the heels of a two-goal performance in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, tying a Duke ACC tournament record.
Stroud, a member of last year's All-ACC Freshman Team and All-ACC Third Team, becomes just the second Blue Devil to be named ACC Midfielder of the Year since the award was first introduced in 2014. Third on the team in points with three goals and three assists and a lead contributor on both ends of the field, Stroud was also named to the All-ACC First Team.
Mohammed, a native of Kumasi, Ghana, has had an exemplary year as part of the Blue Devils' elite forward duo. Culminating in well-deserved ACC Freshman of the Year and All-ACC Second Team tabs, Mohammed has made an impact all season facilitating Ulfarsson, while also being an elite offensive player in his own right. Mohammed currently has six assists, five of which have been to Ulfarsson, and three goals, leading the Blue Devils in assists and having the second-most points on the team.
Finally, Mesalles, a member of this season's All-ACC Freshman Team, earns his honors after a promising first season. A midfielder by trade, Mesalles has also played significant minutes at left back, demonstrating his versatility. Night in and night out, Mesalles has been a key member of a Duke defense that has allowed just one goal per game over the season so far, while also collecting a goal and five assists.
This is the first time in program history that three of the five individual ACC awards have been given to Blue Devils, and the three First Team members are the most since 2012.
Duke is in the midst of the ACC tournament and will play in the semifinals Wednesday night at Clemson.
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Sasha Richie is a Trinity senior and a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume.