Grella Named ACC Offensive Player Of The Year

GREENSBORO, N.C.?Duke University senior Mike Grella headlined the 2008 ACC Men's Soccer All-Conference Teams as the league's Offensive Player of the Year in a vote of the coaches. Grella represented the Blue Devils on the first team, while senior co-captain Darrius Barnes earned second-team recognition and Kyle Bethel grabbed All-Freshmen Team honors.

Grella captured first team honors for the third straight season and is Duke's first ACC Offensive Player of the Year since the award first was handed out in 2004. He is the fourth Blue Devil to earn an ACC Player of the Year award since the beginning of the ACC in 1970 and eighth to earn first-team honors three consecutive seasons.

Voted a third-team All-American in 2007, Grella leads the Duke offense and ACC this year with 33 points. He has 13 goals and seven assists to his name this season. He earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week recognition in September after scoring two goals, including the game-winner, against then No. 22 Virginia Tech. A few weeks later he was named to the College Soccer News Team of the Week after scoring four goals and one assist in a 2-0 week for the Blue Devils, which included a double overtime victory over Boston College.

A Hermann Trophy Semifinalist in 2007 and a watchlist selection in 2008, Grella has twice been named to the NSCAA All-South Region first team. This season he earned all-tournament team honors in both the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic and the Duke/Nike Classic. For his career, he has 40 goals and 26 assists for 106 points. He currently is tied for seventh on the career goals list and eighth in career points.

Barnes captured his first All-ACC award after anchoring the defense throughout the season. A three-year starter and steady force for the Blue Devils' backline, Barnes has played the second most minutes of any player on the team. As the leader in the back, Barnes helped Duke post nine shutouts in regular season play, which is three more than all of last season. He was selected to the Duke/Nike Classic All-Tournament team after helping the Blue Devils to the tournament title. Barnes has been an integral part of the Duke defense throughout his career and was a major part of the 2006 squad that allowed just 19 goals on its way to winning both the ACC regular season and ACC Tournament crowns. For his career, Barnes has played in 74 career games, 67 of which he started, registered nine assists, and helped Duke corral 32 shutouts.

Bethel represents Duke on the All-Freshmen team after helping Grella lead the Blue Devil attack. Prior to being sidelined by injury, Bethel was a dominant force up front for Duke. In his 10 games, Bethel tallied four goals and two assists for 10 points, which currently ranks third on the team. The native of Howell, N.J., posted a goal and an assist in three ACC contests. He is Duke's ninth All-Freshmen Team member since the ACC started the award in 2003.

The 23rd-ranked Blue Devils kick off postseason play on Nov. 12 in the ACC Tournament. Fifth-seeded Duke will take on No. 4 Virginia at 8 p.m., at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Fans unable to make it to the game can watch online through ACC Select. A link is available on www.GoDuke.com.

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