4 Bulls bestowed with C-USA honors

South Florida forward Hunter West was named first-team All Conference USA and C-USA Freshman of the Year Wednesday. West and senior Jeff Thwaites earned C-USA first-team All-Conference honors, while Troy Perkins and Jared Vock were nominated to the C-USA second 11.

West became the first USF player to receive the freshman award at the C-USA Banquet on the eve of the C-USA tournament in St. Louis. Currently ranked second in the league in both goals and points, the Bradenton-born forward was also nominated to the league’s all-freshman 11. West’s haul of 13 goals included two game-winning overtime goals in USF’s last three conference matches and helped ensure the Bulls’ No. 4 seed in the conference tournament.

Thwaites’ nomination to the C-USA All-Conference first team is his second in a row. Although affected by injury and suspension this season, his six assists in just 12 games gave the Bulls’ playmaker the league’s second-highest assists per game average at 0.50.

Defender Jared Vock and goalkeeper Troy Perkins were nominated to the All-Conference second team, with Vock accomplishing it for the second consecutive season. Both Vock and Perkins have played in every game in a season when the Bulls have recorded seven shutouts. Perkins, whose shutout total is the most by any goalkeeper in the league, has already been the recipient of two C-USA Defensive Player of the Week awards.

Chris O’Donnell covers USF men’s soccer and can be reached at oracleodonnell@yahoo.com