CONWAY, S.C.- Senior defender Kyle Russell (S. Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) and junior forward Robert Hunter (Pawleys Island, S.C./Waccamaw (Furman)) have been named to the 2008 NSCAA/adidas All-South Atlantic Region team for their efforts this season.

 

Russell has been a staple in the Coastal Carolina defense the past four seasons, earning First Team honors.  He leaves the program tied for eighth in career matches started (74) and is one of only 10 Chants in program history to play in 78 career games. A two-time All-Big South selection, he was also named to the Big South All-Tournament team, as well as the UNCW/Courtyard by Marriott All-Tournament team in his senior season. In his final season as a Chanticleer, Russell showed true durability, as he was one of three Chants to start all 21 contests.

 

Forward Robert Hunter was named to the second team leading the Chants in every major offensive category, as the Chants were only 3-5 when he didn’t have a point in a game. The junior transfer finished third in the conference in goals with 11, fourth in assists with six, and fourth in points (28). Like Russell, Hunter was named to the First Team All-Big South squad, as well as the Big South All-Tournament and UNCW/Courtyard by Marriott All-Tournament team.

 

Hunter’s season will be most remembered for his late game heroics on the year, as he scored four game-winning goals. The most notable came in the 1-0 defeat of UNC Asheville in the semifinals of the Big South Tournament, as he scored on a free kick with less than 20 minutes remaining in the contest to send the Chants to the championship match.

 

Coastal Carolina ended the regular-season with an 8-9-1 record, and a second-place finish in the Big South regular season standings. The Chants used a pair of 1-0 victories over Radford and UNC Asheville to advance to the championship match of the Big South Tournament, but lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Winthrop in double-overtime to end their season.