PEORIA, Ill. -- The 2006 Bradley soccer team featured a roster with only two senior players and both of those seniors -- midfielder Zach Bell (Rochester, Ill./Rochester H.S.) and defender James Hedges (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame H.S.) -- have been honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America after leading the Braves (8-8-4, 4-1-1) to their second straight Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship.
Hedges was named to the 12-player NSCAA/adidas All-Midwest Region first team, while Bell earned second-team All-Midwest Region honors for his performance on the field and first-team Scholar All-North/Central Region recognition for his added performance in the classroom.
Although once again hampered by foot injuries, Hedges played in 14 games last fall with 13 starts, mentoring a defensive unit that produced six shutouts and a 1.04 season goals against average. Three of those shutouts came in Hedges' 13 starts, including the 0-0 draw versus Drake in the semifinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. In addition to playing all 110 minutes of the double-overtime semifinal versus the Bulldogs, Hedges buried the deciding penalty kick in the postgame shootout, sending the Braves into the championship game for the sixth time in eight years.
After originally joining the Bradley program two years ago as a transfer from Springfield College in Illinois, Bell led the Braves in scoring for the second straight year, completing the 2006 season with six goals and 14 points. Using his sprinter's speed to attack the opposition from his wide midfield position, Bell scored the game-winning goal in overtime Sept. 30 at Evansville to put the Braves on the right track toward defending their 2005 regular-season Valley crown.
In addition to his success on the field, Bell earned a spot on the 11-man NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-North/Central Region squad. Recently accepted into Bradley's postgraduate physical therapy program, Bell boasts a 3.38 cumulative grade point average in health science. With the Scholar All-Region award on his resume, Bell now is eligible for NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America consideration.
