Complete All-South Region Teams

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced the 2016 All-Region selections on Thursday afternoon, listing three Christopher Newport players among those honored on the All-South team. A pair of Captains collected first team All-South Region honors in seniors Jimmy Grace (Springfield, Va.) and Harry Nodwell (Devon, England), while sophomore forward Stephen Durbin (Burke, Va.) earned a spot on the All-Region second team. 

The three selections is tied for the most in a single year since the 2011 season that saw a record six Captains earn the postseason nod. It's the 16th time in 21 seasons under head coach Steve Shaw that CNU has had multiple representatives among the All-Region honorees. It is the first career selection for Grace and Durbin, while Nodwell hauls in his third career distinction. He becomes just the fifth player in Shaw's tenure to earn All-Region honors three times in his career, collecting the plaudits in each of his three seasons at CNU.

After earning All-Region honors in his sophomore and junior seasons as a member of the midfield, Nodwell made a move to the back line in his final season. He started 21 games this season, anchoring a defense that allowed just 23 goals for a 1.09 goals-against average. With Nodwell at the helm, the Captains' defense picked up seven shutouts and held opponents to just eight first-half goals all season. The senior back also chipped in offensively, assisting on five goals, and was one of the top service options on free kicks and corners. 

Nodwell was selected as a first team All-Conference defender for the third time in as many years with the Captains. He was also a first team All-Conference pick for Averett University in his freshman year, giving the CNU transfer a clean sweep of first-team honors throughout his career. 

In the midfield, senior Jimmy Grace put together one of the best seasons in program history to lead the way offensively for the Captains. After missing the entirety of the 2015 season to an injury, Grace was named the Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2016 following a stellar 32-point performance. Leading one of the most potent offensive units in program history, Grace notched career highs in every offensive category, scoring 13 goals with six assists, while putting away a team-high six game-winning goals. He ranked 14th nationally in game-winning strikes in 2016.

Grace was a first-team All-Conference selection and became only the third player in CAC history to earn both Rookie and Player of the Year honors during his career. He scored at least one point in each of the first seven games this season, and nine of the first 10. He helped lead the Captains to a conference championship and back to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time, where CNU defeated Montclair State in the first round behind a multi-goal performance from Grace. In addition to his stellar performance in the attacking third, Grace remained one of the toughest midfielders to contend with for opposing coaches, as a strong defensive challenger and savvy offensive player passing the ball through the midfield. 

Rounding out the 2016 All-Region selections for CNU is sophomore forward Stephen Durbin, who burst onto the scene in his first year with the Captains. After transferring from George Mason, Durbin made an immediate impact for the Captains, starting all 22 games and ranking second in the league to only his Player of the Year teammate in scoring, with 28 points. Durbin scored 11 goals and added six assists, while putting away four game-winning tallies. 

He had 12 points (5g, 2a) in the first six games of the season, providing the CNU offense a spark that would continue throughout the year. With Grace and Durbin leading the way, CNU scored multiple goals in all but three games this season, including a five-goal outburst in the NCAA Tournament first round. A dangerous threat from anywhere on the field, Durbin took 74 shots and put a team-high 41 on frame for a .554 SOG percentage. He earned first team All-Conference honors in his first year.

The All-Region trio helped guide CNU to its second conference championship in three years, and advanced in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time. The Captains wrapped up the season with an 18-3-1 overall record while remaining unbeaten in conference play with an 8-0-1 conference mark.