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BUFFALO, NY - Junior Mike Peplinski (Syracuse, NY/Liverpool), senior Kevin Pitra (Solon, OH/Solon) and senior Bill Norberg (Allison Park, PA/Shaler) of the University at Buffalo men's soccer team have been honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Peplinski earned Second Team New York Region honors as a forward while Pitra and Norberg were named to the New York Region Third Team as defensive backs.

"I'm glad the three have been recognized for their accomplishments," said coach John Astudillo. "They deserve the honor, having really carried our team this year. This was important for Kevin to be recognized after not getting honored by the Mid-American Conference. It was also nice to see Peplinski and Norberg receive recognition. They are all deserving."

Mike Peplinski

Peplinski earned All-MAC First Team honors as a midfielder/forward after starting 16 games for the Bulls. For the season, Peplinski scored twice and collected four assists for eight points, the second highest scoring output on the team. He scored on a penalty kick in a win over Siena and was involved in both goals in a 2-1 victory over Northern Illinois, scoring the first goal and assisting on the gamewinner.

Kevin Pitra

Pitra also started all 16 games for the Bulls this season. The senior anchored the defense all year, shutting down the opponent's most dangerous offensive players, which led to three Buffalo shutouts and a 1.27 team goals against average. In addition to his strong defensive play, his goal with just over 10 minutes remaining gave UB a 2-1 victory over Northern Illinois.

Bill Norberg

Norberg, a defender, landed a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. The four-year letterwinner for the Bulls scored two of his season's three goals in a 3-2 victory over Marshall, who was ranked 23rd at the time. His other goal was the lone tally in a 1-0 victory over Central Connecticut State.

The Bulls finished the season with an 8-7-2 overall record and a 2-3-1 conference mark. Buffalo dropped a 1-0 triple overtime decision to Bowling Green in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament in the season finale on November 9.