Roo wins national recognition

By: David Cordill

Posted: 10/13/08

Bryan Perez, junior midfielder for the UMKC men's soccer team, received double honors last week.

Perez was named to Soccer America Team of the Week a day after receiving Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honors Oct. 7. After recording only the fifth hat trick in Kangaroo soccer history during UMKC's 4-3 upset over number 19 Drake University, Perez was recognized regionally and nationally.

Perez, a 20-year-old Liberal Arts major from Miami, Fla., said he appreciated how the accolades translated to a team effort.

"It feels good to have UMKC get recognition like that," he said. "It's a good thing that everybody's plugged in and helping us to win."

With seven goals on the season, Perez is tied for the top spot on the UMKC squad. He is also the Kangaroos leading active scorer with 15 career tallies. Getting the start in all of UMKC's matches in 2007, Perez earned a First Team All-Summit League selection. He was also named to the Summit League Fall Academic All-League team.

The recent honors also hold a personal significance to Perez.

"It means a lot to me because it gives me confidence as a player," he said. "I'm looking forward to the rest of the season because I think we have something really special here." - David Cordill