Kamara Named CCAA Men's Soccer Player of Year
Freshman forward Kei Kamara becomes fourth Toro in five years to earn CCAA top honor
November 4, 2004

CARSON, Calif.--Freshman forward Kei Kamara (Lawndale, CA/Leuzinger HS) has been named the 2004 CCAA Men’s Soccer Most Valuable Player of the Year as he led a list of nine Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s soccer players selected to the All-California Collegiate Athletic Association teams as voted on by the league head coaches.

Freshman forward Kei Kamara has been named the 2004 CCAA Men’s Soccer Most Valuable Player of the Year. He continues a long line of former Toro players who have garnered the conference’s top award. CSUDH has now had four of the past five league MVPs. Photo by Michael Foo (CSUDH)

Kamara led the Toros to a 16-2-2 overall record and the CCAA South Division Crown with a 12-0-2 mark. He finished the regular season ranked first in the CCAA in goals scored (15) and goals per game average (0.75), and fourth in assists (8) and assists per game average (0.40). Kamara also ranks second in CCAA points (38) and points per game average (1.90). Five of Kamara’s goals were game-winners, tying him for second in the CCAA at season’s end.

Kamara continues a long line of former Toro players who have garnered the conference’s top award. CSUDH has now had four of the past five league MVPs.

“Kei is one of the best players I have seen come along in a while,” says Head Coach Joe Flanagan. “It didn’t take him long to adjust to the college game and he’s done a great job for us all year. He and Frankie (Corona) have been a tremendous 1-2 scoring punch all season, and we hope they continue to help carry us well into the postseason.”

Senior defender Nathan Reeves (Lakewood, CA/Lakewood HS) along with senior midfielder Rick Cobb (Downey, CA/Warren HS) and junior forward Francisco Corona (Compton, CA/Compton HS) were also selected to the All-CCAA First-Team. Reeves led a defensive line that has allowed only 17 goals in 20 games. Cobb was second on the team distributing 10 assists and fourth in scoring with 18 points. Corona led the league in scoring with 42 points on 12 goals while breaking the CSUDH all-time single season assist mark with 18.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Polak (Huntington Beach, CA/Fountain Valley HS) and midfielder Jesse Graham (San Diego, CA/Point Loma HS) were named to the All-CCAA Second-Team. Polak, a transfer from NCAA I Cal State Fullerton, compiled an impressive 0.74 goals against average allowing only 13 goals in 19 games while registering four shutouts. Graham, a sophomore, ranked third on the squad in scoring with 19 points on six goals and seven assists.

Senior defender Jeff Kunze (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison HS) and sophomore defender Jose Alvarado (San Diego, CA/Chula Vista HS) were selected to the All-CCAA Third-Team for the second-consecutive season. Kunze has been in the program for five years, after sitting out the 2001 campaign, and is the only player on the current team that was a member of the 2000 National Championship team.