de Barros Named LMU Male Athlete Of The Year

HARROGATE, TN – Lincoln Memorial University men’s soccer junior Leonardo de Barros (Brasilia, Brazil) was named Male Athlete of the Year Monday night at the University’s annual Athletics Banquet held on the LMU campus.

A 6’2” midfielder, de Barros helped lead the Railsplitters to an Appalachian Region Championship in the fall of 2006 and a victory over Northern Kentucky University in the NCAA Division II Elite 8.  In November, de Barros and his Railsplitter teammates participated in the 2006 NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Final Four in Pensacola, Florida where they lost to defending national champion, Fort Lewis 4-2.

During the 2006 season de Barros scored 7 goals and contributed 10 assists for a total of 24 points while helping the Railsplitters finish 15-2-3 on the year.  de Barros is tied for 5^th all-time in game-winning-goals with former Railsplitter Eddie Escobar (5), ranks 9^th in career assists (15) and is 4^th all-time in assists per match with 0.43 per match in 35 matches.

Next season Leonardo de Barros will be one of six returning seniors that will try to lead the Railsplitters to a repeat of their 2006 regional crown and what will hopefully be their first ever South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship  The 2007 schedule begins August 24 when the Railsplitter host the University of Charleston from West Virginia.