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VCU's Dittrich leads four Rams on All-CAA squads

13 Nov, 2008

Their careers may be over but seniors Dirk Dittrich (Stuttgart, Germany) and Andrew Dykstra (Woodbridge, Va.) of the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s soccer team are not done filling up the trophy case. Both players garnered All-Conference honors, which were voted on by the Colonial Athletic Association head coaches.

Dittrich’s stifling defensive play on the back line earned him First-Team accolades, while goalkeeper Dykstra was named to the Second-Team.

Joining the two veterans on the All-CAA squads were junior Jorit Loehr (Bremen, Germany) on the Third-Team and sophomore Thomas Huepper (Olpe, Germany) on the All-Rookie team.

“These are the guys that represent what VCU Soccer is all about,” said Head Coach Tim O’Sullivan. “They are tremendous players, excellent students, and best of all, class individuals.”

Dittrich was the defensive stalwart for the Rams as he played every minute of all 18 games this season, holding opponents to just 10 shots per game and a 0.96 GAA for the season. He also notched one assist on the year.

The honor was the second in his two seasons at VCU as Dittrich was named to the All-CAA Second-Team in 2007.

“Dirk has been our leader the past two seasons. He is an outstanding leader by example. Every day he brings his best. We will really miss Dirk going forward,” remarked O’Sullivan.

Dykstra was outstanding in goal all season making countless diving saves on his way to registering five shutouts and tallying 70 saves. He held opponents to just 0.97 GAA in 1667:39 minutes of action.

For his career, Dykstra finished second in school history in shutouts with 18, second in minutes played with over 6,600 and second in games started with 71.

“Dyke [Dykstra] in my opinion is the top goalkeeper in the CAA,” said O’Sullivan. “I have a lot of respect for Carvalho [Filipe Carvalho, First-Team All-CAA goalie] at Georgia State. However, I feel Dyke was the top performer on our team and the best in the CAA. He is another guy who has given his best to VCU and our team.”
 
Loehr makes his second straight appearance on an All-CAA squad after earning Second-Team honors in 2007. His versatility was tested during the 2008 campaign as he played three different positions, but still he managed to lead the Rams in goals scored with five and points with 12.

“Jorit is one of the most talented players in our team. He was asked to play several positions for us, and he did so without any reservation. His comment has always been, whatever helps the team. I am pleased that he was recognized by the other coaches in our league, as it was difficult for him playing in so many different positions,” O’Sullivan said.

It’s not often that a player sees action in just seven contests, doesn’t tally a point and still manages to impress the opposing coach. Huepper did just that as the late addition to the Rams proved a potent offensive threat unleashing 24 shots in his seven games and continuously wreaking havoc on the opposing defense. 

”Thomas represents our future,” O’Sullivan said. “I am also pleased that the coaches recognized Thomas, as he had to miss many of the CAA games. After a year in our team, and a year at VCU, I am confident that Thomas will become one of our leaders moving forward.”

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