Liberty's Joshua Boateng has been named to the 2008 NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I Men's Soccer All-America team, becoming the first player in program history to earn selection to a Division I All-America team.

Boateng was named to the squad's third team as a midfielder. He is one of 13 midfielders named to All-America teams. The native of Accra, Ghana, is the fourth Liberty men's soccer player to garner All-American recognition. Paul Annan, who garnered selections in 1984, 1985 and 1986, and Sam Johnson, who received selections in 1985 and 1986, were named NCAA Division II All-Americans. Robert Hammond earned NCCAA All-American status in 1978.

Boateng, who completed his Liberty career this past fall, has been invited to participate in the 2009 adidas Major League Soccer (MLS) Combine. He becomes the first Flame to be invited to the combine. The forward/midfielder is one of 65 college seniors invited to the combine.

During Boateng's three years at Liberty, the Flames posted a 32-16-5 record, and last season, won the Big South Championship. For his play during Liberty's first-ever conference title run, Boateng was named the Big South Tournament MVP.

This past fall, the forward/midfielder was a first-team All-South Atlantic and All-Big South performer in his final season at Liberty. Boateng compiled 32 points on 13 goals and six assists during the year, tying him for fifth on the program's single-season points list. His 13 goals also tie him for sixth on the Liberty single-season goal list. The Hermann Trophy candidate ranked 12th in the nation in points per game (1.78) and 13th in goals per game (0.72). Boateng led the Big South in points per game, goals per game and was tied for first in game-winning goals with five.

Thirty schools were represented on the NSCAA/addidas NCAA Division I Men's Soccer All-America team. Defending national champion Wake Forest placed five players on the squad, while six others, Akron, Creighton, Harvard, Illinois-Chicago, Loyola (Md.) and Cal-Davis each placed two players on the team. Eleven players earned All-American recognition for the second time.

2008 NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I Men's All-America Team
First Team
Pos., Name, Class, School, Hometown
K, Jovan Bubonja, Jr., Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
D, Calum Angus *, Sr., Saint Louis, Portsmouth, England
D, Matthew Besler, Sr., Notre Dame, Overland Park, Kan.
D, Omar Gonzalez *, Jr., Maryland, Dallas, Texas
D, Tennant McVea, Jr., Loyola (Md.), Belfast, Northern Ireland
M, Corben Bone, So., Wake Forest, Dallas, Texas
M, Sam Cronin *, Sr., Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, N.C.
M, Andrei Gotsmanov, Sr., Creighton, Omaha, Neb.
M, Baggio Husidic, Jr., Illinois-Chicago, Libertyville, Ill.
F, Andre Akpan *, Jr., Harvard, Grand Prairie, Texas
F, Mike Grella *, Sr., Duke, Glen Cove, N.Y.
F, Marcus Tracy, Sr., Wake Forest, Newtown, Conn.
F, Steve Zakuani, So., Akron, London, England

Second Team
K, Milos Kocic, Jr., Loyola (Md.), Leskovac, Serbia
D, Joel Gustafsson, Jr., St. John's, Queens, N.Y.
D, Ike Opara, So., Wake Forest, Durham, N.C.
D, Chris Schuler, Jr., Creighton, Omaha, Neb.
M, Alejandro Bedoya *, Sr., Boston College, Weston, Fla.
M, Michael Callahan, Sr., North Carolina, Cary, N.C.
M, Richard Jata, Sr., Campbell, Port Richey, Fla.
M, J.T. Noone, Jr., Temple, Harrisburg, Pa.
F, Quincy Amarikwa, Sr., Cal-Davis, Bakersfield, Calif.
F, Doug DeMartin, Sr., Michigan State, Mason, Mich.
F, Mike Fucito *, Sr., Harvard, Westford, Mass.
F, Daniel Revivo, Sr., Winthrop, Richmond Hill, Ontario
F, Chris Salvaggione, Sr., Charlotte, Monument, Colo.

Third Team
K, Steward Ceus, Sr., Albany, Albany, N.Y.
D, Mark Blades, Jr., Northwestern, Lakewood, Ohio
D, Michael Holody, Sr., Michigan, Auburn Hills, Mich.
D, Yohance Marshall, Sr., South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
M, Anthony Ampaipitakwong, So., Akron, Carrollton, Texas
M, Joshua Boateng, Sr., Liberty, Lynchburg, Va.
M, Dylan Curtis, Sr., Cal-Davis, Pleasanton, Calif.
M, Craig Henderson, Sr., Dartmouth, Lower Hutt, N.H.
M, Brad Ring *, Sr., Indiana, Rockford, Ill.
F, Cody Arnoux *, Jr., Wake Forest, Wilmington, N.C.
F, Graciano Brito *, Sr., Quinnipiac, East Haven, Conn.
F, Samson Malijani, Jr., Fairleigh Dickinson, Lusaka, Zambia
F, Chris Pontius, Sr., UC-Santa Barbara, Yorba Linda, Calif.
F, O'Brian White *, Sr., Connecticut, Scarborough, Ontario
F, Andrew Wiedeman, So., California, San Ramon, Calif.
* indicates prior selection