BUIES CREEK, N.C. – While Campbell University came one victory shy of its goal of returning to the NCAA Men's College Cup, the 2008 soccer season was a tremendous success for the Fighting Camels.

The squad won its second A-Sun regular season championship and made its third trip to the league final in the last four years. Campbell concluded the season with a 14-6-0 (.700) overall record as well as its first-ever year-end national ranking and highest South Region rating in the program's Division I era.

Soccer America ranked the Camels number-25 in its final 2008 poll, while CU was rated third in the always-tough South Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Those lofty rankings were supported by tangible numbers. CU's winning percentage (.700) was the 20th-best of the 204 men's soccer programs in Division I.

Campbell finished the season with the nation's third-highest scoring attack at 2.2 goals per match. Only top-ranked Wake Forest (3.45 goals per game) and top-10 Loyola of Maryland (2.33) scored at a better clip among the nation's 204 Division I programs than the Camels. The Camels outscored their opponents by a 44-20 margin, including a 26-11 edge in the second period.

Campbell broke a 38-year-old school record by winning 12-consecutive matches. That stretch included a 2-0 victory over seventh-ranked North Carolina. The triumph in front of 1,187 fans at the Eakes Athletic Complex was CU's third over the Tar Heels in the last three years.

"Although the disappointment lingers from not finding a way back to the NCAA Tournament, I am still very proud of what this program has accomplished this past season," said Fighting Camel head coach Doug Hess. "There are so many great things to draw from the year and continue to build upon. The run through October was amazing, as was beating Carolina for a third straight year."

The Camels became the first-ever A-Sun school to finish a men's soccer season with a 9-0-0 regular season record. Despite a 4-3 loss to second-seeded Jacksonville in the A-Sun final at Buies Creek, Campbell earned its 12th conference final appearance since the Camels won their first Division I league title in the 1984 Big South tournament. Since joining the A-Sun in 1994, Campbell has reached the men's soccer final five times.

The 2008 Campbell senior class of Ryan Freeborn, Richard Jata, Aaron Johnson, Josh Kimball, Stephen Oyuga and Kyle Proctor collected a long list of accomplishments over the past four seasons. During that stint, CU won two A-Sun regular season championships (2005, 2008), one A-Sun tournament title (2007), and made the school's first appearance in the NCAA Division I College Cup (2007).

The Camels have been ranked in the South Region in each of the last four years and have compiled a 50-25-6 overall record (.654). The Camels also own the best A-Sun regular season record (25-4-4, .818) of all league members since the start of the 2005 season. In addition, the Camels received their first national ranking since 1988.

"I am thankful for the chance to have coached such a solid group," said Hess. "This group of seniors truly revived our program, bringing Campbell soccer back all the way to national recognition. I am so proud of all they did in their time here and look forward to hearing about the great things they will accomplish in years to come. I hope their time here will serve them well in life."

Campbell's 7-1 win over Belmont on Nov. 13 in the A-Sun semifinal round broke the school record for longest winning streak, a mark first set by the 1970 team; then matched in 1973 and 1974. CU's previous Division I era (since 1977) record for consecutive victories was 10 set by the 1993 unit.

School records also fell for most victories against A-Sun opponents in the regular season (9), most consecutive shutouts (6) and longest shutout stretch (649 minutes). CU tied school marks for most goals scored against and A-Sun foe (7) and must shutouts in a year (9).

The Camels now stand 14-1-2 in their last 17 games against A-Sun men's soccer opponents in regular season and tournament play. CU also owns the best A-Sun regular season record (25-4-4) of all league members since the start of the 2005 campaign.

Campbell has won 27 of 33 home games (27-6-0) since the start of the 2005 season. CU again led the A-Sun in home attendance this year (479); marking the third time in four seasons the Camels have accomplished the feat.

For the second time in four seasons, Doug Hess was named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year. He joined eight other A-Sun coaches including former Camel mentor Derrick Leeson (1995, 1997) to win multiple coach of the year awards. Over the last four years, Hess has led the Camels to a 25-4-4 record in A-Sun regular season action, plus four victories over nationally-ranked teams. In 2008, he guided Campbell to the first undefeated season in A-Sun play since Florida International went 6-0-0 in 1995.

In seven seasons, Hess has guided Campbell to a 66-60-8 (.522) overall record. He moved ahead of Tim Morse (65 wins from 1981-86) into third place on Campbell's career coaching victories list behind only Jim Cole (138 from 1963-75) and Leeson (101 from 1991-2001). CU's 14 victories were the program's most since the 1993 squad won 16.

Senior midfielder Richard Jata was named 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference player of the year and added first-team all-conference honors for the third-straight season. The native of Port Richey, Fla., scored a career-high 28 points in 17 matches on 12 goals and four assists to lead the A-Sun goals (0.71) and points (1.65) per game.

Jata ranked 15th nationally in goals per game and 19th in points per outing and tied the A-Sun record with seven game-winning goals. He scored in each of his last nine games of 2008 and provided the winner in seven of those outings, while adding A-Sun all-tournament team honors in each of his final two seasons to his list of accomplishments.

During Jata's three-year career in Buies Creek, Campbell posted a 20-1-1 record in games when he scored, 8-1-0 in 2008. He finished his career with 12 game-winning goals, second-most in league history. In only 57 career games, Jata collected 71 points (15th in school history) on 28 goals and 15 assists.

Senior keeper Aaron Johnson earned A-Sun defensive player of the year honors for the second time in his career. The St. Charles., Mo., product played every minute in the Camel nets this year (1812) and led the A-Sun in goals-against average (0.993), shutouts (9) and save percentage (.780).

He tied the school and league record for shutouts in a year, while compiling a school-record six of those in consecutive fashion from Oct. 18 through Nov. 4 and recording 649 shutout minutes in the process.

Johnson virtually rewrote Campbell's career goalkeeping record book during his four-year stint. He broke school keeper marks for matches played (74) and started (74), minutes played (6805) and career GAA (1.08). Johnson's 331 saves are second only to Peter Moore's 406 in the 46-year history of the Camel program. Moore is also the only Camel to record more career shutouts (24) than Johnson (21).

In A-Sun history, Johnson stands second in both career GAA and shutouts and sixth in saves. Johnson was named Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive player of the week three times in 2008 (Sept. 15, Oct. 13 and 27). The honors marked the fifth, sixth and seventh times in his career that Johnson earned league defender of the week recognition.

Jata and Johnson were joined on the A-Sun all-conference first team by teammates Stephen Oyuga, Vince Petrasso and Josue Soto. Jason Keever earned second-team all-league recognition, while Kevin Orozco was named to the A-Sun all-freshman squad.

Oyuga joined Johnson as the lone Camels to play every minute (1812) during the 2008 season. He earned all-league honors for the third-straight year, including first-team recognition in the last two campaigns. The senior central defender from Nairobi, Kenya helped guide CU to the best team GAA (0.99) and most shutouts (9) in the A-Sun.

He made 60 career appearances with 57 starts in three seasons and twice earned league all-tournament team recognition (2007, 2008). Oyuga was named A-Sun defensive player of the week and to the Soccer America national team of the week (Nov. 3) after leading CU to shutout wins over number-7 North Carolina (2-0) and Mercer (3-0) to wrap up the team's perfect A-Sun regular season record.

Petrasso finished his junior year ranked fifth among league leaders in goals per game (0.47) and seventh in points per outing (1.13). The forward from Woodbridge, Ontario netted career highs of 17 points and seven goals over 15 contests. He finished fourth in the A-Sun with three game-winners.

Four of his goals and two assists came during his eight conference regular season appearances. Petrasso produced game-winning strikes in consecutive matches against Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast, while also providing the deciding goal at High Point.

Soto finished his sophomore year ranked fourth in the country in assists per game (0.61) with 11 over 18 contests. The midfielder from Monterrey, Mexico not only was named to the A-Sun first-team for the second-straight year, but he added all-league tournament honors to his resume as well.

In addition to topping the conference in assists, Soto ranked fourth in points (23) and points per game (1.28) while scoring six times. He dealt Campbell's first assists hat trick in 12 years in a 4-3 comeback win Oct. 16 against Lipscomb. He had a goal and two assists in a 7-1 A-Sun semifinal win over Belmont. Four of his 11 assists set up the game-winning goal this year. He was also named to the A-Sun all-tournament unit.

Keever was one of five Camels to produce multiple points in 2008. The junior from Trinity, N.C., scored six goals in 20 games (12 points) and notched winners against UNC Wilmington and North Florida. He ranked 10th among conference leaders in goals scored.

Orozco scored 18 games in the central defense for Campbell, which led the league in shutouts (9) and team goals-against average (0.99). The product of La Crescenta, Calif., played 1502 minutes (of a possible 1812) and was also presented the Jim McVeigh Award as the program's most promising freshman.

Sophomore forward Khalil Johnson missed out on league recognition, but the Kingston, Jamaica native tied Keever and Soto for 10th on the A-Sun goal-scoring charts (6) and finished with 14 points in 20 matches.

Junior midfielder Justin Madrid was on the field for all but 10 minutes in 2008 in his defensive role. The Yorktown, Va., native produced a career-high four assists and was also presented the program's Glen Brewster Memorial Award for leadership and courage.

Junior defender Austin Skakle was named to the ESPN The Magazine / Academic All-District 3 Men's Soccer University Division second team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). A three-year starter in the Camel defense from Cary, N.C, Skakle owns a 3.71 grade-point average as a Biology-Pre-Med major and Spanish minor.

He made 17 starts – including each game during the squad's school-record 12-match win streak – and played in 18 games for the CU defense that led the league in goals allowed and shutouts. Over his three-year career, Skakle has appeared in 48 matches with 40 starts for the Camels.