Auburn University Montgomery’s Hjortur Hjartarson has been named the NAIA National Men’s Soccer Player of the Year. He was earlier selected as Region XIII’s top player. The outstanding senior forward from Akraines, Iceland tallied 33 goals and posted four assist for the Senators this past and helped AUM to a No. 1 ranking in the final NAIA poll and the No. 1 seed in the national tournament.Hjartarson was joined on the NAIA First-Team All-American squad by teammate Kari Arsaelsson, a defender from Kopovogur, Iceland. The Southern States Athletic Conference was also represented on the first team by Lee University’s Ricardo Pierre-Louis. The forward is from Leogane, Haiti. Pierre-Louis tallied 33 goals and dished off 11 assists.

AUM and Lee placed one player each on the Second-Team All-American squad. Lee midfielder Stanley Nyazamba, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and so was AUM’s midfielder Johann Hreidarsson from Reykjavik, Iceland. AUM defender Agust Agustsson of Kopovogur, Iceland was selected to the third team.

Lee had three players listed as honorable mention. Nick Odeny, Jo Connor and Erick Oduor were saluted for their efforts during the 2006 season as were AUM’s Mikael Herrar and Berry College’s Mike Wentzler.

The All-Region XIII team includes:

Goalkeepers:

Nenad Cudic (AUM), Mike Wentzler (Berry)

Defenders:

Kari Arsaelssor (AUM), Agust Agustsson (AUM), Nick Odeny (Lee), Timo Erbert (Berry)

Midfield:

Stanley Nyazamba (Lee), Johann Hreidarsson (AUM), Mikel Herrero (AUM), Joseph Connor (Lee)

Forwards:

Hjortur Hjatarsson (AUM), Ricardo Pierre-Louis (Lee), Erick Oduor (Lee), Tyson John (SWU)

Player of the Year : Hjortur Hjatarsson