Edwin Claros Highlights Five Prince George's Men's Soccer Players On The NJCAA All-Region XX Division III Team
LARGO, Md. – Edwin Claros (Adelphi, Md./High Point), a member of the Prince George's Community College men's soccer team, has been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Region XX first team announced on Friday.
Joining Edwin Claros on the All-Region team from the Owls on the second team are Jonathan Claros (Adelphi, Md./High Point), Celio Grice (Riverdale, Md./Parkdale), Elmer Hernandez (College Park, Md./Parkdale) and Roshawn Panton (Bowie, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt).
Edwin Claros, a sophomore forward, paced the team in assists (17) and points (55) while ranking second in goals. The 2017 All-Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference (MD JUCO) first-team selection also ranked nationally in the NJCAA, sitting third in assists, sixth in points and 10th in goals. The 2016 NJCAA Second-Team All-American registered seven multi-goal performances this season including a pair of hat tricks and a four-goal performance against Allegany College of Maryland on Oct. 13. He also posted four assists against Brookdale on Sept. 23 and the College of Southern Maryland on Oct. 6. For his career, Claros posted 36 goals and 26 assists for 98 points.
Jonathan Claros, the younger brother to Edwin and a sophomore goalkeeper, posted 59 saves and a 1.77 goals against average in 1172:20 minutes of action this season. The sophomore registered a season-high eight saves against Nassau on Sept. 3 and against the College of Southern Maryland on Oct. 6. The netminder was in between the pipes for both the Owls upsets of the fifth-ranked team in the nation against Nassau and against in-state rival Montgomery on Oct. 10. Jonathan Claros has 133 stops in 2929:51 minutes and 34 career matches.
Sophomore defenders Grice and Hernandez helped anchor the Prince George's defense that ranked in the Top-20 in NJCAA Division III with 1.54 goals against average. Grice posted three goals for six points this season and has four career goals for eight points in 35 career games. Grice scored in back-to-back games against CCBC Essex on Sept. 5 and against Chesapeake on Sept. 12 and wrapped up his career with a marker against Howard on Oct. 27. Hernandez registered two goals and one assist for five points in 2017 and has posted two tallies and two helpers for six points in 32 career contests. Hernandez notched his first collegiate score against Harford on Sept. 5 and also found the twine against Chesapeake.
Panton, a freshman forward, paced the Owls in goals (21) and ranked second in both assists (9) and points (51). The 2017 All-Maryland JUCO first-team honoree sits fifth in goals and seventh in points in Division III. Panton recorded multiple-goal performances five times in his first season in Largo in an eight-game span including four matches with three goals or more. The freshman notched a career-high four goals against Northern Virginia on Sept. 26.
Edwin and Jonathan Claros, Grice and Hernandez were four of the six sophomores to play their final season in Largo. The Claros brothers and Hernandez also helped the squad to the 2016 Region XX Division III Tournament title, the sixth in the lustrous history of Owls men's soccer.
Prince George's, who was ranked in the NJCAA Men's Soccer Division III Rankings for the entire regular season, finished 12-4-0 on the year and 9-3-0 in Maryland JUCO action.