Ocean City Nor'easter Soccer Player Named All-Conference

OCEAN CITY, NJ — For the fifth time in the last six years, the Ocean City Nor'easters men’s soccer team had a player selected to the Ocean City Nor'easters all-Eastern Conference team, the club announced on Thursday.

Ocean City defender Daniel Kozma (Budapest, Hungary/Grand View) was one of the four Eastern Conference defenders to be singled out as the best at the position this season. He is the first Ocean City defender since 2010 to be named all-conference, and fourth overall.

Kozma played in 12 games, including four shutouts. He was a major part of a defense that recorded a 1.00 goals against average, which breaks the Nor'easters' PDL club record for a 14-game season.

Additionally, he played 120 minutes without allowing a goal in the club's Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match against professional side Harrisburg City Islanders, of the USL. Ocean City fell on penalty kicks after the teams finished regulation and overtime in a scoreless tie.

It was Ocean City's sixth clean sheet against a pro team. No amateur team in the country has more, according to the club.

He also scored two goals during the first weekend of the regular season. He scored in the 83rd minute of the team’s 4-1 home win over Evergreen FC on May 19.

Kozma scored against Evergreen again two days later, tying the game in the 89th minute. Fellow defender Fraser Colmer scored the game-winner two minutes later in stoppage time to complete the biggest comback in club history with a 3-2 win.

"This is a well-deserved post-season award for Daniel," Nor'easters head coach John Thompson said. "He was our most consistent player throughout the season. He was cool, calm and collected both in the attack and in defense. He was a pleasure to watch."

In the fall, Kozma will resume his college career at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. As a freshman, he started 21 of the team's 23 games, scored one goal and helped the Vikings reach the NAIA national semifinals.

Patch file photo