Harrisonburg, Va.--Sophomore Chris Locandro became the second player in Georgia State men's soccer history to earn first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors as three Panthers were named to All-CAA Wednesday night.

Classmates Stephen McGill (second team) and Jamal Keene (third team) joined Locandro as the Panthers boast three All-CAA honorees for the first time in school history.

Locandro, McGill and Keene each transferred to Georgia State prior to the season and have immediately impacted the team in their first years.

Locandro, a native of Kennesaw, Ga., and a transfer from Colgate, was a shutdown defender all season for GSU. He started 18 games and helped Georgia State tie the school record for shutouts in a season with nine. The Panthers maintained a 0.73 goals against average as a team this season, the 18th-best total in the country. GSU's 14 goals allowed and GAA was tops in the Colonial Athletic Association this season.

"Locandro has probably been our most consistent player all year long and a huge boost to our back line and very deserving of his first-team selection," GSU head coach Brett Surrency said.

McGill scored three goals and notched three assists in his first season at GSU after transferring from Clemson. The midfielder became the first player since 2004 to score three penalty kick goals in a season this year. McGill won the game for the Panthers in overtime 1-0 over Hofstra and started a comeback with a last-minute conversion in a 3-2 loss at No. 11 Old Dominion. He converted his first penalty kick, also a game winner, in a 2-1 win over Mercer.

McGill, who attended St. Pius X HS in Atlanta, started 18 matches this year for GSU and was a valuable member of the team's midfield.

"Stephen has been our engine all year long, he's been the guy that makes us tick," Surrency said, "His energy is always fantastic and work rate is amazing. I'm excited for him to be an all-conference player this year."

Keene, a transfer from Memphis, earned third team laurels after starting all 19 matches this season for GSU and tying for the team lead with three assists. The Hirarm, Ga., native scored his first goal in a Panthers uniform and the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over NC State.

Keene's leadership from the midfield played a large role in GSU's uptick in offense in 2011.

"Jamal has been a massive addition to our midfield this year and helps orchestrate our attack," Surrency said, "He's such a talented soccer player and I'm really excited he was noticed by the other coaches and selected to the all-conference team."

The No. 6 seed Georgia State takes on No. 3 seed William & Mary in the opening match of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament on Thursday (5 p.m.). It's a rematch of the team's prior meeting which GSU took 1-0 on Oct. 3 upsetting then No.22-ranked William & Mary at Panthersville.

Follow all the action from Harrisonburg, Va., this weekend with Tournament Central on www.GeorgiaStateSports.com. Check back on Thursday for a live blog of Georgia State's first CAA Tournament match in school history. Live updates will be provided of all the action as well on the Georgia State men's soccer twitter page at @GSUMensSoccer.

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