Members of the inaugural South Georgia Tormenta FC squad have made their way back to their respective collegiate and club teams, but Thursday brought one final accolade for the up-and-coming franchise.
    After helping to anchor a defense that  recorded an impressive five shutouts, Peyton Ericson was named to the All-Eastern Conference team. Ericson said he was a bit surprised to hear that he had made the team, but it came as no shock to his head coach.
    "I knew we had a special player right away," Tormenta coach Ben Freakley said. "In our very first practice, Peyton chased down a shot and bicycle-kicked it out of the net. That's the kind of intensity he brought to every training session and to every game."
    Ericson became a firmly entrenched starter in Tormenta's back line as the squad finished its first season with a mark of 6-5-3. Playing in a division that housed two of the top five rated teams in the 67-team league, Tormenta made an immediate impact and finished just a few points shy of a postseason berth.
    For now, Ericson will head back up the road where he is about to begin his sophomore season at the University of South Carolina.
    He figures to be a key player in the Gamecocks' defensive scheme, but has already given thought to next summer.
    "I would love to come back and play for Tormenta," Ericson said. "The team and the coaches were great, but so was the entire town. The whole experience, I think, would make anyone excited to come play here."