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Former Mountaineer Shadow Sebele Passes Away
January 08, 2016 09:03 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Former West Virginia University men’s soccer player Abel “Shadow” Sebele tragically passed away on Thursday evening in San Diego.
“Our Mountaineer family today mourns the loss of Shadow Sebele,” coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “Shadow will always be remembered for being one of the greatest Mountaineers to ever don the Gold and Blue for our program. However, within the family of our program he will always be remembered as a brother first. We are saddened and shocked by the news we received today, as it was just this past week we were texting as he celebrated his birthday.”
Sebele, who was a midfielder for the Mountaineers from 2009-12, was playing for the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League.
In his four-year Mountaineer career, Sebele played in 72 games with 67 starts. He scored 14 goals and is second all-time in program history with 25 assists, totaling 53 points.
Sebele graduated from WVU in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management.
“I speak for everyone in our program when I say that Shadow was just a great human being who loved life and who positively touched the lives of everyone he encountered,” LeBlanc said. “Shadow loved West Virginia University and this soccer program. But most of all he loved the brothers and family he had in this program, and we loved him back just as much.”
Sebele was named to the All-Big East Second Team (2010), All-Big East Third Team (2011) and the All-Big East Rookie Team (2009).
He led the Mountaineers in assists and points in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Sebele finished the 2010 season with 11 assists, the third-most in a single season in program history. He notched 152 career shots, 56 on-goal, both which ranked in the top six for most in a career in WVU history.
Sebele also ranks in the top 10 in team history in matches started (67), career minutes (5,820), penalty kicks (6), multi-assist games (3), game-winning assists (8) and game-winning points (18).
A native of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Sebele came to the United States in 2005 where he attended Episcopal High (Va.) on a scholarship and finished his career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 70 goals in 71 games.
“Our condolences go out to the Sebele family in Zimbabwe, his host family the Kehlenbrink's at Episcopal High and his high school coach that brought him to the United States from Zimbabwe, Rick Wilcox.”
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