Boston University senior forward Joachim Kaland and University of Hartford forward Alon Lubezky were chosen America East Player and Rookie of the Year in voting conducted by the conference's men's soccer coaches. Boston University head coach Neil Roberts was named Coach of the Year for third time in his career.
Kaland is second in America East and ranks among the national leaders in scoring with 18 goals and six assists for 42 points. His 18 goals are tied for the Terrier single-season record. Alon Lubezky leads America East with 20 goals and eight assists for 48 points. He ranks third in the nation with 2.53 points per game. Kaland is fourth with 2.47 points per game. Kaland is tied for second in the nation with 1.06 goals per game while Alon Lubezky is fourth with 1.05 goals per contest.
Roberts, who was also chosen the Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1994, has guided the Terriers to a 9-1-1 mark in America East as the conference's regular-season champion. Boston University is 13-4-1 overall and is unbeaten in its last nine (8-0-1). Roberts is 214-85-42 in 17 years with the Terriers, with 10 trips to the NCAA Championship in that time.
Kaland and Alon Lubezky are joined on the all-conference first team by Towson University senior forward Alfonso DeMares, the 2000 America East Player of the Year, who ranks third in the conference this season with 14 goals and nine assists for 37 points.
Alon Lubezky's brother, Asaf Lubezky, a junior at Hartford, leads the selections at midfield. Asaf Lubezky has eight goals and six assists for 22 points and has earned first-team honors in each of his three seasons in America East. Other midfielders are junior Andrew Dorman of Boston University, who has seven goals and leads America East with 12 assists, Towson senior Todd Lauber, who has nine goals and a like number of assists and Northeastern University senior Anders Hoyem, who has five goals and nine assists.
The all-conference backs are sophomore Rishi Matadeen and senior Luckisee Williams of Hofstra University, each of whom move up after earning second-team honors last season, and Hartford senior Milton Speid, a repeat selection on the first team.
Hartford senior Chris Doyle, who is 12-5-2 with a 1.26 goals against average is the first-team goalkeeper.
The second team consists of Hofstra senior Hughroy Daley, Towson junior Machel Millwood and Northeastern senior Petter Starnas at forward. The midfielders are seniors Dan Keane of University of Delaware, Patrick Geraghty of Hofstra, Trond Olsen of Northeastern and Jason Warshaw of University at Albany. Rookie Erik Evjen of Boston University is joined at back by Towson senior Steve Hoeck and Albany junior Sadeky Jackson. Boston University rookie Zak Thompson, who leads America East in goals against average at 1.00 and has posted a 9-1-1 mark in 12 games, is the second-team goalkeeper.
The All-Rookie team consists of Alon Lubezky, Evjen, Thompson, Federico Bianchi of Boston University, Steve Fell of Towson, Akil Jordan of Stony Brook University, Antha Kirkopoulos of Northeastern, Logan Lee of University of New Hampshire, Lucas Machado of Albany, Justin Sadler of Drexel University, and Easton Wilson of Hartford.
Each of the 11 first-team all-conference selections and eight of the second-team choices are in action this week at the America East Men's Soccer Championship. No. 6 seed New Hampshire visits No. 3 Towson in a first-round game Wednesday, November 7 at 1 p.m. No. 5 Hofstra travels to No. 4 Northeastern Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the other first-round match. The winner of the New Hampshire-Towson game plays at No. 2 Hartford at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 10. The winner of the Hofstra-Northeastern game travels to No. 1 Boston University for a 7 p.m. game Saturday. The America East Championship game will be played either Saturday, November 17 or Sunday, November 18 at the higher remaining seed.
2001 America East Men’s Soccer All-Conference Team
First Team
Alfonso DeMares (1), Sr., Towson
Joachim Kaland (2), Sr., Boston University
Alon Lubezky, Fr., Hartford
Andrew Dorman, So., Boston University
Anders Hoyem (3), Sr., Northeastern
Todd Lauber (4), Sr., Towson
Asaf Lubezky (5), Jr., Hartford
Rishi Matadeen (6), So., Hofstra
Luckisee Williams (6), Sr., Hofstra
Milton Speid (7), Sr., Hartford
Chris Doyle (2), Sr., Hartford
Second Team
Hughroy Daley, Sr., Hofstra
Machel Millwood Jr., Towson
Petter Starnas (8), Sr. Northeastern
Dan Keane, Sr., Delaware
Patrick Geraghty, Sr., Hofstra
Trond Olsen, Sr., Northeastern
Jason Warshaw, Sr., Albany
Erik Evjen, Fr., Boston University
Steve Hoeck, Sr., Towson
Sadeky Jackson, Jr., Albany
Zak Thompson, Fr., Boston University
All-Rookie Team (11 regardless of position)
Federico Bianchi, Boston University
Erik Evjen, Boston University
Steve Fell, Towson
Akil Jordan, Stony Brook
Antha Kirkopoulos, Northeastern
Logan Lee , New Hampshire
Alon Lubezky, Hartford
Lucas Machado, Albany
Justin Sadler, Drexel
Zak Thompson, Boston University
Easton Wilson, Hartford
Player of the Year: Joachim Kaland, Boston University
Rookie of the Year: Alon Lubezky, Hartford
Coach of the Year: Neil Roberts, Boston University
(1) first team all-conference, 2000, 1999; second team all-conference, 1998
(2) second team all-conference, 1999
(3) first team all-conference, 2000; second team all-conference, 1999
(4) second team all-conference, 2000, 1999
(5) first team all-conference, 2000, 1999
(6) second team all-conference, 2000
(7) first team all-conference, 2000
(8) first team all-conference, 1999; second team all-conference, 2000