Binghamton University sophomore Stefan Gonet was named America East Rookie of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year in voting conducted by the conference's head coaches. Junior forward Alon Lubezky of University of Hartford was selected as the Offensive Player of the Year. Binghamton sophomore back Graham Munro was chosen as Defensive Player of the Year. Maine's Travers Evans was named Coach of the Year. The all-conference awards were announced Wednesday (November 5).
Gonet leads America East and ranks second in the nation with a 0.36 goals against average. He has 14 shutouts in 18 games while compiling a 10-2-6 record for the Bearcats, who enter the America East Men's Soccer Championship as the No. 2 seed.
Lubezky leads America East in scoring with 17 goals and six assists for 40 points in 20 games (2.00 ppg). He ranks seventh in the nation in that category. He is second in America East and eighth in the nation with 0.85 goals per game (17 in 20 games).
Munro leads a defense which has allowed 0.36 goals per game, tops in the nation. The Bearcats have not allowed a goal in the last 723:51 and have 14 shutouts in 18 games (0.78 per game) to lead the nation in that category.
Evans has guided his team to a 7-7-4 mark overall and a 3-3-3 record in America East as the No. 6 seed in the conference championship. It is the first appearance in the conference championship since 1994 for the Black Bears, who were picked 10th in the preseason coaches poll.
Lubezky is joined at forward on the first team by sophomore Sedrick Chin of Boston University and Derek McElligott of University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Chin is second on the Terriers and fourth in America East scoring with seven goals and three assists for 17 points (1.06 per game). McElligott is second in America East and 11th in the nation in scoring with 15 goals and two assists for 32 points (1.88 per game). He leads America East and is fourth in the nation with 0.88 goals per game (15 in 17 games).
The first-team midfielders are senior Andy Dorman of Boston University, sophomore Cooper Friend of University of Maine, senior Michael Joseph and junior Danny Mongello of UMBC and senior Atha Kirkopoulos of Northeastern University. Dorman leads America East and is fourth in the nation with 0.75 assists per game (12 in 16 games). Friend is the top defensive midfielder for the Black Bears. Joseph, who has a team-leading 10 assists, and Mongello, who has five assists, have helped lead the Retrievers to the top seed in the America East Men's Soccer Championship. Kirkopoulos, the 2002 America East Offensive Player of the Year, had five goals and three assists for 15 points.
Munro is joined at back on the first team by sophomore Marcus Gross of UMBC and senior Brendan Hankard of University of New Hampshire. Gross leads a defense which has allowed 0.93 goals per game, second in America East. Hankard has earned first-team honors in each of the last two seasons.
Gonet is the first-team goalkeeper.
The second team consists of juniors Stephen Bruce and Charles Darkwah of Binghamton and senior Matt Chavez of Vermont at forward. Sophomore Danilo of Binghamton, rookie Kenniel Martin of Hartford, junior Tyler Jackson of New Hampshire and senior Oumar Thiam of Northeastern are the second-team midfielders. Junior Rodrigo Marion of University at Albany, junior Erik Evjen of Boston University and junior Sullivan Silva of University of Vermont are the second-team backs.
Junior Bouna Coundol of Albany, who has a goals against average of 1.02 and leads America East with 6.35 saves per game, sixth in the nation, is the second-team goalkeeper.
The all-rookie team, which is chosen regardless of position, includes Yan Gbolo of Albany, Bryan Arnault and Gonet of Binghamton, Zach Kirby and Anders Ostli of Boston University, Martin of Hartford, Gabriel Germano of Maine, Kevin Mezzadra of UMBC, Daniel Ivec of Northeastern, Shanniel Headley of Stony Brook University and Corey Bronner of Vermont.
Eleven of the first-team all-conference players and six from the second team will be in action this week at the America East Men's Soccer Championship. No. 3 Hartford hosts No. 6 Maine and No. 4 Boston University hosts No. 5 Northeastern in first-round games Wednesday at 7 p.m. The winners of those games advance to the semifinals to play at No. 2 Binghamton or at No. 1 UMBC Saturday at 1 p.m. The America East Men's Soccer Championship game will be played either Saturday, November 15 or Sunday, November 16 at the home site of the higher seeded team.