UMBC freshman Matt Watson was named the America East Midfielder of the Year and the conference's Rookie of the Year, it was announced today. Charles Darkwah and Graham Munro of Binghamton University were named Striker and Defender of the Year, respectively. Bouna Coundoul of University at Albany was selected Goalkeeper of the Year. Neil Roberts of Boston University was chosen Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career. All voting was conducted by the conference's coaches.
All-Conference
Watson leads America East and ranks fifth in the nation in assists per game with nine in 17 games (0.60). He is sixth in the conference in scoring with four goals and nine assists for 17 points.
Darkwah is tied for the conference lead with 11 goals in 18 games. He has added five assists for 27 points for the Bearcats, who lead America East and rank 21st in the nation with 2.05 goals per game.
Munro, who repeats as the conference's top defensive player, leads a defense which has allowed 0.76 goals per game, second in America East and 16th in the nation. The junior also has three goals and two assists for eight points.
Coundoul is the conference's Goalkeeper of the Year for the second time in three years. He leads the nation in goals against average (0.40) and has 11 shutouts in 17 games.
Roberts, who was also named America East Coach of the Year in 1991, 1994 and 2001, has led Boston University to a 9-7-1 mark overall and a 6-2-1 record in America East as the championship's No. 1 seed. He has a career mark of 231-99-46.
Darkwah is joined at forward on the all-conference first team by Chris Megaloudis of Stony Brook University and Tony Anderson of University of Vermont. Megaloudis has eight goals and four assists for 20 points to rank eighth in America East. Anderson is tied for the conference lead with 11 goals and leads America East with 28 points in 18 games (1.56).
Watson is joined in the midfield on the first team by Danilo of Binghamton, a second-team all-conference selection last year, Jamie Johnson of Boston University and Eric Masi of University of New Hampshire. Danilo has a goal and three assists. Johnson has 14 points (four goals, six assists) in 14 games. Masi has two goals in 15 games.
Munro leads the defenders, which include Tyler Jackson of New Hampshire, a second-team choice in 2003, and Savvas Theofilou of Albany, the conference's top rated defense (0.40 goals per game).
Each of the second-team forwards was a first-team choice in 2003: Sedrick Chin of Boston University, Alon Lubezky of University of Hartford and Derek McElligott of UMBC. Chin has six goals and four assists for 16 points in 17 games. Lubezky, a four-time all-conference selection, ranks third in America East scoring with 10 goals and five assists for 25 points. McElligott has eight goals and three assists for 19 points.
The second-team midfielders are Stephan Hall of Albany, Federico Bianchi of Boston University, Tom Heimreid of Northeastern University and Jason Leahy of Vermont.
George Friedman of Albany, Erik Evjen of Boston University, a four-time all-conference selection, and Zach Kirby of Boston University comprise the second-team defenders.
Sergio Saccoccio of Northeastern, a second-team choice in 2002, is the goalkeeper. The junior has 80 saves in 17 games.
The all-rookie team includes Watson, Adam Chavez of Binghamton, Roland Erlichman and Shane Westbrook of Boston University, Jimmy Velas of University of Maine, Bryan Moffa of UMBC, Bryan Stewart and Matt Low of New Hampshire, Dan Cukar and Yahaya Musa of Stony Brook and Jake Wallace of Vermont.