University of Vermont freshman, Lee Stephane Kouadio, was named America East Striker of the Year and Rookie of the Year to headline this season’s annual award winners. UMBC’s Matt Watson was honored as the Midfielder of the Year for the second-straight season, while the Retriever’s Pete Caringi was named Coach of the Year. Binghamton University’s Graham Munro garnered Defender of the Year honors for the third-consecutive season as University of New Hampshire’s Brian Levey took home his first Goalkeeper of the Year award. All voting was conducted by the head coaches at the America East institutions.
Complete All-Conference Team Breakdown (PDF)
The league’s most explosive offensive player, Kouadio leads America East in goals (nine), goals per game (0.69) and points per game (1.38) and has paced the Catamounts to a fourth-place seeding for the upcoming 2005 America East Men’s Soccer Championship. Vermont’s success was also recognized nationally as the Catamounts were ranked in the NSCAA National Coaches Poll in six of nine weeks this season. Kouadio becomes the third-straight Rookie of the Year winner to also earn another individual award. Last season UMBC’s Watson was Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year, while Stefan Gonet of Binghamton was the league’s top rookie and Goalkeeper of the Year in 2003.
UMBC sophomore Watson ranks tied for fourth in the conference in assists (seventh) and fifth in assists per game (0.39). The 6-0 midfielder is a repeat selection for the annual accolade and is the only player in league history to win the award since its inception in 2004. Watson was instrumental in head coach Caringi’s ability to guide the Retrievers to their second America East Championship berth as UMBC is the No. 2 seed for the upcoming six-team event. In his 15th season with the Retrievers, Caringi is the first coach in school history to earn America East Coach of the Year honors.
Binghamton’s Munro has continued his dominance on the defensive end of the field this season. The senior has been a mainstay in the backfield and has led the Bearcats to rank 11th in the nation in goals against average (0.62). Munro and the Bearcats will be the No. 3 seed for the conference championship.
Junior goalie Levey becomes the first Wildcat in school history to earn Goalkeeper of the Year honors. The 6-5 stopper leads America East in shutouts (10) and goals against average (0.57), which is also good for 11th in the nation. Levey has paced the Wildcats to rank nationally in team goals against average (ninth - 0.60) and shutout percentage (13th - 0.56).
Kouadio, Watson, Munro and Levy are joined on the all-conference first team by Binghamton midfielder Danilo, Boston University forward Sedrick Chin, UMBC back Marcus Gross, Stony Brook forward Chris Megaloudis and midfielders Michael Palacio and Douglas Narvaez and Vermont back Jesse Brady-Searby. Palacio, Narvaez and Megaloudis rank second, third and fourth, respectively, in the conference in points per game and have guided Stony Brook to the schools’ first ever America East regular season crown in any sport, as well as the No. 1 seed for the upcoming conference championship.
The second team consists of Albany forward Yan Gbolo and back Stephan Hall, Boston University back Zach Kirby, Hartford goalkeeper Ryan Carr, Maine midfielder Cooper Friend, UMBC midfielder Kevin Mezzadra, New Hampshire back John Bergqvist and midfielder Eris Masi, Stony Brook back Yahaya Musa and forward Chris Scarpati and Vermont forward Jordan Crasilneck. UVM’s Crasilneck leads the conference in assists (10) and assists per game (0.56), which also ranks 12th nationally. UNH’s Masi in tops in the league in game-winning goals (four).
Bergqvist, Kouadio and Crasilneck highlight the all rookie squad, which also consists of Albany’s Brad Ray and Erik DiLorenzo, Binghamton’s Barry Neville, Boston University’s Neil Hlavaty, Hartford’s Peter Ortega, UMBC’s Steve King and Manuel Mariel and Vermont’s Conner Tobin. King leads the league in shutouts per game (0.67) and also ranks third in the conference in goals against average (0.67).
Ten of the 11 first team selections and seven second team picks will be in action at the 2005 America East Men’s Soccer Championship. No. 4 Vermont hosts No. 5 Albany on Saturday, November 5 at 12 noon, while No. 3 Binghamton welcomes No. 6 Boston University at 1 p.m. Top-seeded Stony Brook and No. 2 UMBC earn first round byes and will face the winners of the opening round games at home on Wednesday, November 9. The title game will take place at the higher remaining seed on November 12/13.