Championship Preview - Reactions from Players and Coaches (Video)
2011 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Championship Banquet Video
2011 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer All-Conference Release (PDF)
2011 Northeast Conference Tournament Headquarters
Fairfield, CT -- In a vote conducted by league head coaches, Sacred Heart junior defender Marcello Castro (Parana, Brazil/Centro Universitario Maringa) was named the Northeast Conference Player of the Year at the annual pre-tournament banquet, held Thursday evening in Fairfield, CT. The Parana, Brazil native did not stop there, either, as he also claimed his second straight NEC Defensive Player of the Year accolade. Mount St. Mary’s star forward Zoncher Dennis (Swarthmore, PA/Strath Haven) was recognized as NEC Rookie of the Year, while Central Connecticut State head coach Shaun Green earned the title of NEC Coach of the Year.
Hosted in Fairfield, CT, the banquet brought together all four teams – Sacred Heart, Central Connecticut State, Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson – participating in this year’s tournament for an evening of recognition before they clash on Friday for the right to play in Sunday’s NEC Title match. Top-seeded Sacred Heart squares off with No. 4 Fairleigh Dickinson at 11:00 am, while Central Connecticut, the No. 2 seed, entertains third-seeded Monmouth at 1:30 pm. The winners will then play for the title and the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, slated to begin on Thursday, Nov. 17 at campus sites.
Voted by the coaches as the best defender in the league for the second straight season, Castro proved to be the best player as well, taking home both honors after leading his team to the No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament and a share of the NEC Regular-Season Championship. In his third season, he continued to show off his skill at both ends of the field, ranking second on his team in points (13) and ninth in the league overall. The 2010 All-American’s defensive prowess anchored the Pioneers to posting the third-best goals allowed mark in the NEC this season, with 13 scores surrendered, and helped them stay unbeaten in their last nine games heading into Friday’s matchup against FDU. Along with his two major awards, Castro also made his second straight appearance on the All-NEC First Team.
Mount St. Mary’s finished with its best record in eight seasons and stayed in playoff contention up until the very end thanks to the play of rookie forward Dennis, who led both his team and the league in scoring in just his first season. The Swarthmore, PA native netted 11 goals and totaled 23 points to distance himself from his next closest peer who had 19. Ranking 19th in the country in total goals scored, the 2011 All-NEC First Team selection’s defining moment came in a win over La Salle, when he scored a league-high four goals to push Mount St. Mary’s over the .500 mark, a place they would stay for the rest of the season. He would go on to score five more times after that game, all in conference play, to tie for the league lead in that category.
Leading the Blue Devils to their first NEC playoff appearance since 2007, Green made all the right moves in 2011. The 27th-year head coach motivated his team after going 3-6 to start the season by winning seven of the next nine contests to earn a share of the NEC Regular-Season Title for the first time in program history. Statistically speaking, the Blue Devils ranked No. 1 in several offensive categories in NEC action, including points (45), goals (17) and goals per game (1.70). En route to a 7-3 conference record, the Blue Devils won six times when they scored at least two times, with their final victory coming via a 1-0 shutout.
Making up the All-NEC teams, third-seeded Monmouth led all schools with five selections, including four on the first team. Tournament host Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary’s, Central Connecticut State and St. Francis (NY) all saw three student-athletes recognized, with the Pioneers placing two on the top squad. Fairleigh Dickinson, Quinnipiac and Saint Francis (PA) rounded out the selections with one apiece.
Joining Dennis at forward on the All-NEC First Team, sophomore Gabriel Bagot (Nevers, France / Edison Academic Center) made his mark in his second season at St. Francis (NY). The Nevers, France product netted eight goals and recorded 19 points as he helped the Terriers to a 5-3-2 NEC mark and a seven-point improvement from a year ago. He posted six multi-point games, including three with at least three or more points. Additionally, 15 of his 19 points came during his team’s league-best, eight-game winning streak.
Quinnipiac junior Philip Suprise (Milwaukee, WI/Pius XI) completed the first team forward selections after a season in which he scored five goals and dished out four assists for 14 points. In conference play, he ranked in the top-10 among his peers, placing in a tie for fourth in goals (4), fifth in goals per game (0.40) and ninth in points (0.80).
The first-team midfield selections came highly regarded after helping their teams to the postseason. Monmouth saw previous league all-stars Ryan Clark (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township) and Max Hamilton (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) repeat their success this season, while All-NEC newcomers Jack McVey (Douglass, Isle of Man / St. Ninian’s School) of Fairleigh Dickinson and Thomas Obasi (Birmingham, England/Liverpool) of Central Connecticut State were honored for the first time.
Clark, who earned his third straight All-NEC First Team nod, proved to be a playmaker for the Hawks, dishing out a league-high eight assists and accumulating 14 points. He handed out helpers in six games, five of which were wins, and exploded for a season-high three assists in a 4-0 win over Long Island. He also scored three goals, two of which proved to be the game-winners against St. Peter’s and Princeton.
Hamilton, on the other hand, was recognized more for his play than his statistics. A three-time all-league selection now, he helped his fellow teammates shut down the opposing attack while maneuvering the play from his center mid position. He did get on the stat sheet once this year and it could not have been bigger, as he broke a 0-0 tie with less than three minutes to play in a 1-0 win over St. Francis (NY).
No stranger to being selected to an all-conference team, FDU’s McVey earned his third straight all-league selection after being tabbed to the All-Atlantic Soccer Team his first two years at NJIT. The junior-transfer made the most of his first year with the Knights, leading the team in goals (7), assists (4) and points (18). He also ranked first in game-winning goals with four, including one that sealed a 2-1 win over Princeton in overtime.
Also making his first appearance on the All-NEC team, Obasi proved to be a difference maker for his Blue Devils and their return to the postseason. In 18 games, all starts, he netted three goals, including two game-winners, and racked up eight points to rank fourth on the team. His play on the field also helped his team rank high in the NEC stats, placing in the top-5 in several categories.
Defensively, league head coaches picked a trio of players that were familiar with the All-NEC process. Monmouth backs RJ Allen (Old Bridge, NJ/St. Joseph's) and Anthony Vazquez (Belford, NJ/St. John’s) joined Castro as the league’s first-team defense. Allen, a first-team pick last year as well, helped the Hawks rank first in nearly every defensive category including goals allowed (10), goal against average (0.55) and shutouts (12) for the season. The three-time All-NEC pick also contributed on offense, scoring two goals and handing out six assists, the fourth-best total in the conference. Working alongside the 2010 All-American, Vazquez elevated his play this year to move up from the second team to the first. Playing in 17 games this year, he contributed one goal and four points for the season.
A force between the pipes, Sacred Heart’s Alex Fait (Ottawa, Ontario/St. Joseph’s) stoned his competition through 18 games this season. He built a 10-4-4 record and posted eight shutouts en route to lowering his goals against average to a staggering 0.70. He stopped 68 of the 81 shots he faced, surrendering just 13 goals, including six in conference play.
On the second team, one forward makes his return while a pair of newcomers join him.
Mount St. Mary’s senior forward Chris Wheeler (Newcastle, Australia/St. Francis Xavier) earned his fourth straight All-NEC honor after an illustrious career in Emmitsburg, MD. The former NEC Rookie of the Year ranked third on the Mount in scoring this season after posting three goals and 11 points. He finished his time ranked first all-time in MSM Division I history with 36 goals and 83 points.
New to the team, junior Reece Wilson (London, England/William Carey) of Central Connecticut State and Adam Maabdi (Honnecourt Sur Escaut, France/Lycee Paul Duez) of St. Francis (NY) both had breakout years in 2011, ranking in the NEC top-10 in goals and points. Wilson led the Blue Devils in scoring with six goals and 15 points after transferring to CCSU following two seasons at NAIA William Carey. The third-year player put on consistent performances throughout the season, scoring in six different games. He is currently on a three-game scoring streak highlighted by a one-goal, one-assist performance in a 2-1 OT win over FDU.
Maabdi, meanwhile, posted five goals and 16 points following a season in which he had just two goals and 10 points. The junior forward increased his production mightily at times, scoring three times in his first seven games before closing out the year with seven points in his last four games.
Just like the first team, the second team midfield boasted a strong unit too. Sacred Heart’s Edwin Victor (Bridgeport, CT/Central) made his first appearance on an All-NEC team after playing an integral part in helping the Pioneers to a 10-4-4 record, including 5-0-4 in their last nine games.
Monmouth’s Kalle Sotka (Helsinki, Finland/Makelanrinteen Sports), a freshman, played more of an offensive role, netting four goals and dishing out two assists for 10 points in his first season with the Hawks. Long Island’s Steve Jakubowski (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) and Mount St. Mary’s Ian Hendrie (Potomac, MD/ St. Andrew's Episcopal School) also had a knack for scoring. Jakubowski, an All-NEC First Team selection at forward in 2010, led the Blackbirds in goals (4) and points (11) from the midfield position this season, while Hendrie ranked second on his club in scoring, recording three goals and 13 points.
Central Connecticut State’s Mamoudou Dioubate (Queens, NY/Monroe College) highlighted the second team defenders in his first season at CCSU. The Monroe College transfer played in all 18 games, starting 10 times. Known primarily for defense, he showed off his offensive skills early on by scoring one goal and assisting on another in a 3-2 setback to Air Force.
Aldo Toma (Shengjin, Albania / Fort Hamilton) of St. Francis (NY) helped the Terriers hold opponents to 0.82 goals per game. In 16 games with him in the lineup, only two opponents scored more than one goal while five others were kept off the scoresheet all together.
James Price (Christchurch, New Zealand / Otago Boys) of Saint Francis (PA) rounded out the defenders. Playing in all 18 games for the Red Flash, Price was a mainstay on a unit that ranked second in the league in goals allowed (0.67), goals against average (0.65) and shutouts (0.61). Just like his counterparts, the third-year player from New Zealand was mostly known for his defense, but did have a touch of offense in him, as he netted the only goal his team would need in a 1-0 win over Sacred Heart.
As the last line of defense on the All-NEC Second Team, LIU’s Adam Janssen (Toronto, Ontario/Michael Power St. Joseph's) ranked second in both saves (85) and saves per game (5.31) in the league.
2011 Northeast Conference Men’s Soccer Award Winners
Player of the Year
Marcello Castro-SHU D/Jr. Parana, Brazil/Centro Universitario Maringa
Defensive Player of the Year
Marcello Castro-SHU D/Jr. Parana, Brazil/Centro Universitario Maringa
Rookie of the Year
Zoncher Dennis-MSM F/Fr. Swarthmore, PA/Strath Haven
Coach of the Year
Shaun Green CCSU
2011 Northeast Conference Men’s Soccer First Team
Gabriel Bagot-SFNY F/So. Nevers, France/Edison Academic Center
Zoncher Dennis-MSM F/Fr. Swarthmore, PA/Strath Haven
Philip Surprise-QU F/Jr. Milwaukee, WI/Pius XI
Ryan Clark-MU M/Jr. Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township
Jack McVey-FDU M/Jr. Douglass, Isle of Man/St. Ninian’s School
Max Hamilton-MU M/Sr. Medford, NJ/Shawnee
Thomas Obasi-CCSU M/Jr. Birmingham, England/Liverpool
Marcello Castro-SHU D/Jr. Parana, Brazil/Centro Universitario Maringa
RJ Allen-MU D/Sr. Old Bridge, NJ/St. Joseph's
Anthony Vazquez-MU D/Sr. Belford, NJ/St. John’s
Alex Fait-SHU GK/Sr. Ottawa, Ontario/St. Joseph’s
2011 Northeast Conference Men’s Soccer Second Team
Reece Wilson-CCSU F/Jr. London, England/William Carey
Chris Wheeler-MSM F/Sr. Newcastle, Australia/St. Francis Xavier
Adam Maabdi-SFNY F/Jr. Honnecourt Sur Escaut, France/Lycee Paul Duez
Edwin Victor-SHU M/Jr. Bridgeport, CT/Central
Kalle Sotka-MU M/Fr. Helsinki, Finland/Makelanrinteen Sports
Steve Jakubowski-LIU M/Sr. West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford
Ian Hendrie-MSM M/Sr. Potomac, MD/ St. Andrew's Episcopal School
Mamoudou Dioubate-CCSU D/Jr. Queens, NY/Monroe College
Aldo Toma-SFNY D/Sr. Shengjin, Albania/Fort Hamilton
James Price-SFPA D/Jr. Christchurch, New Zealand / Otago Boys
Adam Janssen-LIU GK/Sr. Toronto, Ontario/Michael Power St. Joseph's