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Somerset, NJ -- Fresh of its second consecutive NEC title, Quinnipiac was duly rewarded by league head coaches with five of its six singles players and each of its three doubles teams earning all-conference accolades. Fairleigh Dickinson junior Daniel Wynne (Norwich, England/Notre Dame) was tabbed the NEC Player of the Year, while Sacred Heart freshman Jared Dye (Bridgeport, CT/Central) was voted the NEC Rookie of the Year. Quinnipiac’s Mike Quitko was honored by his peers as NEC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.
Wynne, who was a first team all-conference pick at the #2 flight a year ago, becomes the second straight Fairleigh Dickinson player to collect NEC Player of the Year honors, joining former teammate Alex Sarria. With Sarria’s graduation, Wynne was elevated to the #1 singles spot and responded in kind, finishing with an 8-6 overall mark and 4-1 record against a strong field of NEC competitors to claim his second straight first team all-league award. The Norwich, England product was a two-time NEC Player of the Week this past season and has captured the award four times in his career.
Unlimited potential is an apt description for Dye, who emerged as a legitimate force for Sacred Heart as a freshman. Dye took over at the #1 singles flight for the Pioneers, and despite his 6-14 overall record and 3-4 slate in the NEC, the Bridgeport, NY native took FDU’s Wynne to the limit in a three-set match during the regular season, then had a competitive match with the NEC Player of the Year halted during the NEC Tournament.
Quitko has piloted the Quinnipiac men’s program to two straight NEC titles followed by two consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, despite fielding a relatively young team comprised of five sophomores, two juniors and a senior this year. After defeating Mount St. Mary’s for the league crown, the Bobcats then took on #5 Illinois in an NCAA first round matchup, where they dropped a 4-0 decision last week. Quitko was one of three coaches in the nation this season to lead both his school’s men’s and women’s teams to the NCAA Tournament. Now in his 14th year at Quinnipiac, Quitko’s teams have posted an overall record of 156-84 (.650).
Quinnipiac sophomore Andrew Chan (Great Neck, NY/Great Neck North) collects his second straight first team all-NEC award, this time competing at #2 singles following his selection at the #3 flight as a freshman. Chan led the league with 20 wins and concluded the year with a 20-7 mark, including a perfect 7-0 against NEC competitors. After defeating rivals from Bucknell and UConn during the non-conference portion of the schedule, he was the most dominant player at the NEC Tournament, dropping a lone game in three tourney matches, including 6-0, 6-0 sweeps of opponents in the semifinals against Robert Morris and championship tilt versus Mount St. Mary’s.
Quinnipiac sophomore Stefano Salvatore (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) was tabbed the NEC’s top player at #3 singles. Salvatore concluded his year with an 18-10 record - stopping players from UConn and Rhode Island for two of his top wins - and went unbeaten in eight league matches. A two-time NEC Player of the Week, he went undefeated in three NEC Tournament matches, losing just six games in the process.
Mount St. Mary’s junior Jeff Lamberton (Glen Burnie, MD/Mount St. Joseph’s) was the coaches’ pick at #4 singles. In helping lead the Mount to a runner-up finish at the 2005 NEC Tournament, Lamberton won a pair of matches in straight sets at the event and ended the season with a 13-5 record. He posted an 8-0 mark versus NEC competitors.
Quinnipiac sophomore Alex Altman (Riverdale, NY/Columbia Prep) makes it back-to-back first team plaudits at the #5 flight. Altman was untouchable in NEC play, finishing with a 6-0 record and wrapped up his year with a 12-10 overall mark, including wins against players from UConn and Loyola (MD).
Quinnipiac junior Greg Kreyman (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach) was a key addition for the Bobcats this past season, and was nearly automatic at the #6 slot, where he claimed first team honors. Kreyman served notice to the conference after winning back-to-back NEC Player of the Week awards back in October and ended his year with 19-7 record, the second highest winning percentage (.731) in the conference among those who competed in at least 20 matches. Among his victims were players from Bucknell, Boston University, UConn and Hartford. He also compiled a 6-1 mark in league matches, including two wins at the NEC Tournament.
Mount St. Mary’s claimed two out of three first team spots in doubles, including the #1 flight team of seniors Drew Arbeiter (Brightwaters, NY/Bay Shore) and Phil Holliday (Reynoldsburg, OH/Bishop Hartley). The veteran duo enjoyed tremendous success in their final year, racking up a league-high 12 doubles wins against just five setbacks, and went 7-1 within the conference. Arbeiter and Holliday, who established a new school record with 33 career doubles wins, were also the recipient of a rare co-NEC Player of the Week honor for their doubles performance back on March 22.
Back for a return appearance is the Quinnipiac #2 doubles tandem of sophomores Stefano Salvatore (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) and Scott Salway (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury). Honored at the #3 flight last season, the duo is now a perfect 8-0 over the course of their careers against NEC opponents, including 4-0 in 2004-05. Salvatore and Salway won twice at the NEC Tournament and were the only team to conclude play with an undefeated overall record (6-0) for the year.
At #3 doubles, the Mount St. Mary’s pairing of senior Christopher Berg (Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood Area) and junior Paul Stuart (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East) were voted first team all-stars. The duo finished 3-3, but were 3-0 against NEC foes, including an 8-6 win against Quinnipiac in the NEC title match.
Four schools are represented on the all-NEC singles second team, including the first ever all-star recipient from St. Francis (NY). The Terriers’ Arthur Velnik (Brooklyn, NY/Leon M. Goldstein) led the conference with a .923 winning percentage, and wrapped up his junior year with a 12-1 overall mark and 9-1 record against league rivals. His only loss this season came to FDU’s Wynne, the NEC Player of the Year, in a three-set marathon in April. Sacred Heart junior Peter George (Lynnfield, MA/Lynnfield) is the only repeat second team honoree, this time at #2 singles following his selection at the #4 flight a year ago. George’s year concluded with a 10-8 mark and he went 5-2 on the conference circuit. Mount St. Mary’s junior Bobby Cozzillio (Harrisburg, PA/Trinity) was another key player in the team’s ascension this past season, as the #3 flight player finished 8-7 overall and 4-2 when pitted against league foes. Quinnipiac junior Jonathan Russo (Garden City, NY/Chaminade), an all-NEC first team honoree last year, claims his second #4 singles accolade. Russo closed out play in 2004-05 with a 5-1 conference ledger and 16-10 overall mark. Mount St. Mary’s junior Paul Stuart (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East) won his last five matches to end the season and nabbed #5 singles honors. Stuart’s 10-5 record included a 6-2 slate in league outings. Sacred Heart sophomore Kevin Guidicipietro’s (Mountainside, NJ/Berkeley Heights Governor Livingston) selection at #6 singles rounds out the all-NEC second team. Guidicipietro posted a 9-7 record and went 6-1 in league play, including a pair of straight set triumphs in the NEC Tournament.
Leading off the second team all-NEC doubles award winners is the Quinnipiac #1 flight combination of sophomores Mike Racioppo (Brooklyn, NY/Laurel Springs School) and Andrew Chan (Great Neck, NY/Great Neck North). The Bobcat tandem did not begin teaming regularly until March, but finished 2-1 in NEC affairs - including a victory in the title match against Mount St. Mary’s - and 2-5 overall. Sacred Heart junior Peter George (Lynnfield, MA/Lynnfield) teamed up with senior Alex Kantarelis (Worcester, MA/Worcester Academy) at #2 doubles to claim second team accolades for a second straight season. After honing their skills as #3 flight all-stars in 2003-04, the duo moved up a notch, but still finished 10-5 overall and 5-2 within the conference. At the #3 flight, the Quinnipiac pairing of junior Jonathan Russo (Garden City, NY/Chaminade) and senior Fabian Villacis (Derby, CT/Derby) won four of their five NEC matches and were 5-6 on the year.
2005 NEC Men’s Tennis Award Winners
NEC Player of the Year
Daniel Wynne FDU Jr Norwich, England/Notre Dame
NEC Rookie of the Year
Jared Dye Sacred Heart Fr Bridgeport, CT/Central
NEC Coach of the Year
Mike Quitko Quinnipiac
2005 NEC Men’s Tennis First Team All-Conference
Singles
Fl. Name School Yr Hometown/High School
#1 Daniel Wynne FDU Jr Norwich, England/Notre Dame
#2 Andrew Chan Quinnipiac So Great Neck, NY/Great Neck North
#3 Stefano Salvatore Quinnipiac So Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo
#4 Jeff Lamberton Mt. St. Mary's Jr Glen Burnie, MD/Mount St. Joseph’s
#5 Alex Altman Quinnipiac So Riverdale, NY/Columbia Prep
#6 Greg Kreyman Quinnipiac Jr Long Beach, NY/Long Beach
Doubles
#1 Drew Arbeiter Mt. St. Mary’s Sr Brightwaters, NY/Bay Shore
Phil Holliday Mt. St. Mary’s Sr Reynoldsburg, OH/Bishop Hartley
#2 Stefano Salvatore Quinnipiac So Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo
Scott Salway Quinnipiac So Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury
#3 Christopher Berg Mt. St. Mary’s Sr Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood Area
Paul Stuart Mt. St. Mary’s Jr Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East
2005 NEC Men’s Tennis Second Team All-Conference
Singles
Fl. Name School Yr Hometown/High School
#1 Arthur Velnik St. Francis (NY) Jr Brooklyn, NY/Leon M. Goldstein
#2 Peter George Sacred Heart Jr Lynnfield, MA/Lynnfield
#3 Bobby Cozzillio Mt. St. Mary’s Jr Harrisburg, PA/Trinity
#4 Jonathan Russo Quinnipiac Jr Garden City, NY/Chaminade
#5 Paul Stuart Mt. St. Mary’s Jr Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East
#6 Kevin Guidicipietro Sacred Heart So Mountainside, NJ/Berkeley Heights Governor Livingston
Doubles
#1 Mike Racioppo Quinnipiac So Brooklyn, NY/Laurel Springs School
Andrew Chan Quinnipiac So Great Neck, NY/Great Neck North
#2 Peter George Sacred Heart Jr Lynnfield, MA/Lynnfield
Alex Kantarelis Sacred Heart Sr Worcester, MA/Worcester Academy
#3 Jonathan Russo Quinnipiac Jr Garden City, NY/Chaminade
Fabian Villacis Quinnipiac Sr Derby, CT/Derby