Men's Soccer All-Conference Selections Released
Noon Rises Above
NESCAC, Wins Player of the Year
HADLEY, Mass. – Amherst's
Spencer Noon (Farmington, Conn.) has been honored by the conference
coaches as the 2011 NESCAC Player of the Year. The first-ever Lord
Jeff to win the conference's top award, Noon has been one of the
many keys to Amherst's success this fall, as his squad brings a
14-1-2 record along with the program's second NESCAC crown into
this weekend's NCAA Tournament opening rounds.
A scoring threat for the Lord Jeffs
in each of his last three seasons, Noon owns first in the NESCAC in
points for the second year in a row. It may have been a three-peat
for the junior forward had his rookie campaign of 2009 not been cut
short by injury, yet he still managed that year to finish second in
goals and third in overall scoring. This season, Noon has matched
his 2010 goal total in one less game as he has tallied 12 times and
assisted on four others for a career-best 28 points, as he has
found his name on the Jeff score sheet in 11 of their 17 outings
this season with four game-winners. In addition to being named
Player of the Year, Noon earned All-NESCAC First Team honors a year
after claiming Second Team recognition.
At forward on the All-Conference
First Team were three others from three different institutions.
Middlebury senior Tyler Macnee (Williston, Vt.) was one of only two
individuals on this year's squad to repeat from a year ago. The
2008 Rookie of the Year and Second Team selection had five goals
and three helpers this fall to finish second for the Panthers in
scoring. Trinity's Dan Mayernick (Gladwyne, Pa.) netted First Team
for the first time, as the senior forward is leading the Bantams
for the second-straight year with a career-best nine goals, five of
which have been game-winners, and three assists. Gus Santos
(Framingham, Mass.) of Tufts not only received All-NESCAC
recognition in his first year in the league but was also named the
conference's Rookie of the Year. Santos, who highlights an
impressive herd of Jumbo freshmen, finished fourth in total points
with 20, just one behind Trinity's Mayernick, on seven goals and
six assists.
Middlebury senior midfielder Robbie
Redmond (Morristown, N.J.) found a spot on the All-NESCAC squad for
the third consecutive season. A First Team selection in 2009 and
Second Team honoree in 2010, the hard-working Redmond competed in
every match for the Panthers, collecting a goal and four assists
along the way. Also in the center with Redmond on the First Team
were Amherst senior Thebe Tsatsimpe (Johannesburg, South Africa)
and Wesleyan junior Rory O'Neill (Silver Spring, Md.). A tough
two-way midfielder, Tsatsimpe has worked hard on both sides of the
ball, recording a career-high four assists along the way. O'Neill
has been dominant in the middle for the league's best defense, yet
he also paces a balanced Cardinal attack with a personal-best six
goals, including four game-winners.
Bowdoin senior Sean Bishop
(Danvers, Mass.) joined Macnee of Middlebury in earning First Team
for the second-straight fall. Bishop started every match and was
consistent in the back for the Polar Bears while chipping in a goal
and two assists. Moving up from the 2010 Second Team was junior
Matt Ratajczak (Brooklyn, N.Y.). The 6-foot-4-inch center back was
essential to an Eph defense that finished third in the NESCAC with
a 0.59 goals against average, as he was consistently solid with the
ball both in the air and at his feet. Selected as All-NESCAC for
the first time in their careers were two players from the top
defenses in the league in Trinity senior Joe Buckley (Shrewsbury,
Mass.) and Amherst junior Chris Lerner (Canton, Mass.). Buckley
moved back from the midfield early in the season following a
teammate's injury and has performed admirably. A great 1-on-1
defender, Lerner's presence was felt all over the pitch for the
Jeffs, as his six assists are tops for his squad.
Wesleyan junior goalkeeper Adam
Purdy (Montclair, N.J.) returned to the All-NESCAC First Team this
autumn. After a remarkable campaign that earned him NESCAC Rookie
of the Year and First Team accolades two years ago, Purdy has put
on a repeat performance in 2011. Playing every minute of every game
in net for the Cardinals, Purdy leads the conference with 10
shutouts and a 0.57 goals against average and is second in save
percentage with an .868 mark heading into Wesleyan's first round
NCAA action against Misericorida on Saturday.
Mike Pilger garnered NESCAC Coach
of the Year for the second time during his eight-year career at
Trinity (2007). Pilger's Bantams have enjoyed an impressive fall as
they matched their best finish in the conference standings, reached
the NESCAC final for the first time ever, and earned the program's
second NCAA Division III Tournament bid. With 10 wins in 2011,
Trinity is guaranteed to finish with double-digit victories for the
fourth time in program history. Three of those seasons have come
for the Bantams in the last four years.
| |
2011 NESCAC Men's Soccer
All-Conference
|
| |
First Team |
Institution |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| F |
Tyler Macnee |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Williston, Vt. |
| F |
Dan Mayernick |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Gladwyne, Pa. |
| F |
Spencer Noon |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Farmington, Conn. |
| F |
Gus Santos |
Tufts |
Fr. |
Framingham, Mass. |
| M |
Rory O'Neill |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Silver Spring, Md. |
| M |
Robbie Redmond |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Morristown, N.J. |
| M |
Thebe Tsatsimpe |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Johannesburg, South Africa
|
| D |
Sean Bishop |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Danvers, Mass. |
| D |
Joe Buckley |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Shrewsbury, Mass. |
| D |
Chris Lerner |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Canton, Mass. |
| D |
Matt Ratajczak |
Williams |
Jr. |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
| GK |
Adam Purdy |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Montclair, N.J. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Second Team |
Institution |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| F |
Oscar Brown |
Connecticut College
|
Sr. |
Ridgefield, Conn. |
| F |
Jae Heo |
Amherst |
So. |
Changwon, South Korea |
| F |
John Murphy |
Bates |
Jr. |
Yarmouth, Maine |
| F |
Alejandro Sucre |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Caracas, Venezuela |
| M |
Anthony El-Hachem
|
Trinity |
Jr. |
Vernon, Conn. |
| M |
Andrew Meisel |
Colby |
Jr. |
Newtown, Conn. |
| M |
Otis Pitney |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Washington, D.C. |
| D |
Ben Brewster |
Bowdoin |
So. |
Cape Elizabeth, Maine |
| D |
Jack Freeman |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
Ridgewood, N.J. |
| D |
Isaac Hancock |
Connecticut College |
Sr. |
Gettysburg, Pa. |
| D |
Phil Vestergaard |
Williams |
Sr. |
St. Petersburg, Fla. |
| GK |
Grant Schonberg |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Mendham, N.J. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Player of the Year |
|
|
|
| F |
Spencer Noon
|
Amherst |
Jr. |
Farmington, Conn.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Rookie of the Year |
|
|
|
| F |
Gus Santos
|
Tufts |
Fr. |
Framingham, Mass.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Coach of the Year |
|
|
|
| |
Mike Pilger
|
Trinity |
