New England Small College Athletic Conference

Men's Soccer All-Conference Selections Announced

11/10/2016 12:00:00 AM

Connecticut College's Devlin Selected as Player of the Year

HADLEY, Mass. – Connecticut College senior Pat Devlin (Washington Crossing, Pa.) has been selected as the 2016 NESCAC Player of the Year as voted on by the league’s coaches. He was also named to the All-NESCAC First Team for the fourth straight season. Devlin is just the second player from Connecticut College to earn Player of the Year honors, joining fellow Camel Billy Hawkey in 2013. Devlin leads the NESCAC in scoring with 29 points and is the league’s top goal scorer with 13 tallies, including four game-winners, this season.

• Eight of the 12 All-NESCAC First Team honorees are repeat all-conference selections, while nine members of the Second Team are receiving recognition for the first time.
• Three of the last four NESCAC Rookies of the Year were named to the all-conference squads.
• Middlebury was represented by five players, while Amherst had four players recognized across each on the All-NESCAC squads.
• Amherst seniors Justin Aoyama and Bryce Ciambella represent the NESCAC Champions on the First Team. Aoyama, a defender, was a Second Team selection last season, while Ciambella earned his first All-NESCAC accolade. Aoyama has started all 17 games he has participated in and has chipped in two assists. He leads a Purple & White defense that ranks second in the league in goals against average (0.71) and has surrendered 13 goals in 18 matches. Ciambella has started all 18 games and has totaled 18 points with a team-best eight goals, including four game-winning tallies. Amherst received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament and will host a second round match on November 13.
• Middlebury seniors Greg Conrad and Greg Sydor garnered first-team plaudits. Conrad, the 2014 NESCAC Player of the Year, started all 17 games he competed in and ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 13 points on five goals and three assists. Sydor returns to the First Team after earning a spot on the Second Team last season. Sydor was a First Team selection in 2014 and ranks among the league leaders in goals against average (fourth-0.83) and save percentage (fifth-.813).
• Tufts seniors Gaston Becherano and Daniel Sullivan are two newcomers to the All-NESCAC First Team. Becherano leads the Jumbos and ranks third in the conference in points (23). He also ranks second in the league in goals with 11, including six game-winners. Sullivan has anchored a Tufts defense that leads the league in goals against average (0.66), allowing just 11 goals over 16 games. Tufts received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and is making its third straight appearance in the NCAAs.
• Trinity senior Tobias Gimand recorded nine points on three goals and three assists for the Bantams to garner all-conference recognition for the second time in his career after being named to the First Team a year ago.
• Wesleyan junior forward Adam Cowie-Haskell and senior defender Charlie Gruner represent the Cardinals on the First Team. Cowie-Haskell, the 2014 Rookie of the Year, moves up from the Second Team last year to the First Team this season. He tallied 19 points in 12 games this season, including a team-best eight goals. Gruner earns First Team honors for the fourth straight year. The senior started all 15 games for the Cardinals and ranks third on the team in scoring with nine points on three goals and tied for the team lead with three assists.
• Bowdoin sophomore Moctar Niang is the lone underclassman on the First Team and earns All-NESCAC accolades for the first time in his career. The midfielder started all 17 games he played and contributed 13 points on a team-leading six goals, three of which were game-winning markers. He helped the Polar Bears reach the NESCAC Semifinals with a 2-1 upset of No. 2 Tufts in the quarterfinal round.
• Williams senior Mohammed Rashid earns a spot on the First Team for the first time in his career after being named to the Second Team the last three years. Rashid, the 2012 Rookie of the Year, registered 16 points in 16 games to lead the Ephs. He provided a balanced offensive attack, scoring five goals and adding six assists.
• Hamilton first-year Luke Eckels becomes the first Continental to earn NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors. Eckels helped Hamilton advance to the NESCAC Championship game for the first time in program history. Eckels, a defender, saw action in all 18 games and earned 15 starts. He contributed two goals, including one game-winning tally in his first season.
• Hamilton’s Perry Nizzi was selected as NESCAC Coach of the Year by his peers. Nizzi earns the honor for the first time after leading the Continentals to several firsts this season. Hamilton earned its highest seed in the NESCAC Championship (No. 4) and hosted a quarterfinal match for the first time. The Continentals earned their first NESCAC playoff victories with two 2-1 overtime wins against Connecticut College and Middlebury to advance to the NESCAC Championship match for the first time.

Men's Soccer All-Conference Teams

First Team All-NESCAC Position Name Institution Class Hometown F Gaston Becherano Tufts Sr. Hollywood, Fla. F Greg Conrad Middlebury Sr. Peabody, Mass. F Adam Cowie-Haskell Wesleyan Jr. Roslindale, Mass. F Mohammed Rashid Williams Sr. Accra, Ghana M Bryce Ciambella Amherst Sr. Ocala, Fla. M Pat Devlin Connecticut College Sr. Washington Crossing, Pa. M Tobias Gimand Trinity Sr. Copenhagen, Denmark M Moctar Niang Bowdoin So. New York, N.Y. D Justin Aoyama Amherst Sr. Narberth, Pa. D Charlie Gruner Wesleyan Sr. Stevenson, Md. D Daniel Sullivan Tufts Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y. GK Greg Sydor Middlebury Sr. Madison, Conn.           Second Team All-NESCAC Position Name Institution Class Hometown F Adam Glaser Middlebury Sr. Washington, D.C. F Chris Lockwood Connecticut College So. Glastonbury, Conn. F Christopher Martin Amherst Sr. Philadelphia, Pa. M Zach Halliday Tufts Sr. Cranbury, N.J. M Malcolm Moutenot Williams Sr. Nashville, Tenn. M Daniel O'Grady Middlebury So. New York, N.Y. D Peter Davis Middlebury So. Oreland, Pa. D Luke Eckels Hamilton Fy. Ridgewood, N.J. D Jackson Lenhart Amherst Sr. Juneau, Alaska D Matty McColl Bowdoin So. Victoria, B.C. GK Christian Alcorn Williams Sr. Richmond, Va.

Player of the Year Pat Devlin, Connecticut College Rookie of the Year Luke Eckels, Hamilton Coach of the Year Perry Nizzi, Hamilton