November 17, 2009

SOCCER NEWS NET MEN’S COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Thirty four of the nation’s top men’s college soccer players have been named finalists for the Soccer News Net Player of the Year Award.

The editors of each of the six sites in the Soccer News Net network nominated up to six local players for the award, each of which will be eligible for the regional player of the year award. The nominations included athletes playing at colleges within each site’s coverage area, as well as athletes from the area playing collegiately elsewhere in the country. A dozen additional at-large selections rounded out the nominations.

Fans from across the country will be able to vote for the top collegiate player. Voting will begin on Tuesday, November 17 and continue until December 19, and will be conducted on Big Apple Soccer (www.bigapplesoccer.com), ChicagoLand Soccer News (www.chicagolandsoccernews.com ), LA Soccer News (www.lasoccernews.com), New England Soccer News www.newenglandsoccernews.com), Philly Soccer News (www.phillysoccernews.com) and Dallas Soccer News (www.dallassoccernews.com).

Online fan voting will account for 40% of the total toward the award. The remaining 60% of the vote will be cast by the editorial staffs of the six web sites.

Big Apple Soccer
Sverre Wegge Gundhus, Junior, Forward, St. John's University
A first-team All-Big East selection, Wegge Gundhus has started all 18 games for the Red Storm this season and leads the team with 17 points. He has a team-best seven assists and is tied for the team lead with five goals, including one game-winner.



Ryan Kinne, Junior, Forward, Monmouth University
Took home NEC Player of the Year honors after leading Monmouth's offense with nine goals, six assists and 24 points, which ranked second in the league. The junior Hermann Award Watch List member, who also added five game-winning markers, is MU's first league player of the year since Steven Holloway claimed the honor in 2006.


Dominic Reinold, Freshman, Forward, Fairleigh Dickinson University
The NEC Rookie of the Year paces the Northeast Conference with 28 points and 12 goals, while his four assists are tied for the sixth slot on the loop. Needing to win their final five NEC contests in order to clinch their 16th berth to the postseason, the Knights did just that by outscoring their opponents 16-4 with Reinold leading the charge with seven goals and two assists over the five-game span.


Issa Tall, Freshman, Forward, Adelphi University
A native of Mulhouse, France, Issa Tall was a unanimous selection for Atlantic Soccer Conference player of the year. He led the league with 14 goals in 16 games and ranks second nationally with 0.88 goals per game. Tall was named the ASC Player of the week four times and was the Bigapplesoccer.com Player of the week two times.


Tim Richardson, Sophomore, Midfielder, Fordham
The Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year led the Rams in goals (6), points(14) and game winning goals (3), ranking him among the top 10 in the league in scoring.


ChicagoLand Soccer News
Matt Eliason, Junior, Forward, Northwestern
Eliason helped lead the Northwestern Wildcats to a 10-3-4 record. He leads the team with 13 goals and two assists. His 13 goals are tops in the Big Ten, and rank in the nation’s top ten.

David Meves, Freshman, Goalkeeper, Akron
Meves, a freshman, has an impressive defense in front of him, but regardless, he has led the Zips to a perfect 18-0-0 regular-season record with 11 shutouts to his credit. He's allowed just six goals, while making 27 saves for a 0.34 goals against average, second in the nation. Akron has 13 total shutouts, tops in Division I.

Mark Blades, Senior, Defender, Northwestern
Named the Big Ten co- Defensive Player of the Year, Blades led the Wildcats to 10-3-4 record. He was named first team all-conference.

Ryan Schwarz, Goalkeeper, Valparaiso
Schwarz earned goalkeeper of the year honors from the Horizon League after posting a 1.02 goals against average in the regular season. He ended the regular season tied for Crusader records in victories (nine) and shutouts (six). Schwarz earned the same title in 2007. He spent the 2008 campaign sidelined with an injury.


Bright Dike, Senior, Forward, Notre Dame
Named the Big East Offensive Player of the year, Dike has kept the Irish in the attack this season with 10 goals and three assists. Dike tallied his 10th goal to keep the Irish in the hunt for a BIG EAST title in a 2-2 draw with USF. He was first in the conference in points and tied for first in goals.



Dallas Soccer News
Dane Saintus, Senior, Forward, SMU
Saintus had his best year and was the bright spot in an otherwise struggling SMU offense. He hit for eight goals and five assists and commanded a lot of opponents’ defensive attention when he was on the field.

Payton Hickey, SO, Midfielder, SMU
Hickey, a Plano, Tx. native, really emerged this season as an offensive force, registering nine assists to go with one goal. His assist total tied him for 19th nationally.

Dillon Powers, Freshman, Midfielder, Notre Dame (Plano, Tx)
Only one player for the Irish had more assists than Powers (4), even though the Plano native missed a good chunk of the season because of playing in the FIFA U20 World Cup.

Andre Akpan, Senior, Forward, Harvard (Grand Prairie, Tx)
Led the Ivy League with 11 goals and six assists, and was named Ivy League Player of the Year. He has been a consistent leader for the Crimson throughout his career and is projected to be a strong MLS draft prospect.


Corben Bone, JR, Midfielder, Wake Forest (Plano, Tx)
Bone was named to the All-ACC First Team for the second straight year. The 2009 ACC Offensive Player of the Year has scored two goals and added nine assists this season. A 2009 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy candidate, Bone ranks fourth in the ACC with nine assists and 19th nationally in assists per game. He is second in career assists in school history with 34.

Cameron Brown, Junior, Midfielder, North Carolina (Garland, Tx)
Brown was third-leading scorer for the Tar Heels with five goals and two assists. He was second on the team with three game-winning goals, and named second-team All-ACC.



LA SOCCER NEWS
Kyle Nakazawa, Forward, UCLA
Nakazawa led the Pac-10 in scoring with 26 points, an average of 1.62 per game. He was third in goals with ten and fourth in assists with 6.He ranks 16th in the nation in points per game (1.63) and 16th in goals per game (0.63).

Brian Perk, Senior, Goalkeeper, UCLA
Despite missing part of the season while playing for the United States at the U-20 World Cup, Perk was among the top goalkeepers in the Pac-10, posting a league-best 0.74 goals against average while making 38 saves and posting four shutouts. He was Pac 10 Player of the Week for Oct. 12-18.

Sam Hayden, Junior, Goalkeeper UCSB
In his first season with UC Santa Barbara, the junior college transfer recorded a 15-3-2 record between the pipes for the Gauchos. He has a total of 14 shutouts so far this season, setting a new school record and tying the Big West Conference record for single season goalkeeper shutouts. Hayden allowed just one goal during conference play. The Jackson Hole, Wyoming native has started every game so far this season, recording a 0.60 goals against average and a .857 save percentage.

Rafael Baca, Forward, Loyola Marymount
Had nine goals and 2 assists for 20 points. Baca was the West Coast Conference September 2009 Player of the Month and the WCC Player of the Week (Sept. 21, 2009).

NEW ENGLAND SOCCER NEWS
Kwame Watson-Sirboe, Senior, Defender, Connecticut
The Defender of the Year in the Big East Conference, Watson-Sirboe also was a first team all conference selection. The Huskies backline allowed only 10 goals in 18 games while posting 12 shutouts. He has scored three goals, including the game-winner against St. John’s and earned two Player of the Week selections.

Andre Akpan, Senior, Forward, Harvard
Also a regional nominee by Dallas Soccer News (see above)

Don Anding, Freshman, Forward, Northeastern
Anding was named the Northeastern Conference Rookie of the Year, and was selected to the All-CAA First Team and All Rookie team. The three honors came after he posted six goals and two assists during CAA play, including three game-winning goals. He leads the team in goals with six and points with 14.

Ben Arikian, Junior, Midfielder, UMAss
An Atlantic 10 first team selection, Arikian scored three goals and added four assists for ten points for the Minutemen.

Colin O’Donnell, Junior, Goalkeeper, New Hampshire
The America East Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team goalkeeper leads the conference in goals-against average (0.68) and save percentage (.844). The junior saved his best effort for America East play, allowing just two scores in six games and registering three shutouts. O’Donnell posted a miniscule 0.33 GAA against conference foes, the seventh-best mark in league history, and lowest since 1994.

PHILLY SOCCER NEWS
Jason Yeisley, Senior, Forward, Penn State
The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Yeisley is a two-time All-Big Ten selection. Yeisley capped a stellar year in Happy Valley with 21 points and eight goals this season, including three game-winners.

J.T. Noone, Senior, Forward, Temple
Led the Owls in assists (7) for the third straight year, and tallied three goals (13 pts). Noone was selected first team All-Atlantic 10. He earned Philadelphia Soccer Six Player of the Week three times this season, and broke Temple’s all-time assist record.

Conor O’Brien, Senior, Forward, Bucknell
O’Brien is only the fourth player in Patriot League history to repeat as Offensive Player of the Year, winning in 2008 and 2009. He entered the conference tournament leading the conference in goals (10), assists (8) and points (28). O’Brien has a point in 15 of the team’s 19 games this season, and in 20 of the last 24 matches dating back to last year. Six of his 10 goals this season have been game-winners.

AT-LARGE
Teal Bunbury, Sophomore, Forward, Akron
A native of Prior Lake, Minn., Bunbury has helped Akron to a perfect 18-0-0 regular-season record and was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. His 15 goals and four assists helped the Zips outscore their opponents 50 to 6. Bunbury ranked third in the nation, prior to scoring his 15th goal on November 4th. Bunbury more than doubled his freshman goal total (six goals) within the first few weeks of the season.

Zack Schilawski ,Senior, Forward, Wake Forest
Schilawski Wake Forest with 10 goals and 24 points. He also leads the ACC in goals and is tied for the conference lead in points. Schilawski has 36 career goals, third-most in school history. He is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, and was named ACC Player of the Week after scoring two goals against South Carolina and the only goal of the match against Maryland. He has received national recognition three times during the 2009 season.

Sam Maheu, Senior, Forward, Saint Bonaventure
The Atlantic 10 Offfensive Player of the Year, Maheu led the league in points and tied in assists and was second in the conference in goals, while leading the Bonnies to their first A10 championship appearance since 1999.

Alex Riggs, Junior, Goalkeeper, Missouri State
Riggs helped the 19th ranked Bears to a 7-1-1 conference record and a regular season Missouri Valley Conference title. He backstops one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, which is in the top 20 in the nation in shutout percentage and goals against average.

Andrew Bulls, Sophomore, Forward, UMBC
The American East Offensive Player of the Year, Bulls was named America East Player of the Week twice this season (Sept. 8, 14) and leads the nation with 40 points, the most by an America East Player since Hartford’s Alon Lubezky tallied the same amount in 2003. Bulls has a league-best 15 goals, including eight game-winners. He is tied for second with 10 assists.

Andrew Wiedeman, Junior, Forward, California
The Golden Bears’ leading scorer is tops on the team in points (25), goals (11) and game-winning goals (5). He also has three assists. The 5-11, 160-pounder also has trained with the U.S. under-20 national team and played for the U.S. under-18 national team.

Danny Mwanga, Forward, Oregon State
The Pac-10 leader in goals with 12, Mwanga also has one assist for a total of 25 points, second best in the league.

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