Nov. 11, 2008
Center Valley, Pa.- The 2008 Men's Soccer All-Patriot League Team was announced on Tuesday, with 18 of the 25 selections competing in this weekend's Patriot League Men's Soccer Championship. No. 1 seed Colgate led the way with seven student-athletes selected to the All-League squads, followed by No. 3 seed Holy Cross with six selections and No. 2 seed American with four selections. No. 4 seed Lafayette had one selection. Due to ties in voting, the First-Team All-Patriot League roster is comprised of 13 players and the Second-Team All-Patriot League squad has 12 players. The standard for All-League soccer teams is 11 players.
No. 1 seed Colgate earned 16 points on a 5-1-1 regular season Patriot League record, and earned the top seed in the Tournament. Colgate has three First-Team All-Patriot League selections: junior midfielder Chris Ross, senior defender Glenn Volk and senior goalkeeper David Cappuccio. Ross is tied for sixth in the League in both goals (2) and points (5) in Patriot League action, while Volk helped anchor a stalwart Raider defense that was tied for first in the League with Holy Cross for the fewest goals allowed at 13. Cappuccio had a stellar year minding the net for Colgate and is tied for second in the League with six shutouts, three of which came in Patriot League play. The senior also has 23 career shutouts, good for third all-time in the Patriot League.
American has three First-Team honorees: senior midfielder Phil Purdy, senior defender Cooper Bryant and junior defender Karsten Smith. Purdy helped lead an Eagles offense that was second in the Patriot League both goals (27) and assists (23) this season. Bryant and Smith both earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors this season as they led a defense that pitched six shutouts.
Holy Cross had the most First-Team selections in the League, as sophomore forward Kyle Miller, senior midfielder Andreas Andrews and senior defenders Jerry Dickinson and Alejandro Melean are all on the squad. Miller led the Patriot League in goals (8) and is fourth in the League for points with 16, while Andrews added two assists in Patriot League play for the Crusaders. Dickinson and Melean each earned weekly defensive honors from the League this year after leading a defense that allowed only 13 goals.
Lehigh has two First-Team honorees in senior midfielder Adam Gazda and senior forward Jim Taranto. Gazda and Taranto are tied for fifth in the League with 15 points each, and Taranto is second in the League in assists with seven. The teammates led a Mountain Hawk offense that tied for third in the League in goals (26) and is fourth in assists with 19.
Bucknell has the final First-Team selection, junior midfielder Conor O'Brien. O'Brien led the League in points with season with 22, and is tied for second in the League with teammate Chris Hennings with seven goals. The junior also leads the League in assists (8), and was a big factor in Bucknell leading the Patriot League in goals (34) and assists (30) this season.
The Second-Team All-Patriot League roster consists of 12 student-athletes, four of whom represent Colgate. Sophomore forward Steven Miller led the League in shots (62) and game-winning goals (5), and is tied for seventh in goals with five this season. Junior forward Alex Weekes is third in the League with 17 points, coming on six goals and five assists. Sophomore midfielder Jeff Leach is tied for fifth in the League with four assists, while senior defender Daniel Kerley assisted on a lockdown defense that had a 0.74 goals-against average this season.
American had one Second-Team honoree in junior midfielder Cameron Petty. Petty helped lead an Eagle offense that was fourth in the League in goals allowed with 22.
Holy Cross had two Second-Team picks in senior midfielder Kregory Hefner and junior goalkeeper Thomas Booth. Hefner was part of a Crusader offense that scored 21 goals this season, while Booth had the League's second-best goals-against average of 0.72 on his way to winning two Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week awards.
Sophomore midfielder Stephen Macurdy represents Lafayette on the Second-Team. Macurdy was third in the League in assists with six of Lafayette's 18 assists this season.
Bucknell has two representatives on the Second-Team: junior defender Pat Selwood and senior midfielder Mark Schmiegel. Selwood was part of a Bison defense that pitched four shutouts this season, while Schmiegel was tied for ninth in points (12) and seventh in goals (5) this season.
Lehigh defenders James Graf and Adam Welch round out the Second-Team All-Patriot League roster. Graf earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors once this season as he and Welch assisted on a Mountain Hawk defense that allowed 23 goals for the year
This year's major award winners will be announced Thursday evening at the 2008 Patriot League Men's Soccer Championship banquet in Hamilton, N.Y. The Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Goalkeeper, Rookie and Coach of the Year will be revealed to kick off the championship weekend. The Patriot League Men's Soccer Championship will begin on Friday, Nov. 14 with No. 4 seed Lafayette facing No. 1 seed and host Colgate at 4 p.m., followed by No. 3 seed Holy Cross facing No. 2 seed American at 7 p.m. The winners of each semifinal match will move on to the title game, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.
First-Team All-Patriot League
Kyle Miller, So., Holy Cross, F
Jim Taranto, Sr., Lehigh, F
Phil Purdy, Sr., American, M
Conor O'Brien, Jr., Bucknell, M
Chris Ross, Jr., Colgate, M
Andreas Andrews, Sr., Holy Cross, M
Adam Gazda, Sr., Lehigh, M
Cooper Bryant, Sr., American, D
Karsten Smith, Jr., American, D
Glenn Volk, Sr., Colgate, D
Jerry Dickinson, Sr., Holy Cross, D
Alejandro Melean, Sr., Holy Cross, D
David Cappuccio, Sr., Colgate, GK
Second-Team All-Patriot League
Steven Miller, So., Colgate, F
Alex Weekes, Jr., Colgate, F
Cameron Petty, Jr., American, M
Mark Schmiegel, Sr., Bucknell, M
Jeff Leach, So., Colgate, M
Kregory Hefner, Sr., Holy Cross, M
Stephen Macurdy, So., Lafayette, M
Pat Selwood, Jr., Bucknell, D
Daniel Kerley, Sr., Colgate, D
James Graf, So., Lehigh, D
Adam Welch, Jr., Lehigh, D
Thomas Booth, Jr., Holy Cross GK
