The Empire 8 announced its 2010 Men’s Soccer All-Conference team with senior midfielder Nolan Sandberg of Stevens Institute of Technology repeating as the Empire 8 Player of the Year.
Sandberg leads Stevens with 12 goals and 29 points, including leading the conference with eight goals and 18 points in Empire 8 play. He helped lead the Ducks to an undefeated regular season in conference play and the top seed in the Empire 8 Men’s Soccer Championship.
Five other Stevens players were named to the all-conference first team. Sophomore goalie Zach Carr joined Sandberg as a repeat first-team honoree. Carr has allowed only four goals in 16 games, posting a .939 save percentage, 0.24 goals against average, and a 12-1-3 record. He allowed one goal in seven conference games.
Senior back Bryan De Faria and sophomore forward Zach Adler of Stevens were each named to the first team this season after earning second-team recognition last season. De Faria and junior back Pete Bednarsky, another first-team selection, anchored the stingy Ducks’ defense. Adler (3 goals, 10 points) and sophomore first-team selection Victor Daza (5 goals, 13 points) added offensive firepower.
Senior midfielder Rikesh Kotak and junior back Sean Dorman of regular season runner-up Nazareth College garnered first-team recognition. Kotak, who was named to the all-conference team for the third consecutive season, enters the conference tournament with nine goals and 22 points. Dorman has contributed three goals and nine points and helped the Golden Flyers’ defense limit opponents to four goals in their six Empire 8 wins.
Senior midfielder Roberto Sgueglia of Utica College was named to the all-conference first team after leading the conference with 36 points on 12 goals and 12 assists in regular season action.
Freshman forward Scott Leone of Elmira College earned first-team all-conference honors and has tallied eight goals and 18 points entering the conference tournament.
Freshman midfielder Ryan Foley of Nazareth was selected as Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, entering the conference tournament with eight goals and 21 points. He was also named to the all-conference second team.
Tim O’Donohue was named the Doug May Memorial Coach of the Year for leading Stevens to its first regular season title since 2007. The coaching award is named after May, who coached RIT from 1980 to 1996 and Nazareth from 1997 to 2003 before passing away in April 2004.
Empire 8 2010 Men’s Soccer All-Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Nolan Sandberg, Stevens Institute of Technology
Rookie of the Year: Ryan Foley, Nazareth College
Doug May Memorial Coach of the Year: Tim O’Donohue, Stevens Institute of Technology
Men's Soccer All-Conference Release