Zach Carr Named CAANJ Male Athlete of the Year
SOMERSET, N.J. (October 13, 2011) – Former Stevens Institute of Technology men’s soccer student-athlete Zach Carr (Carmel, Ind.) was named the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ) Male Athlete of the Year, it was announced Thursday morning. Carr is the first-ever Stevens athlete to earn CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year honors and is one of the most decorated Ducks in department history.
Carr was honored in January with the NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award, which recognizes student-athletes for their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom, and in the community. He was one of eight recipients across all three divisions in the NCAA.
“Zach displayed an extraordinary ability to balance all of his commitments at Stevens very well,” said Stevens Director of Athletics Russell Rogers (Branchburg, N.J.). “He has compiled a remarkable list of accomplishments both on the soccer field and off, but more than that he really was the ideal role model for our student-athletes. Zach is a special young man and we are extremely proud of him and the legacy that he leaves behind here.”
Carr graduated with a 3.93 grade-point average pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Biomedical Engineering and has served as a tutor. He made the school’s Dean’s List every semester as well as the Empire 8 Presidents’ List each of his four years. Carr was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine first-team Academic All-American team each of the past two years.
On the field, Carr was a two-time first-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American who led all NCAA Division III goalies in save percentage and shutout percentage in 2010. He holds the NCAA record for shutouts (55) and his shutout string that ran from Nov. 9, 2009 through Oct. 13, 2010 lasted for 1,333 minutes and is second in the history of NCAA men’s soccer, covering all three divisions.
He earned all-conference honors each of his four years and led the Ducks to the Empire 8 title each season. He notched 68 wins in goal against just nine losses and 12 draws as the Ducks’ starting goalkeeper. Named first team NSCAA All-East region three times in his career, the Carmel, Indiana native had a 6-2-4 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament, with one of the losses coming in penalty kicks to Messiah College in the 2008 National Championship match. Overall, in postseason contests, Stevens was 14-2-4 with Carr between the pipes. In addition, he had a goals-against average of .380 over the course of his career which is tied for third all-time in NCAA Division III.
“Zach is not only a great goalkeeper, but also an outstanding citizen, leader, and has a great attitude,” said former Stevens men’s soccer coach Tim O'Donohue (Storrs, Conn.). “He led us to the NCAA Tournament every year, but Zach will be remembered for so much more. He goes down as the most accomplished Stevens soccer player of all-time.”
Carr was invited to the New York Red Bulls training camp in Mexico this past spring and also earned the 2010-11 Empire 8 Male Senior Scholar-Athlete Award from the conference office. He is currently an assistant coach with the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Stevens while pursuing a postgraduate degree.
“Zach represents the best of the best,” Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano (Rochester, N.Y.) said. “He is an elite athlete and exceptional student that embodies all that is great about the Empire 8, Stevens and NCAA Division III athletics.”