The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the 2016 Men’s Soccer All-Conference Teams and yearly award winners, and teams are well represented across the board. Elmira College forward Michael Bryant earned the Player of the Year. Stevens Institute of Technology’s Daniel Aversano was named the Rookie of the Year, while head coach Dale Jordan was voted the Doug May Coach of the Year.
Bryant is the first ever Soaring Eagle to earn Player of the Year honors and it is the first time since 2007 that a player from a school other than Stevens has earned the award. He played in 15 of a possible 17 games, making 12 starts and leading the team with 18 points (8g, 2a). Bryant ranked first among conference players in shots (73) and goals and was third overall in points. In conference only games he averaged six shots per game and netted three goals and both of his assists.
Aversano made an immediate impact as a rookie starting all 18 games. He led the Ducks in points (20), goals (7) and assists (6), as he becomes the first Stevens player to receive the E8 Rookie of the Year award. His 20 points ranked first among conference players while his 1.11 points per game ranked third. In conference only games he finished with eight points to rank third on three goals and two assists. His offensive output helped the Ducks qualify for the E8 Tournament as the top seed.
Jordan guided the Ducks to an 11-5-2 overall record and 6-1-0 league mark in his first year at the helm. Stevens earned the top seed in the conference tournament and four of his players were recognized on the all-conference team for their play throughout the season. Jordan is the third coach from Stevens to earn the coaching honor, as former coaches Tim O’Donohue (2010) and Devin Rensing (2011 and 2013) were honored.
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.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2016 Men’s Soccer Sportsman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
Empire 8 2016 Men’s Soccer All-Conference Teams
Player of the Year: Michael Bryant, Elmira College
Rookie of the Year: Daniel Aversano, Stevens Institute of Technology
Doug May Coach of the Year: Dale Jordan, Stevens Institute of Technology