Men's Soccer | 11/28/2023 4:10:23 PM
Five student-athletes from the Empire 8 were named to the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Division III Men's Region III team. Elmira College sophomore forward/midfielder Martin Harguindey was named to the first team, while teammate Kerfalla Toure, a sophomore defender, along with Hartwick College junior midfielder Sean Burke and Nazareth University juniors Jake Pawlicka and Drew Decker were named to the third team.
Harguindey was named the 2023 Empire 8 Player of the Year. All five honorees earned Empire 8 first team accolades in 2023.
A native of Ituzaingo, Argentina, Harguindey enjoyed a tremendous season for the Soaring Eagles, who won their first Empire 8 Championship in program history this season. He leads all Empire 8 student-athletes in scoring with 28 points on 13 goals and two assists has three game-winning goals. In league play. Harguindey had five goals and 12 points in eight games. He has also excelled in the postseason, scoring both Elmira goals in full time during the E8 Championship match. Harguindey joins Michael Bryant (2016) as the lone Elmira student-athletes to earn E8 Player of the Year honors.
Toure, a native of Montreal, Quebec, appeared in 18 contests for the Soaring Eagles while earning Empire 8 All-Tournament Team honors. A two-time All-E8 first team selection in his first two seasons, Toure guided Elmira's back line and helped it record eight clean sheets during the season. He played all 220 minutes for the Purple & Gold in a pair of double-overtime victories against Hartwick and St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 Tournament and assisted on Elmira's first goal in the E8 Championship game against the Cardinals.
Burke, a native of West Midlands, England, started all 16 games for the Hawks, leading the team with six goals and one assist for thirteen points. The midfielder scored the game-winning goal against SUNY Delhi and scored two goals in one game to tie conference opponent Houghton.Burke was selected as the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week twice, as well as earning All-E8 first accolades for the second straight season (2022 with Medaille).
Pawlika, a midfielder, had a stellar junior campaign, finishing second in the conference in both goals (10) and points (24). Pawlika earned All-E8 first team honors for the second time in 2023 in addition to earning second team honors in 2022. The Oneida, NY native began the season scoring a goal in eight-straight games. In just three seasons, Pawlika's 30 goals ranks second all-time at Nazareth, while his 76 points (30 goals, 16 assists) ranks third all-time. He is 12 goals and 23 shy of E8 career marks in both categories.
Decker, a forward, earned All-Empire 8 accolades for the third-straight season (first team 2021, third team 2022). A native of Clifton Park, NY, Decker finished second in the E8 with six assists with while also adding four goals. Decker is now the all-time leader in assists for the Golden Flyers with 26. He is six shy of the Empire 8 career record of 32, held by Zach Adler, who played at Stevens from 2009-2012.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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