FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Haven with League-High 13 All-Conference Selections.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Pace's Carlton Aiken, a dual-threat quarterback, has been selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Northeast-10 Conference – one of three Setters' players to take home a major award when the league announced its All-Conference football honorees on Wednesday afternoon.
Aiken was joined by his teammates Kevin Toote, the NE10 Offensive Lineman of the Year, and Nasier Givens, the NE10 Defensive Lineman of the Year, as major award winners. Five NE10 teams were represented among the seven major winners, including league champion Assumption, which saw Andy McKenzie named Coach of the Year after leading the Greyhounds to their first league title since 2017.
New Haven led all NE10 programs with 13 All-Conference selections – including a league-best 12 named to the First Team. Assumption and Bentley each had 12 All-Conference nods, while Pace was fourth with 10. Both Assumption and New Haven prepare for first round games in the NCAA Division II Football Championship on Saturday.
For a full list of All-Conference selections – as voted on by NE10 football head coaches - please see below. The All-Conference teams consist of a First and Second Team for both offense and defense.
Aiken was a dynamic player for Pace this season, as he averaged 179.9 passing yards and 69.4 rushing yards per game to lead the Setters to a 6-4 record (4-3 NE10). He combined for 23 touchdowns (17 pass, six rush) and just six interceptions, while he ranked third in passing yards (1,799) and rushing yards (694) among all NE10 players. Aiken becomes the first Pace player to ever win MVP honors.
New Haven's Connor Degenhardt was tabbed NE10 Offensive Player of the Year after another strong season for the Chargers. He threw for 204.4 yards per game with 28 touchdown passes and just five interceptions. Degenhardt added five more touchdowns on the ground, combining for 33 during the regular season – the most among NE10 players. He also led in passing efficiency at 162.6. It is the second-straight season that the Chargers have qualified for the NCAA Championship with Degenhardt at quarterback.
Bentley's Cedie Dashiell II led one of the top-ranked defensive units in all of Division II, on his way to earning NE10 Defensive Player of the Year. He becomes the second-consecutive Bentley player to win the award (Cole McCubrey in 2021). Dashiell posted 27 tackles this season and tallied a league-high 10.5 sacks – as well as 12.5 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery to help the Falcons allow only 10.5 points per game, second-best in DII.
Toote and Givens become the first Pace duo to ever win Offensive and Defensive Lineman of the Year, respectively. Toote was a key piece on the Setters' offensive line which helped the program average 169.0 rushing yards per game and score 14 touchdowns on the ground this season. Givens accounted for 56 tackles, 7.5 sacks and a league-high 14.5 tackles for a loss to lead Pace's defense, which surrendered only 20.4 points per game. LIU Post was the last school to win both awards in the same season (2018).
American International's Dahvey Hicks was named NE10 Rookie of the Year – the first Yellow Jackets' player since Kevin Arduino in 2011 to earn the honor. He tied for a league-high with 56 receptions and ranked third in receiving yards per game (67.4). Hicks scored two touchdowns during the season, while posting a pair of games with over 100 receiving yards. He also earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team and All-Rookie Team.
McKenzie becomes the first Assumption coach since Bob Chesney (2017) to win NE10 Coach of the Year honors, following the Greyhounds' 6-1 record against NE10 opponents and winning the league championship for the third time in program history. Assumption is riding a four-game winning streak heading into a first round game in the NCAA Championship on Saturday against Slippery Rock.
���������������� ������-��������������������@PaceUAthletics wins three major awards - including Carlton Aiken being named MVP - as the NE10 releases All-Conference honors for the 2022 season! ��
— The NE10 (@TheNortheast10) November 16, 2022
��: https://t.co/6g3L1T8dbf#NE10EMBRACE #NCAAD2 #D2FB pic.twitter.com/4TXEPRaiBq
Most Valuable Player: Carlton Aiken, Pace
Offensive Player of the Year: Connor Degenhardt, New Haven
Defensive Player of the Year: Cedie Dashiell II, Bentley
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Kevin Toote, Pace
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Nasier Givens, Pace
Rookie of the Year: Dahvey Hicks, American International
Coach of the Year: Andy McKenzie, Assumption
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB: Connor Degenhardt, New Haven / Carlton Aiken, Pace
RB: Nate Larkins, Bentley
RB: Christopher Ais, New Haven
WR: Dev Holmes, New Haven
WR: Ramir Tann-Davis, Pace
WR: Anthony Brown, Saint Anselm
WR: Tylon Papallo, SCSU
TE: Kevin Foelsch, New Haven
OL: Tom MacDonald, Assumption
OL: William Ayers, New Haven
OL: Xavier Bryson, New Haven
OL: Jacky Chen, Pace
OL: Kevin Toote, Pace
PK: Mason Campbell, Bentley
RS: Terrell Ford, New Haven
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Trevor Catlin, AIC
DL: Ahmad Rabah, AIC
DL: Brandon Santell, Assumption
DL: Cedie Dashiell II, Bentley
DL: Jack Quander, New Haven
DL: Nasier Givens, Pace
LB: Lorenzo Valencia, Assumption
LB: Salvatore Lupoli Jr., Bentley
LB: Damon Burton Jr., New Haven
LB: David Onyemem, New Haven
DB: Isaiah Huff, Assumption
DB: Jailen Branch, Bentley
DB: Khyon Fitzpatrick, New Haven
DB: Devonte Myles, New Haven
DB: Dustin Huseinovic, Pace
P: Gabriel Bertolazzo, Assumption
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB: Mark Waid, Bentley
RB: Berrell Neal, Assumption
RB: EJ Burgess, Franklin Pierce
WR: Dahvey Hicks, AIC
WR: Noah Neville, Bentley
WR: Teddy Harper, Pace
WR: Quinn Sieger, Assumption
TE: Carson Goda, Saint Anselm
OL: Matthew Connolly, Assumption
OL: Mike Boutros, Bentley
OL: Gavin Olsen, Bentley
OL: John Tyrrell, New Haven
OL: Zion Hughes, Saint Anselm
PK: Patrick Carroll, Saint Anselm
RS: Ramir Tann-Davis, Pace
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Edward Allen, Assumption
DL: Joseph MacDougall, Assumption
DL: Herve Tshibamba, Bentley
DL: Chris Yeboah, Franklin Pierce
DL: Xavier Young, Pace
LB: Jael Feliz, Assumption
LB: Taylor Pawelkoski, Saint Anselm
LB: Joe DiGello, SCSU
LB: Hasan Dominick, SCSU
DB: Tre'Sean Bouie, Assumption
DB: Mathieu Severance, Bentley
DB: Tyvarius Daniels, Franklin Pierce
DB: Anthony Holmes, Pace
DB: Brandon Potts, Saint Anselm
P: Charlie Ogletree, Bentley
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Dahvey Hicks, AIC
Matthew Connolly, Assumption
Tindell Frick, Assumption
Jake McCoy, Assumption
Mike Boutros, Bentley
Zachary Goodwin, Bentley
Alex Benitez, Franklin Pierce
Austyn Howe, Franklin Pierce
Justin Cesaire, New Haven
Jeremy Mendez, Pace
Nasir Robinson, Pace
Kevin Coulther, Saint Anselm
Anthony Santino, Saint Anselm
Joshua Nieves, SCSU
Andreas Picarelli, SCSU
Dan Schwartz, SCSU
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 13 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
