FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2012
Regular Season Champion Warriors also take home Goalkeeper
and Coach of the Year and Place Seven on All-Conference Teams
South Easton, Mass. – Merrimack College midfielder Franklin Lemus Pena was named the 2012 Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year following a vote by the conference's head coaches it was announced today.
Lemus Pena was also a First Team All Conference selection, as the NE-10 announced its 2012 Men's Soccer First, Second, Third, and All-Rookie Team Thursday morning as well. Lemus Pena was one of seven Merrimack student-athletes named to the league's All-Conference teams.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell and Southern New Hampshire University each had seven student-athletes recognized for All-Conference distinction, as well.
Lemus Pena helped lead Merrimack to an NE-10 regular season title, and a record of 13-2-2 so far in 2012. Merrimack defeated American International College in the Quarterfinal Round of the Northeast-10 Championship, and they will host Franklin Pierce University Friday evening in the Semifinals.
Lemus Pena was one of three associated with the Merrimack program to be tabbed for a major award as Jose Silva was named the Goalkeeper of the Year, and Tony Martone was selected as the NE-10 Coach of the Year by his peers.
Franklin Pierce's Nico Mueller was named the conference's Rookie of the Year, and Bentley University's Weston Zeiner was honored as its Defensive Player of the Year.
Lemus Pena has been a key member of a Merrimack team that hasn't lost in nearly two months; a twelve-game span that stretches back to September 11. During the run, the Warriors have gone 11-0-1, and catapulted into the top of the NE-10 standings, and have certainly assured themselves a bid in the 2012 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship.
The senior midfielder leads Merrimack in assists with six and points with 16. His five goals are also tied for a team-best mark, and two of those were game winners for the Warriors.
Lemus Pena's teammate, Jose Silva, was named the 2012 Northeast-10 Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. The sophomore net minder has had a stellar campaign between the pipes for Merrimack, and he has been a key reason why the Warriors have had such a successful season.
Silva is among virtually every NE-10 statistical category for goalkeepers. His .883 save percentage ranks him first, as does his nine shutouts on the season. Silva has only allowed nine goals this year is second best currently, and his 0.52 goals against average is also good for second overall among his counterparts in the league.
He was also named to the Northeast-10 Conference First Team.
Franklin Pierce's high-scoring forward Nico Mueller was selected as the 2012 Rookie of the Year. Mueller led the Ravens with seven goals and 18 points, both of those ranking him among the top fifteen in the conference overall. His four assists were also tied for team-high honors.
Mueller helped lead the Ravens (11-4-2, 8-3-2 NE-10) to the Semifinal Round of the NE-10 Championship as he scored a goal and added an assist in their win over Bentley in the First Round. Franklin Pierce will take on top-seeded Merrimack in one semifinal Friday evening.
In addition to his Rookie of the Year honor, Mueller was also named to the conference's Second Team.
Bentley's Weston Zeiner was named the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year by the conference's head coaches. Zeiner helped lead a Bentley team that finished its 2012 season with a mark of 10-5-2 overall, and 8-3-2 in Northeast-10 Conference play. The Falcons were the fourth seed in the NE-10 Championship, but fell to Franklin Pierce in the quarterfinals, 3-0.
Zeiner led a defensive unit that held five opponents scoreless during the season. He also chipped in offensively with two goals and two assists. The senior was also a unanimous selection by the coaches to the First Team in 2012.
Merrimack's Tony Martone was named the NE-10 Coach of the Year following a vote by his peers. It's the fifth time during his 31-year career that he has been honored with the award. Martone led the Warriors (13-2-2) to the Northeast-10 regular season crown, after being picked to finish sixth prior to the start of the season.
For Martone, 2012 has turned into a very special season on the sidelines. The Warriors won the Northeast-10 regular season title and will host each round of the postseason championship as long as they are participating. He also surpassed the 300 career win plateau during the season, and when the NCAA Men's Soccer field is announced Monday evening, it is virtually guaranteed that Merrimack be a part of the Tournament field for the first time in school history.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 5,500 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Northeast-10 Conference Men's Soccer First Team
Name School Position Year Hometown
Conor Doyle^ American Int'l Midfield Senior Douglas, Isle of Maine
Brennan DaCosta Bentley Midfield Senior San Diego, Calif.
Weston Zeiner^ Bentley Defense Senior North Granby, Conn.
Daniel Donaldson Franklin Pierce Defense Graduate Moenchengladbach, Ger.
Tyler Rosa Franklin Pierce Defense Senior Rehoboth, Mass.
Bruno Bonicontro UMass Lowell Forward Senior Marlboro, Mass.
Homero Morais UMass Lowell Forward Sophomore Somerville, Mass.
Alejandro Fuchs Merrimack Defense Senior Caracas, Venezuela
Franklin Lemus Pena Merrimack Midfield Senior Revere, Mass.
Jose Silva Merrimack Goalkeeper Sophomore Northborough, Mass.
Mario DiMiceli So. Connecticut Forward Senior Vilers-Le-Bouillet, Belgium
Ruben Resendes^ So. New Hampshire Midfield Senior Fall River, Mass.
Chris Tsonis So. New Hampshire Forward Senior Dartmouth, Mass.
^ - Unanimous Selection
Northeast-10 Conference Men's Soccer Second Team
Name School Position Year Hometown
Nico Mueller Franklin Pierce Forward Freshman Mannheim, Germany
Casey Murphy Le Moyne Forward Sophomore Baldwinsville, N.Y.
Matthew Silva Le Moyne Goalkeeper Junior Brampton, Ontario
Kyle Garvan UMass Lowell Midfield Junior Braintree, Mass.
Neil Lavanchy UMass Lowell Defense Junior Scituate, Mass.
Alex Sindoni UMass Lowell Defense Junior Haverhill, Mass.
Kevin Zapata UMass Lowell Midfield Junior East Bridgewater, Mass.
Olof Lindhe Merrimack Forward Senior Stockholm, Sweden
Ronald Ried Merrimack Defense Freshman Schwendi, Germany
Clancy Purcell New Haven Midfield Graduate Shelton, Conn.
Logan Kingman Saint Michael's Goalkeeper Senior New Bern, N.C.
Josh Vlasich Saint Michael's Midfield Junior East Kingston, N.H.
Jordan Branco So. New Hampshire Forward Senior Norton, Mass.
Jonathan Lupinelli So. New Hampshire Defense Freshman Mont de Marsan, France
Dominic Samuel So. New Hampshire Defense Freshman Toronto, Ontario
Northeast-10 Conference Men's Soccer Third Team
Name School Position Year Hometown
Michael Agbortoko Assumption Defense Junior Beau, Cameroon
Greg Giguere Franklin Pierce Forward Senior East Bridgewater, Mass.
Amory Houghton Franklin Pierce Midfield Senior Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Bob Buchanan Le Moyne Defense Senior Ballston Lake, N.Y.
Daniel Galvin UMass Lowell Forward Senior Attleboro, Mass.
Julio Leon Merrimack Defense Freshman Caracas, Venezuela
Michael Rincon Merrimack Midfield Sophomore Medford, Mass.
Joseph D'Antonio New Haven Forward Senior Oceanside, N.Y.
Maximillian Glebocki Saint Anselm Forward Senior Wilbraham, Mass.
George Lamptey Saint Anselm Midfield Junior Worcester, Mass.
Gonzalo Mengotti Saint Michael's Defense Sophomore Miami, Fla.
Mario Costa So. Connecticut Midfield Senior Pawcatuck, Conn.
Frank Lara So. Connecticut Defense Senior Laredo, Texas.
Dominic DiMaggio So. New Hampshire Goalkeeper Junior Rome, N.Y.
Mohamed Toufik So. New Hampshire Forward Sophomore Grande-Synthe, France
Northeast-10 Conference Men's Soccer All Rookie Team
Name School Position Hometown
Frazier Cronin American Int'l Defense Bromley, England
Ed Sharman American Int'l Forward Tunbridge Wells, England
Dana King Assumption Goalkeeper Windham, Maine
Marty Ryan Bentley For./Mid. Albany, N.Y.
Nico Mueller Franklin Pierce Forward Mannheim, Germany
Douglas Searl Merrimack Forward Westford, Mass.
Ronald Ried Merrimack Defense Schwendi, Germany
Oskar Sewerin New Haven Defense Stockholm, Sweden
Daquan King So. Connecticut Forward Plainville, Conn.
Jonathan Lupinelli So. New Hampshire Defense Mont de Marsan, France
Dominic Samuel So. New Hampshire Defense Toronto, Ontario
Drew Montano Stonehill Midfield Avon, Conn.
Player of Year – Franklin Lemus Pena, Merrimack
Rookie of the Year – Nico Mueller, Franklin Pierce
Defensive Player of Year – Weston Zeiner, Bentley
Goalkeeper of the Year – Jose Silva, Merrimack
Coach of the Year – Tony Martone, Merrimack
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