SUNYAC releases annual awards for men's soccer
CORTLAND, N.Y. – The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) is excited to announce this season's men's soccer individual award winners, as well as the members of the 2017 All-Conference teams. These awards were nominated and voted on by the men's soccer coaches within the conference.
Huntley Parker Offensive Player of the Year – Roberto Ventura, Oneonta 
The Red Dragon midfielder found a knack for scoring early and often this season. His ability to use his speed to get past opponents opened up many opportunities for himself and the rest of his team, which makes his teammates better players as well. A one-time SUNYAC Men's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week Award winner, Ventura leads the conference with twenty-eight points, twelve goals scored and six game-winning goals on the season.
Fred Holloway Defensive Player of the Year – Kevin Hoff, Oneonta
The senior captain for Oneonta was their defensive leader this season guiding them to a 15-1-2 record. Hoff's play on the defensive end was a major reason they only let up eleven goals while outscoring their opponents by twenty-six goals in 2017. Hoff was a recipient of the SUNYAC Men's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week this year and his statistics speak for themself. During the regular-season, he led his team in minutes played with 1,454 and was the leading goal-scorer among the Red Dragon defenseman with five.
Rookie of the Year – Roberto Ventura, Oneonta
Ventura definitely made a huge impact on the Oneonta men's soccer program as well as the SUNYAC in general upon his arrival this season. In the seventeen games the freshman midfielder played, Ventura racked up a conference leading twenty-eight points and twelve goals for the Red Dragons. His speed and ability to get past defenders and make his teammates play better while he's around gives the conference a lot to look forward to as he continues his collegiate soccer career.
Coach of the Year – Mark Howlett, Buffalo State
Entering his fifth year as head coach for the Bengals, Howlett continued to keep up the work he had put in to turn the Buffalo State soccer program around from their abysmal one-win season the year before he took over the team in 2013, where he was also named the SUNYAC men's soccer coach of the year. This season, he led the Bengals to a 14-2-3 overall record, going 6-0-3 in conference play and their first spot in the United Soccer Coaches national polls since 1984, where they entered at seventeen and finished the season ranked thirteenth in the nation. Another major accomplishment Howlett led his squad to a fifteen-game unbeaten streak that saw Buffalo State go 12-0-3 to finish the regular season before they were eventually upset by Geneseo in the quarterfinals of the 2017 SUNYAC championship tournament. Buffalo State recieved an at-large bid into the 2017 NCAA Tournament where they will host the first two rounds, November 10-11.
2017 SUNYAC Men's Soccer All-Conference Teams (PDF)
|
Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown/High School |
|
First Team |
||||
|
Cam Lavallee |
So. |
F |
Cortland |
Schenectady, NY/Schalmont |
|
Migell Ormsby |
Jr. |
F |
Cortland |
Kingston, JA/DeWitt Clinton |
|
Ma'Cain Spragling |
Sr. |
F |
Cortland |
Akron, OH/Brush |
|
Joey Vucic |
Sr. |
F |
Geneseo |
East Aurora, NY/East Aurora |
|
Roberto Ventura |
Fr. |
F |
Oneonta |
Brentwood, NY/Brentwood |
|
Luke Pavone |
Sr. |
M |
Buffalo State |
Churchville, NY/Churchville-Chili |
|
Jake Keller |
Jr. |
M |
Cortland |
Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham |
|
Cory Santangelo |
Sr. |
M |
Oneonta |
Sayville, NY/Sayville |
|
Devonte Black |
Sr. |
D |
Buffalo State |
Pickering, ON/Notre Dame Catholic |
|
Dan Figarella |
Jr. |
D |
Cortland |
East Fishkill, NY/John Jay East Fishkill |
|
Kevin Hoff |
Sr. |
D |
Oneonta |
Largrange, NY/Arlington |
|
Andreas Queen |
Jr. |
G |
Buffalo State |
Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley |
|
Second Team |
|
|||
|
Quintin Volpe |
Jr. |
F |
Brockport |
Commack, NY/St. Anthony's |
|
Witman Hernandez |
So. |
F |
Oneonta |
Huntington, NY/Walt Whitman |
|
Nicholas Laurent |
Sr. |
F |
Plattsburgh |
New City, NY/Clarkstown South |
|
Sammy Wasson |
Sr. |
M |
Buffalo State |
Clarence, NY/Clarence |
|
Miguel Tunas |
So. |
M |
Cortland |
North Salem, NY/North Salem |
|
Justin Cebollero |
Jr |
M |
Oneonta |
Commack, NY/Commack |
|
Chris Aherne |
Sr. |
D |
Brockport |
Stony Point, NY/North Rockland |
|
Danny Clavin |
Sr. |
D |
Buffalo State |
Holtsville, NY/Sachem East |
|
Robert Williamson |
Jr. |
D |
Buffalo State |
Fishkill, NY/John Jay |
|
Connor Young |
Sr. |
G |
Cortland |
Bayport, NY/Bayport-Blue Point |
|
Third Team |
||||
|
Maissa Dieye |
So. |
F |
Buffalo State |
New York, NY/Manhattan International |
|
Sofiane Hamadi |
Jr. |
F |
Buffalo State |
Marseille, FRA/Jean Perrin |
|
Alex Price |
Jr. |
F |
Plattsburgh |
Plattsburgh, NY/Beekmantown |
|
August Finn |
Jr. |
M |
Buffalo State |
High Falls, NY/Roundout Valley |
|
Jake Kaufman |
Fr. |
M |
Cortland |
Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill |
|
Connor Lunduski |
Sr. |
M |
Oswego |
Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker |
|
Matt Hellerman |
Jr. |
D |
Cortland |
Smithtown, NY/ Smithtown West |
|
Nevin Nambiar |
So. |
D |
Cortland |
New Hyde Park, NY/Herricks |
|
Scott Cebollero |
Fr. |
D |
Oneonta |
Commack, NY/Commack |
|
Luke Osovski |
Sr. |
D |
Oneonta |
Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell |
|
Nicholas Giordano |
Jr. |
G |
Oneonta |
East Northport, NY/Commack |
