FOUR TERRIERS NOTCH FIRST AND SECOND ALL-NORTHEAST CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
FOUR TERRIERS NOTCH FIRST AND SECOND ALL-NORTHEAST CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
11/13/2009 9:55:18 AM
SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY---With the 2009 NEC Men’s Soccer Tournament mere hours away, the annual Northeast Conference awards were presented on Thursday evening at a banquet held in West Long Branch, NJ near tourney host Monmouth University.
In Friday’s first semifinal contest on the Great Lawn, the top-seeded Hawks take on fourth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson at 11:00 a.m., followed by #2 seed St. Francis (NY) entertaining #3 seed Quinnipiac at 1:30 p.m. The winner of the NEC championship match, which is slated for noon on Sunday, Nov. 15, will earn the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. First round NCAA action begins on Nov. 20 at campus sites yet to be determined.
The Terriers have four members selected to both the first and second All-Northeast Conference squads, with three of the award winners being seniors. Seniors Semso Nikocevic (Brooklyn, New York, Sheepshead Bay) and Anthony Matos (Wantagh, NY, Holy Cross High School) were selected to the Northeast Conference First Team squad. Nikocevic helped pave the way for the SFNY offense with five goals to rank tied for eighth in the NEC, as three of those tallies were game winners. Celebrating in his third first team all-NEC nod in as many years, the Brooklyn product also distributed a trio of assists to total 13 points and round out the top-10 on the loop. Matos helped anchor a Terrier defense that blanked opponents on six occasions - a mark good for a share of third in the NEC - as four of those shutouts came during the league portion of their schedule.
St. Francis (NY) placed another pair on the all-NEC second team in the form of junior forward John Sallhag (Vaxjo, Sweden) and senior defender Javier Gonzalez (Caracas, Venezuela). Now a three-time all-leaguer, Sallhag ranks third on the squad with 10 points on three goals and four assists - a mark that is tied for the team high and the fourth spot in the Conference. Though mainly stationed in their own half of the pitch, Gonzalez was productive on the attack for the Terriers by notching an even two goals and two assists.
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By: Brian D. Morales (Assistant SID)