Archive for the ‘Awards’ Category
Houapeu Named ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, Bulls Also Honored
The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has named UMBC’s Levi Houapeu their top offensive player of the year in Men’s Soccer. The ECAC is the nations largest athletic conference and Houapeu has been awarded their top honor after recording 15 goals and 13 assists for a nation leading 43 points. Eight of his goals were game-winning goals.
Eight People Selected to UMBC Hall of Fame
Press Release from UMBC Athletics- first reported on www.umbcretrievers.com
The UMBC Athletic Hall of Fame Committee has selected
eight nominees to be inducted into the UMBC Athletic Hall of Fame. The
17^th induction ceremony will take place at the BWI Airport Marriott
Hotel on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, at 7 p.m.
Vote: Fan’s Choice Top Fall Athletes
Naomi Bush Names America East Volleyball Rookie of the Year, Oscars and Loynachan Also Receive Post Season Honors
Naomi Bush is the latest addition to an impressive list of freshman to play for UMBC. After averaging 2.48 kills per set, hitting .233, while having 68 digs, 29 blocks, and 10 service aces, she became the fourth Retriever in five years to win the Rookie of the Year award. She joins Sarah Ball (2005), Ashley Oscars (2006), and Alyssa Lang (2008) on the list of award winners.
Lang though though build on her rookie of the year performance last season with a second team all-conference year as a sophomore. This year she led the team with 232 kills (3.14 kps) and is second on the team with 186 digs (2.51 dps). She had eight double-doubles and 16 service aces.
The third Retriever to earn post-season honors was Ali Loynachan, who joined Bush on the all-rookie team. Though she missed seven games in the middle of the season she led the team in hitting percentage (.257). She had 132 kills (2.13 kps), 69 digs, 36 blocks, and 14 service aces.
Matt Mattingly Earned Second Swimmer of the Week Award
Press Release from UMBC:
Senior Matt Mattingly (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) has been named America East Male Swimmer of the Week for the second time this season, as announced by the conference Tuesday.
Mattingly helped lead the Retrievers to wins over Maryland and Towson on Saturday, winning the 100 breast (), 200 breast (2:07.95) and 200 IM (1:52.71) along with the 200 medley relay. His times in all three individual events were UMBC season-best times and it was only the second time he had competed in the 200 breast in his four-year career.
Michelle Kurowski Names Player of the Week for Week One of Women’s Basketball
Press Release from America East.com:
Kurowski averaged 21.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, one steal and one block per game last week in two games, including a tight game with 14th-ranked Virginia at the RAC Arena. The sophomore guard also shot 56 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point land and a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. Against the Cavaliers, Kurowski scored a game-high 21 points and brought down seven rebounds. On Sunday against intrastate foe Maryland-Eastern Shore, the Long Island native notched her first double-double of the season with a game-high 22 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. She also chipped in seven assists and a steal. Kurowski shot 4-for-5 from beyond the arc against UMES. The 2009 All-Rookie selection was named the America East Player of the Game in both contests, picking up where she left off a year ago.
Bulls Named Striker of the Year, Houapeu Midfielder of the Year, Saunders and Paddock Named to All-Rookie Team
There were only two players in the America East that were unanimous selections to the all-conference team, those two players were Andrew Bulls and Levi Houapeu, who were also named the AEC striker and midfielder of the year, respectively.
It does not come as a surprise at all that the two were named first team all-conference, they are one and two in the nation in goals and points, and two and three in assists, and have just dominated competition all season.
Andrew Bulls
After scoring 15 goals with 10 assists for 40 points, Bulls was named striker of the year, making him the first since UMBC joined the America East. Bulls has been the highest scoring player in the nation since the end of the first week of games, and his 15 goals is the sixth-most in school history, and most since Derek McElligott in 2003.
Levi Houapeu
Amazingly enough Houapeu has been just as dominate as Bulls this season. Getting one player with a double-double is great, but Houapeu has 14 goals and 11 assists for 39 points this year. Two times this year Houapeu has recorded a hat trick and his 11 assists is tied for fourth most in school history.
The last America East midfielder of the year for UMBC was Matt Watson, who took home the award in both the 2004 and 2005 seasons. This year also marks the first time UMBC has had two first-team all-conference players since Watson and defender Marcus Gross were named to it in 2005.
UMBC had two other players take home awards. Both Liam Paddock and Phil Saunders were named to the all-rookie team.
Liam Paddock
Paddock, an import from England, started all 16 games in which he played. He missed on game because of a yellow card violation. He played all 16 games at center back, and was a big reason for wins over Boston U and Albany when fellow center back Chris Williams was out with an injury.
Phil Saunders
Saunders started all 17 games in goal and became the first freshman to start the season opener since Soren Byskov did in 1997. He recorded 60 saved and a .750 save% with just a 1.20 goals against average.
Vote For Andrew Bulls For America East Fans’ Choice Player of the Year
America East Fans’ Choice Player of the Year Ballot
Andrew Bulls has been nominated to the America East Fans’ Choice Player of the Year for 2009. So far this season he has scored 15 goals (top in the nation), 10 assists (tied for second in the nation) and 40 points (first in the nation) and he still has two games left. Bulls has recorded multi-point games seven times this season.
He started the season with 11 straight games with a point, tying Giuliano Celenza’s streak set in 2000.
In the first six games this year Bulls scored eight goals and was the fastest to do that in UMBC’s Division I history.
This season he has been named the America East Player of the week twice, and the National Player of the Week by College Soccer News and NSCAA after the first week of the season.
Voting ends Monday, Nov. 2 at 12:00 pm.
Levi Houapeu Named America East Player of the Week
It comes as no surprise but Levi Houapeu earned his second Player of the Week honor of the season after posting four goals and two assists in two wins last week.
In the tournament clinching win over Albany he recorded three goals for his second hat trick of the season and had an assist for a seven point game.
Against Boston he tied the game up 30 second after Boston U scored and in both games he assisted the game winning goal.
Women’s Soccer Goalkeeper Mo Van Vlerah for Fan’s Player of the Year
America East Women’s Soccer Fan’s Choice Player of the Year Ballot
Sophomore Goalkeeper Mo Van Vlerah is one of nine nominees for the America East Women’s Soccer Fans’ Choice Player of the Year. So go vote for her and show your support.
She currently leads the entire America East with 102 saves, topping Stony Brook goalkeeper Marisa Viola by four. She also has a 0.708 save percentage and has kept UMBC in every single game this year.
