NEW HAVEN, CT--Caldwell College senior forward Chad Bennett has been selected the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Men's Soccer Player of the Year in balloting released today. Tim Weglicki of Holy Family University was tabbed the CACC Rookie of the Year, while Caldwell College head coach Jamie Nash was the choice for Coach of the Year. Nyack College was given the annual Team Sportsmanship Award for the fourth consecutive season. The conference's 11 head coaches conducted the voting.
Bennett, who is from Kingston, Jamaica, was named to the All-CACC first team for the second consecutive season after posting 13 goals and 30 points thus far in 2008. He has recorded four multi-goal games and three game-winning goals in helping the Cougars capture their first CACC regular-season title since 1993. Bennett has been on fire down the stretch, scoring five goals in the team's final four games. He was named the CACC and ECAC Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 19 after recording three goals and an assist in two CACC wins. Also an All-Region second team selection as a junior, Bennett has been Caldwell's top offensive catalyst for the past two seasons, as the Cougars are 15-2-2 when he has scored a goal during that time.
Weglicki, a freshman forward from Philadelphia, is tied for second in the CACC with 33 points this season on the strength of 14 goals and five assists. He is also tied for second in the conference with his 14 goals and tied for seventh in assists. Weglicki and the Tigers are the No. 6 seed for this week's CACC Tournament. Weglicki was named the CACC Rookie of the Week twice this season.
This is the first CACC Coach of the Year Award for Nash, who is in his ninth season as the head coach at Caldwell. Nash guided the Cougars to the CACC regular-season title with an 8-1-1 conference mark. It is the first CACC regular-season crown for the Cougars since the 1993 squad shared the title. The first-place finish puts Caldwell (11-6-1 overall) into the CACC Tournament semifinals for the sixth straight season.
The complete All-CACC Men's Soccer team is listed on the following page. It has a familiar feel, as all four first team forwards were also first team picks last season. Those players are Bennett, Wilmington's Sargbah Tarpeh, Post's Eurica Trowers and Dominican's Joe Wright. Defender Seth Galloway is also a repeat first team pick for Nyack.
2008 All-CACC Men's Soccer Team
FIRST TEAM
GK Buddy Custer Philadelphia Sr. Cinnaminson, NJ
D Craig Simpson Dominican So. Perth, Australia
D Lukas Fraczek Felician Sr. Szczytno, Poland
D Seth Galloway Nyack Sr. Penang, Malaysia
M Triston Sommerville Bloomfield Jr. Kingston, Jamaica
M Diego Barahona Dominican Sr. Stamford, CT
M Matt Kocher Holy Family Sr. Philadelphia, PA
F Chad Bennett Caldwell Sr. Kingston, Jamaica
F Sargbah Tarpeh Wilmington Jr. Philadelphia, PA
F Eurica Trowers Post Jr. Bronx, NY
F Joe Wright Dominican Jr. Stratford-Upon-Avon, England
SECOND TEAM (12 members due to a tie)
GK Brandon Heembrock Dominican Fr. Ottawa, Canada
GK John Plaugic Caldwell Sr. Kearny, NJ
D Billy Curran Wilmington So. Chadds Ford, PA
D Dean Robinson Post Jr. Kingston, Jamaica
D Victor Rios Bloomfield Sr. Hillside, NJ
D Robert Richardson Philadelphia Sr. Warwick, RI
M James Hamilton Dominican Jr. Paisley, Scotland
M Fatoma Turay Wilmington Jr. Philadelphia, PA
M Johan Pineda Post Jr. Lima, Peru
F Svetozar Gladic Philadelphia Jr. Novi Sad, Serbia
F Dwayne Reid Bloomfield Jr. Bronx, NY
F Tim Weglicki Holy Family Fr. Philadelphia, PA
Honorable Mention: Andrew Nelson, Jr., D, Post; Chris Wylie, So., D, Dominican; Edwin Miranda, Jr., M, Dominican; Carlos Canido, Fr., M, Felician
Player of the Year: Chad Bennett, Sr., F, Caldwell
Rookie of the Year: Tim Weglicki, Fr., F, Holy Family
Coach of the Year: Jamie Nash, Caldwell
Team Sportsmanship Award: Nyack College