Copyright 2015; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photos by James Jones.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - In a vote of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference men's soccer head coaches and sports information directors, Wilmington University took home three of the four major award winners, as well as placing four student-athletes on the First Team All-CACC squad and two more on Second Team All-CACC.
A pair of student-athlete award winners led the All-Conference teams as Clifford Nwechefom and Adrian Tash were featured atop the league. Nwechefom was named the 2015 CACC Men's Soccer Player of the Year while Tash was named the 2015 CACC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Nick Papanicolas was named the 2015 BSN Sports/CACC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year, in a vote of the conference's sports information directors.
It is the first time the Wildcats (13-4, 10-2 CACC) had the CACC Player of the Year since 2009 when former All-American Sargbah Tarpeh took home the honors. This is the first time the Wildcats earned the CACC Defensive Player of the Year award winner.
Nick Papanicolas, now in his 12th season with the Wildcats, was voted as the BSN Sports/CACC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, and the first time since the 2009 season. He also was voted the Coach of the Year in 2007.
In addition to winning the major award, Nwechefom and Tash were voted First Team All-CACC. Joining the two as First Team All-CACC members are senior Lance Berry and junior Juan Bernal. Earning a spot on the Second Team All-CACC team were seniors Joe Woodley and Frank Hall.
Nwechefom led the Wildcats and finished second in the CACC with 16 goals and 35 points. Berry finished second in the CACC with 11 assists while also scoring 11 goals and finishing third in the conference with 33 points. Tash, Woodley, and Hall all led the defensive unit to a league best 0.75 goals against average while posting a league high eight shutouts. Bernal has been the middleman for the Wildcats, leading the transition game in the middle of the field. He finished the regular season with three goals and two assists.
Nyack's Simon Kraemer was named the CACC Men's Soccer Rookie of the Year while Felician University was awarded the 2015 CACC Men's Soccer Team Sportsmanship Award.
The Wildcats earned the CACC Regular Season Championship with their 10-2 league record and earned the top seed in the CACC Tournament that starts Monday afternoon. The Wildcats host No. 8 Goldey-Beacom College at the WU Athletics Complex on Monday at 2:00 p.m. with the winner advancing to the CACC Semifinals on Thursday, which are hosted by Post University.
AGATE:
2015 First Team All-CACC:
M – Clifford Nwechefom (Wilmington University)
M – Javier Alvarez Vispo (Concordia College)
M – Juan Bernal (Wilmington University)
F – Lance Berry (Wilmington University)
F – Paulo Claudio (Bloomfield College)
F – Michael Clarke (Georgian Court University)
F – Anthony Asante (Post University)
D – Lukas Nordin (Dominican College)
D – Angelo Dambalas (Philadelphia University)
D – Adrian Tash (Wilmington University)
GK – Michael Hartmann (Caldwell University)
2015 Second Team All-CACC
M – Nicholas Jaffe (Chestnut Hill College)
M – Simon Kraemer (Nyack College)
M – Armando Filho (Post University)
F – Tiago Martins (Post University)
F – Ishmaiah Calwrie (Philadelphia University)
F – Kenny Monfort (Felician University)
D – Joe Woodley (Wilmington University)
D – Jacob Butler-Bowdon (Post University)
D – Chris Kulczytsky (Philadelphia University)
GK – Frank Hall (Wilmington University)
GK – Jon Hanlon (Post University)
GK – James Jackson (Chestnut Hill College)
2015 CACC MEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Clifford Nwechefom (Wilmington University)
2015 CACC MEN'S SOCCER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
Simon Kraemer (Nyack College)
2015 CACC MEN'S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Adrian Tash (Wilmington University)
2015 BSN SPORTS CACC MEN'S SOCCER COACH OF THE YEAR:
Nick Papanicolas (Wilmington University)
2015 CACC MEN'S SOCCER TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD:
Felician University