Thursday,
November 14, 2002
FOUR MEN'S SOCCER JUMBOS EARN ALL-NESCAC HONORS
MEDFORD
-- The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) has announced its
all-conference Men's Soccer teams for the 2002 season. Tufts junior midfielder
Brian Mikel (Tucson, AZ/ Canyon del Oro) was named to the First
Team, and senior striker Garrett Dale
(Upper Montclair, NJ/ Montclair HS),
senior midfielder Matt MacGregor
(Little Compton, RI/ Middletown HS) and sophomore goalkeeper Scott
Conroy (Madison, CT/ Choate Rosemary Hall) were all named to the NESCAC
Second Team. The announcement was made by the conference office on Wednesday
(Nov. 13) following a vote by the league's 11 head coaches.
This
group led the Jumbos to a 9-5-1 overall record and 4-4-1 NESCAC finish for fifth
place. Mikel, Dale and MacGregor were all recognized by the conference for the
second straight season. Last fall they were all on the Second Team.
Mikel's
skillful all-around play earned him the lone First Team honors for Tufts.
Despite his modest five points on one goal and three assists for the season, the
Tufts offense often flowed through Mikel in the midfield. Outstanding in the air
or with his feet, he can control the game for Head Coach Ralph Ferrigno's
Jumbos. Equally aggressive, he missed three games with minor injuries and due to
penalty infractions.
"Brian is a dominant midfielder who is maturing and developing constantly," Ferrigno said. "With continued improvement he can become even more of a force next year."
Dale
led the Jumbos in points this year with 17 on eight goals and an assist in 15
games. He was named NESCAC Player of the Week in late September after scoring
two goals with an assist in games against MIT and Connecticut College that
pushed Tufts to 4-0. Dale was seventh in the conference in goals per game (0.53
per game). He had goals NESCAC opponents Amherst, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, and
Connecticut College. He scored the team's lone goal in a season-ending 2-1
loss to Amherst in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs.
"Garrett's talents were encapsulated by the goal he scored at Amherst in the post-season," Ferrigno said. "In a tight space he beat two defenders and then chipped the keeper. He is one of the most skilled and creative players in the league."
Finishing
right behind Dale in points this season was tri-captain MacGregor. His 15 points
came from scoring five goals and assisting on five others (team high). He also
had a goal and an assist in the win over MIT. MacGregor was very effective
during NESCAC play, tallying a goal or an assist in five of the nine conference
contests. The vocal leader on the field, he was elected a captain for the second
straight year and was also named to the Verizon Northeast Region
All-Academic Team.
"Matt leads by example," Ferrigno said. "He enjoyed four great years at Tufts and without question is one of the fiercest competitors and best leaders I have coached."
Conroy
anchored the Jumbo defense this season. He fought off an early elbow injury that
caused him to miss four games. He finished the season with a record of 7-3-1.
His 1.27 goals against average placed sixth in the NESCAC. Perhaps Conroy's best
game came at a critical time for the Jumbos. Going into the game against Trinity
College on October 12, Tufts had lost three straight in the conference and was
2-3 in NESCAC play. With the team desperate for a win, Conroy saved seven Bantam
shots and the Jumbos to a 3-2 overtime win.
"After picking up a fractured elbow in the second game of the season Scott was rarely 100 percent," Ferrigno said. "He still played well and I expect him to become a leader of the team in future years."
Dale
and MacGregor concluded their Tufts careers this season. In 58 games for his
career, Dale scored 25 goals and had 11 assists for 61 points. MacGregor ended
his 57-game career with 21 goals, 18 assists and 60 points. They now stand ninth
and 10th, respectively, on the team's all-time scoring list. Mikel
and Conroy are back next year for the Jumbos.
In
the major award categories, Williams junior Kari Stephenson was elected Player
of the Year, Joseph Gannon of Amherst was Rookie of the Year, and Bowdoin's
Brian Ainscough was Coach of the Year. Williams College won its their second
straight NESCAC Championship this season.
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