SEA BRIGHT, N.J. - Monmouth University head men's soccer coach Robert McCourt, junior forward Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) and senior defender Daniel Bostock (Nottinghamshire, Eng./Virginia Intermont) all took home major awards at the annual Northeast Conference Tournament banquet held at McCloone's Rum Runner on Thursday, the eve of the league tournament. In all, six Hawks landed on either the all-league first or second team, a program high.
McCourt claimed his fourth NEC Coach of the Year honor in six seasons at the banquet after leading the Blue and White to a program-best 16-1-1 overall record and a 8-1-1 mark in league play. Kinne took home NEC Player of the Year honors, while Bostock claimed the league's Defensive Player of the Year award.
Kinne and Bostock headline the MU contingent on the All-NEC First Team, and are joined by freshman forward Ryan Clark (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township). Junior keeper Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood), junior midfielder Max Hamilton (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) and sophomore defender RJ Allen (Old Bridge, N.J. /St. Joseph's) comprise the Hawks on the all-league second team.
"I could not be more proud of this group of men," said McCourt. "From the players receiving all conference recognition to the bottom of our roster, the commitment to the team has been outstanding. NEC Men's Soccer has many quality players. To receive all conference recognition for six players shows the depth in this year's squad. Their performance both on the field and in the classroom has been exceptional."
McCourt, who has an overall career record of 71-25-9 and a 36-8-11 league mark at Monmouth, garnered his fourth conference Coach of the Year distinction this season in leading MU to new national heights. The Kearny, N.J. native led the Hawks to the highest national ranking for any sport in school history when MU was seventh in the NSCAA/adidas National Rankings a few weeks ago. In all, the men's soccer team was ranked for 10 straight weeks, a program-high, while also placing in the top-10 for six weeks.
Kinne, who joins Steven Holloway (2006) and Joni Kallioinen (1990, 91) as the only Hawks to ever earn NEC Player of the Year, took home NEC Player of the Year honors after leading Monmouth's offense with nine goals, six assists and 24 points, which ranked second in the league. The junior Hermann Award Watch List member, who also added five game-winning markers, is MU's first league player of the year since Holloway claimed the honor in 2006.
Bostock continued a recent Monmouth tradition in claiming the league's Defensive Player of the Year award, the fourth time in the last five years that a Hawk took home the hardware. The central defender also added a goal and an assist while helping lead the top defense in the country. MU led the nation in team goals against average and shutout percentage, allowing 0.33 tallies per match while shutting out the opposition in 72% of its matches. He was also recently named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II First Team.
Clark enjoyed a banner season in his first campaign in West Long Branch, ranking second on the team with six goals and 16 points, while adding four assists. Clark's 16 points ties him for fifth in the league, while his six goals tie him for the sixth-most in the league.
Allen, who has started every match since he appeared on campus last season, makes his first all-league team after a stellar sophomore season. The attacking defender had two goals and ranked second in the conference with a team-high seven assists, while also supplying solid technical defense along the league's best back line.
Hamilton, who also claimed his first all-conference accolade this season, has been a steady force in the midfield for the Hawks all year. Hamilton, who is equally adept at defending as he is attacking, added a game-winning goal this season while starting every contest. He has patrolled the midfield for McCourt and the Hawks in all 36 games since coming on campus last fall.
Meredith enjoyed one of the finest seasons for a keeper in Monmouth men's soccer history in 2009, leading the nation in goals against average, allowing 0.306 goals per game, while also ranking third in the nation in save percentage, stopping 88.9% of the shots he has faced this season. Meredith led all NEC keepers in GAA, save percentage, shutouts (12) and shutout percentage (71%).
The Hawks return to action on Friday, November 13 when they host fourth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson at 11:00 am in the NEC Semifinals on The Great Lawn. In the other semifinal, #2 St. Francis (N.Y.) takes on third-seeded Quinnipiac, also on The Great Lawn, at 1:30 pm. The NEC Tournament Championship game will take place on Sunday.
2009 NEC Men's Soccer Award Winners
Player of the Year
Ryan Kinne Monmouth F 5-8 Jr. Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck
Defensive Player of the Year
Daniel Bostock Monmouth D 6-3 Sr. Nottinghamshire, England
Rookie of the Year
Dominic Reinold Fairleigh Dickinson F 6-2 Fr. Wesseling, Germany
Coach of the Year
Robert McCourt Monmouth
2009 NEC Men's Soccer First Team All-Conference
Name
Dominic Reinold
Ryan Kinne
Chris Wheeler
Robert Cavener
Paul King
Ryan Clark
Semso Nikocevic
Daniel Bostock
Pierre Soubrier
Anthony Matos
Frederick Hall
2009 NEC Men's Soccer Second Team All-Conference
Name
Jakeem Johnson
Philip Suprise
John Sallhag
Max Hamilton
Eric Detzel
Shane Recklet
Nemanja Filimonovic
Jason Wells
RJ Allen
Javier Gonzalez
Bryan Meredith
