NAC Announces 2007 Men’s Soccer Post Season Awards

AURORA, Ill. November 15, 2007 - The Northern Athletics Conference announced its 2007 men’s soccer All-Conference and postseason awards. The Aurora University Spartan men’s soccer team placed four players on the NAC First-Team, two players on the NAC Second-Team, four players on the All-Rookie Team and Head Coach Pete Watkins was named NAC Co-Coach of the Year.

The AU men’s soccer program, under the direction of fifth year Head Coach Pete Watkins, continued to build a strong tradition of excellence on the field with a 12-4-5 overall record and 8-0-2 in NAC play. The NAC Co-Coach of the Year Award is Watkins second of his brief career at AU, the other coming after the 2004 season in the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference. The men’s program made its first NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championships appearance in the program’s history as a NCAA institution in 2006 after finishing with a 12-4-4 regular season record and was 8-1 with a second place finish in the NAC.

The Spartans success on the field brought Northern Athletics Conference First-Team All-Conference honors for, senior midfielder and captain Drew Taylor (DeKalb, IL/DeKalb H.S., two goals and three assists), senior defender Jordan Barry (Decatur, IL/St. Teresa H.S., one goal), senior forward Danny May (Naperville, IL/Waubonsie Valley H.S., 10 goals and three assists) and junior forward Chase Corricelli (Peoria, IL/Notre Dame H.S., 15 goals and three assists).

Joining in the postseason recognition as Second-Team All-Conference selections are senior midfielder Jody Hall (Sugar Grove, IL/Bartlett H.S., one goal and two assists) and senior midfielder Tyler Klotz (Big Rock, IL/Hinckley-Big Rock H.S., three goals and one assist).

Four AU newcomers to the Spartan men’s soccer program were honored by the NAC as All-Rookie Team selections. Goalkeeper Matt Ness (Traverse City, MI/Suttons Bay H.S., 6-3-3, 46 saves and two shutouts), goalkeeper Kevin Soderstrom (Geneva, IL/Geneva H.S., 6-1-2, 24 saves and five shutouts), midfielder Nick Helmer (Geneva, IL/Geneva H.S., one assist) and forward Anthony Amedei (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley H.S., one goal and three assists)

The Spartans offense was led by Corricelli, May, Taylor, Hall and Klotz, averaging 1.95 goals per game and 17.6 shots per game. Corricelli, moved in to a tie for third on the all-time AU men’s soccer scoring list this season with his 38 career goals. He led the Spartan offense with 15 goals, three assists and five game-winning goals. May added 10 goals, three assists and three game-winning goals, Taylor, a defensive midfielder had two goals, three assists with one goal coming as a game winner.

Barry anchored an attacking defense in front of the youthful Ness and Soderstrom to limit opponents to 0.85 goals against average and 10 shutouts.

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