Program-Record Six UAlbany Men's Soccer Players Garner America East All-Conference Laurels

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Cambridge, Mass. – University at Albany’s Steward Ceus and Claudio Dantas lead a group of a program-record six players who were voted to the 2008 America East All-Conference Men’s Soccer Team, as announced on Wednesday, Nov. 5 by the league office. Dantas became the first Great Dane to be named the America East striker of the year, while Ceus was recognized as the league’s goalkeeper of the year.

Ceus, who ranks fifth in the nation with 6.08 saves per game, also earned a spot on the all-conference first team. The senior co-captain has eclipsed Division I program records for career shutouts (19) and saves (325). His .859 save percentage, 0.97 goals against average, nine wins and seven shutouts this season are all career bests, while his save percentage is also 13th in the country. In addition to being named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Nov. 3, Ceus was also honored as the ECAC Defensive Player of the Week and the America East Conference Player of the Week for his efforts in the last two matches of the regular season.

A first-team all-conference selection, Dantas paces the nation’s seventh-ranked offense with nine goals and 10 assists. His 28 points leads America East and is a Division I single-season program record, bettering the 22 points Nick Southworth totaled in 2000. Dantas’ nine goals matches the Division I single-season standard set by Southworth, and his 10 assists equals the single-season standard for all divisions set by Ed Campbell in 1968 and matched by Bryan Grabon in 2000. The two-time junior college All-American entered the week ranked sixth in the nation with 0.59 assists per game. Dantas has also garnered America East co-player of the week laurels.

UAlbany’s Don Johnson, Gaby Seguin Gauthier and Erik DiLorenzo all landed on the all-conference second team after posting career numbers and helping the squad rack up 12 victories, which matches a Division I program record. Johnson, a midfielder, has accumulated six goals and two assists for 14 points. He was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week and was also the America East player of the week after scoring two goals in a 3-0 win over Boston University. Seguin-Gauthier, a four-year starting midfielder who has never missed a match in his career, has netted one goal and eight assists. The senior’s 0.47 assists per game ranks 19th in the nation. He scored the eventual game winner and added two helpers in a 4-0 win over Bryant, and he also set up the game-winning goals against Pittsburgh, Robert Morris and Siena. DiLorenzo, a four-year starting defender and two-year captain, anchors a defense that averages 0.59 shutouts per game, a mark that ranks eighth nationally. He has also recorded one goal and five assists, and sparked the largest comeback in the program’s Division I era in a 5-4 win over UMBC.

Freshman Konner McNamara, who has started all 17 matches on defense, earned a spot on the league’s all-rookie squad. In addition to playing a major role in the backfield, he has three assists, which includes setting up the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Robert Morris.

UAlbany earned the second seed for the upcoming America East tournament. The team will enter the postseason riding a seven-match unbeaten streak, which is a Division I school record.

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2008 America East Men’s Soccer All-Conference Teams

First Team: Claudio Dantas, UAlbany; Carlos Villa, Hartford; Justin Leskow, Binghamton; Michael Bustamante, Boston U.; Ivan Guarin, Hartford; Kyle Urso, New Hampshire; Jordan Crasilneck, Vermont; Barry Neville, Binghamton; Dan Schultz, Boston U.; Connor Tobin, Vermont; Steward Ceus, UAlbany.

Second Team: Cameron Keith, Binghamton; Shaun Taylor, Boston U.; Don Johnson, UAlbany; Gaby Seguin-Gauthier, UAlbany; Samuel Appiah, Boston U.; Richy Dorman, Boston U.; T.J. Gore, Vermont; Erik DiLorenzo, UAlbany; Kyle Manscuk, Binghamton; Jake McFadden, Vermont; Roger Scully, Vermont.

All-Rookie Team: Konner McNamara, UAlbany; Ryan Walter, Binghamton; Andy Tiedt, Binghamton; Michael Bustamante, Boston U.; Colin Henry, Boston U.; Pat Boucher, Hartford; Jorge Rodriguez, Hartford; Daniel Tannous, Maine; Andrew Bulls, UMBC; Brad Hilton, New Hampshire; Yannick Lewis, Vermont.

Striker of the Year: Claudio Dantas, UAlbany

Midfielder of the Year: Michael Bustamante, Boston U.

Defender of the Year: Connor Tobin, Vermont

Goalkeeper of the Year: Steward Ceus, UAlbany

Rookie of the Year: Michael Bustamante, Boston U.

Coaching Staff of the Year: Neil Roberts, Boston U.