Annville, PA — Messiah's third straight Commonwealth Conference Championship was met with a slew of awards Tuesday afternoon, as the Middle Atlantic Conference offices announced the 2009 all-conference men's soccer teams — a list highlighted by seven Messiah selections.
Junior Geoff Pezon was named the Commonwealth Player of the Year while freshman Josh Wood earned Commonwealth Rookie of the Year honors, both making the league's first team. They were joined by junior midfielder Nick Thompson and senior defenders Josh Mull and Trey Overholt, while sophomore Derek Black and senior Brett Faro claimed second-team honors.
Pezon's top honor marked the 15th straight season that a Messiah player captured the Commonwealth Player of the Year award, as the attacking midfielder paced the Falcons in total points (44), leading the conference in that category by a five-point margin.
Pezon's 16 assists were far and away a league-best, while the Blandon, Pa. native also led the conference in total shots (71).
While the player of the year honor was Pezon's first, the first-team all-league honor was his second straight.
Wood, meanwhile, took the conference by absolute storm at the target position, posting multiple-goal performances in each of Messiah's final six competitions en route to a team- and conference-leading 18 goals scored. He scored 11 times during regular-season conference play, nearly tripling the league's second-best mark (four goals).
Nick Thompson was among those who tallied four scores in conference competition, posting 16 total goals on the season — second only to Wood both in the league and on the team.
Thompson equaled Wood's mark in total points (39) while leading Messiah in game winners (seven). The all-league honor was Thompson's third consecutive, joining his first-team award last season and a second-team accolade as a freshman.
Mull earned his third straight all-conference honor — and second first-team award — despite missing the team's last four games with an injury. That was perhaps a testament to Mull's scrappy nature at the left defensive back position, as the Lewisberry, Pa. native helped Messiah to nine shutout wins while on the field of play.
Collectively, Messiah has posted 11 shutouts on the season, and Overholt helped to alleviate Mull's late absence with stellar play in the center back slot. Taking over for last season's NCAA Division III Player of the Year JD Binger, Overholt was brilliant in perhaps the Falcons' most pressure-filled position, orchestrating a defense that allowed a conference-minimum 12 goals all year — just a .60 goals-per-game average.
Black and Faro rounded off Messiah's all-league selections on the second team, with both playing key roles in helping to organize the Falcons' attack. Black — last year's rookie of the year — posted four goals and four assists from the winger position, despite missing three games in the middle of the year due to a nagging ankle injury.
Faro, meanwhile, played perhaps the best soccer of his career in the center midfield, providing the team with senior leadership and three goals — the most since returning to the midfield position following a stint on the wing earlier in his career.
Arcadia University's Rob Nydick earned Commonwealth Coach of the Year honors in his first season, leading the Knights to a 12-6-3 record overall and a 4-1-2 mark in the league. Last season, Arcadia went 6-12.
Messiah's seven all-conference awards were the most of any institution. Elizabethtown College was next in line, with six honorees.
First Team All-Commonwealth
Player — Team — Pos. — Yr. — Hometown (High School)
Taylor Helsel — Elizabethtown — Forward — Junior — Glen Rock, PA (Susquehannock)
Justin Hutchinson — Lebanon Valley — Forward — Senior — Hummelstown, PA (Lower Dauphin)
Josh Wood — Messiah — Forward — Freshman — Kingsport, TN (Sullivan South)
Joe Clementi — Arcadia — Midfield — Junior — Medford Lakes, NJ (Shawnee)
Cam Gettel — Elizabethtown — Midfield — Junior — Rehrereburg, PA (Tulpehocken)
Geoff Pezon — Messiah — Midfield — Junior — Blandon, PA (Fleetwood)
Nick Thompson — Messiah — Midfield — Junior — Hudson, OH (CVCA)
Jeff McDonald — Arcadia — Defense — Junior — Philadelphia, PA (Father Judge)
Josh Mull — Messiah — Defense — Senior — Lewisberry, PA (Trinity)
Trey Overholt — Messiah — Defense — Senior — New Philadelphia, PA (New Philadelphia)
Tony Pacella — Elizabethtown — Defense — Junior — Reading, PA (Wilson)
Jeff Kratohwill — Arcadia — Goalie — Senior — Pennsburg, PA (Upper Perkiomen)
Second Team All-Commonwealth
Player — Team — Pos. — Yr. — Hometown (High School)
Derek Black — Messiah — Forward — Sophomore — 17 Pottstown, PA (Coventry Christian)
Javeim Blanchette — Elizabethtown — Forward — Freshman — St. Kitts and Nevis)
Chris Lorenzet — Lycoming — Forward — Senior — Forest Hill, MD (CM Wright)
Brett Faro — Messiah — Midfield — Senior — North Chili, NY (Churchville-Chili)
Justin Hovaker — Widener — Midfield — Senior — Pasadena, MD (Anne Arundel CC)
Luke Mitchell — Elizabethtown — Midfield — Senior — Lititz, PA (Warwick)
Zach Todd — Arcadia — Midfield — Freshman — Cape May Courthouse, NJ (Middle Twp.)
Mark Yost — Albright — Midfield — Sophomore — Mohnton, PA (Holy Name)
Giovanni Correa — Elizabethtown — Defense — Freshman — Tre Coracoes, Brazil (Montverde Academy)
Mark Johnson — Lebanon Valley — Defense — Senior — Lebanon, PA (Cedar Crest)
Hamed Correa — Widener — Goalie — Senior — Cali, Columbia (Colegio Bolivar)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Geoff Pezon, Messiah
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Josh Wood, Messiah
COACH OF THE YEAR: Rob Nydick, Arcadia
