Dec. 18, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - The men's soccer program concluded its 2009 season with the annual banquet on Sunday morning in La Salle's Dunleavy Room.
Several team awards were announced in front of the crowd of about 75 student-athletes and family members, including Ryan Tadley (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) being voted on as the team's Most Valuable Player for the second straight year. Jeff Pio (Warminster, PA/William Tennent) was named the Newcomer of the Year, while Gene Curran (Yardley, PA/Holy Ghost Prep) and Wayne Grasela (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS) were awarded the Bill Wilkinson Academic & Athletic Award for their impressive work in the classroom.
Tadley earned his second straight MVP vote after leading the Explorer defense in 2009. He earned Soccer Six All-Star honors as well. Tadley scored his first collegiate goal this season when the Explorers visited Adelphi, and registered two assists in his sophomore season. The senior also earned NSCAA/Adidas Scholar All-East Region honorable mention in both 2008 and 2009. He will graduate in May with a degree in Business.
Pio earned Newcomer of the Year honors for his immediate contribution on the field, and recently was named the Soccer Six Co-Rookie of the Year. He scored three goals and assisted on three others for nine points, which tied for second on the team, and started 13 of the 18 games he appeared in.
Curran's and Grasela's standout work in the classroom earned them the team academic award. Curran, an Integrated Science, Business & Technology major, is graduating in May. He recently accepted a job offer with Johnson & Johnson's Information Technology Leadership Development Program, and will be working within the IT Shared Services sector in New Jersey. Grasela, who is currently a junior, is a Finance and Accounting double major and will be graduating in May 2011.
