Dec. 13, 2010
PHILADELPHIA - The postseason accolades keep rolling in for the La Salle men's soccer team as three Explorers were named to the NSCAA All-Region Teams and Head Coach Pat Farrell earned Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year honors.
The National Soccer Coaches' Association of America (NSCAA) honored Ryan Richter (Southampton, PA/William Tennent) on the Mid-Atlantic All-Region First Team, while junior Nick Dundon (Horsham, PA/Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and freshman John McCarthy (Cinnaminson, NJ/Northeast Catholic) earned Third Team honors.
Richter continues to pile up the hardware after a stellar senior season. He led all Atlantic 10 and Soccer Six players with 30 points on 14 goals and two assists and was named the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year. Seven of his 14 goals were game winners, including two in the final weekend of the regular season that clinched not only a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship but also the No. 2 seed and a bye in the tournament.
The senior also earned a number of academic honors, including CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team and Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year accolades.
Richter was recently featured in Sports Illustrated's 'Faces in the Crowd' segment for his efforts this season.
Dundon earned Third Team honors for the first time in his career after spearheading the Explorer defense to eight shutouts this season. He was a big part of the defense that held four 1-0 leads, tied then-No. 5 Lehigh 0-0 in double overtime and earned the 1-1 double OT tie against 2007 College Cup participant Massachusetts. He helped anchor the squad to three straight shutouts, including the final two games of the regular season that pushed the team to the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship as well as the Explorers' semifinal win over 2009 defending champion Saint Louis.
The junior biology major is also a standout in the classroom, boasting a 3.95 grade point average, and was honored as a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team selection.
McCarthy picks up his first NSCAA recognition as a freshman after a terrific rookie campaign. He posted eight shutouts in goal while leading the Atlantic 10 in saves and save percentage. One of his shutouts was a 2-0 win over defending Atlantic 10 champion Saint Louis in the semifinals of the league tournament. He also posted two straight shutouts to close out the regular season to lift the Explorers to the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship.
McCarthy earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie honors for his efforts. He picked up three Rookie of the Week nods during the regular season, as he helped defend four 1-0 wins on the season and registered his first career shutout in a scoreless double overtime tie at then-No. 5 Lehigh.
Farrell picked up NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year honors to go along with his Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award. He guided his squad to a 9-7-3 record including 6-2-1 in the Atlantic 10, a No. 2 seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship, a semifinal win over the defending league champion Saint Louis and a spot in the A-10 title match. In guiding the Explorers to a second place league finish, Farrell's squad bested their preseason prediction of 12th in the league. Farrell, in his 23rd year at the helm of the men's soccer program, is also La Salle's winningest coach.
Farrell's squads are also among the best academically. They have earned a number of NSCAA Team Academic recognitions over the years, and this year he coached the Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
In addition to the announcement of the NSCAA awards, the La Salle men's soccer program held its annual banquet on Sunday morning where the team awards were announced. The celebratory event recognized the team's achievements in the 2010 season as well as honored a few individuals who stood out this year. Richter earned the team's Most Valuable Player award for his achievements on the field this season. Dundon was the recipient of the Bill Wilkinson Athletic/Academic Award not only for his play on the field, but his tenacity in the classroom as he led all players with a nearly-4.0 GPA in Biology. McCarthy also picked up Newcomer of the Year honors.
