Central Islip, N.Y. – After an unbeaten
regular record in East Coast Conference play, members of the LIU
Post Pioneers men’s soccer team took home four out of five
top All-Conference awards, as voted on by the league’s
coaches. Junior forward Eivind Austboe (Stavanger, Norway)
was named the Offensive Player of the Year, senior back Eirik
Bjoernoe (Randaberg, Norway) took home the Defensive Player
of the Year, Johann Kristjansson (Reykjavik, Iceland) earned the
Rookie of the Year, and head coach Andreas Lindberg garnered Coach
of the Year honors. Mercy’s Nick Papas (Castleton, N.Y.)
rounds out the top award winners as the Goalkeeper of the Year.
Austboe had a huge bounceback season after missing the second half
of the 2012 campaign with an injury. In 18 games, Austboe has
scored 20 goals and added nine assists for a whopping 49 points on
the season. His goal and point totals lead the ECC, while his
assist total ranks second. He has also been clutch for the Pioneers
by tallying a conference high nine game-winning goals. Austboe
finds his name among the leader board for all of Division II, as
well. He ranks third in both points per game (3.08) and goals per
game (1.31) and is sixth in the nation in both points and
goals.
Kristjansson was another vital cog of the high-powered LIU Post
offense in 2013. A two-time ECC Rookie of the Week, Kristjansson
tallied 10 goals and three assists to total 23 points on the
season. Both his point and goal totals were good for second in the
conference.
Offense wasn’t the only reason for the Pioneers outstanding
season, as evidenced by Bjoernoe capturing the Defensive Player of
the Year honor. Bjoernoe was the leader of a back line that helped
LIU Post allow only a 0.91 goals against average in 18 matches. His
play helped the Pioneers shut out five opponents on the season.
Bjoernoe also contributed by adding six assists to rank fourth in
the ECC.
Papas, a four-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week recipient,
captures the Goalkeeper of the Year award after posting an 11-3-4
record in front of the net for the Mavericks. Papas outstanding
season included leading the ECC in nearly every statistical
category. His goals against average (0.84), saves (81), save
percentage (.835), and shutouts (7) numbers all paced the way in
the conference. Papas also ranked high in all of Division II,
coming in at No. 20 with his save percentage and total save
numbers.
Leading his team to an ECC Regular Season title for the third
consecutive year, Andreas Lindberg has been voted the ECC
Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year by his peers for the third
straight season. Lindberg guided the Pioneers to a 15-1-2 regular
season record, spending three weeks as the No. 1 ranked team in the
country along the way.
Austboe, Bjoernoe, and Papas are joined on the All-Conference
First Team by: Matt DiDonna (F, NYIT), Cemil Turan (F, LIU Post),
Dan Brown (F, Molloy), Vinny Caccavale (M, NYIT), Per Forgaard (M,
LIU Post), Glen Reid (M, Queens), Jonathon Watkin (M, LIU Post),
Lee Middleton (B, Bridgeport), and Clayton Ulmer (B,
Bridgeport).
All-Conference Second Team recipients include forwards: Kariym
Balthazar (Dowling), Kyle Clifford (Daemen), and Lee Martins
(Bridgeport); midfielders: Andreas Blanke (Bridgeport), Christian
Diaz (Mercy), Javier Gallardo (NYIT), and Jose Herrera (Dowling);
backs: Gonzalo Barroso (NYIT), Guillerom Fuentes (NYIT), and Aitor
Iriate Gurrutxaga (Queens) along with goalkeeper, Marco Jorgensen
(LIU Post).
2013 ECC Men's
Soccer All-Conference
First Team
F - Eivind Austboe, LIU Post
F - Dan Brown, Molloy
F - Matt DiDonna, NYIT
F - Cemil Turan, LIU Post
M - Vinny Caccavale, NYIT
M - Per Forgaard, LIU Post
M - Glen Reid, Queens
M - Jonathon Watkin, LIU Post
B - Eirik Bjoernoe, LIU Post
B - Lee Middleton, Bridgeport
B - Clayton Ulmer, Bridgeport
GK - Nick Papas, Mercy
Second Team
F - Kariym Balthazar, Dowling
F - Kyle Clifford, Daemen
F - Lee Martins, Bridgeport
M - Andreas Blanke, Bridgeport
M - Christian Diaz, Mercy
M - Javier Gallardo, NYIT
M - Jose Herrera, Dowling
B - Gonzalo Barroso, NYIT
B - Guillermo Fuentes, NYIT
B - Aitor Iriate Gurrutxaga, Queens
GK - Marco Jorgensen, LIU Post
Offensive Player of the Year: Eivind Austboe,
Jr., F, LIU Post
Defensive Player of the Year: Eirik Bjoernoe, Sr.,
B, LIU Post
Goalkeeper of the Year: Nick Papas, Sr., GK,
Mercy
Rookie of the Year: Johann Kristjansson, Fr., F,
LIU Post
Coach of the Year: Andreas Lindberg, LIU Post
