2024 SUNYAC Men's Soccer Annual Awards Released
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC announces its 2024 men's soccer All-Conference teams and individual awards including the Huntley Parker Offensive Player of the Year, Fred Holloway Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coaching Staff of the Year as voted on by the conference coaches.
Huntley Parker Offensive Player of the Year - Diego Rivera, Buffalo State
In 2024, Rivera helped lead his team to the No. 1 seed in the conference going into postseason play. In his junior season, he ranked second in the league with 16 points and seven goals in conference competition. Rivera is also ranked first in the conference overall with 41 points, 17 goals and four game-winning goals so far this season. At forward, he had two hat tricks against Mount Aloysius and Oswego. Rivera was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after helping the Bengals advance to the championship match. Rivera and his team will continue their season after earning an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.
Huntley Parker was a highly successful men's soccer coach at Brockport for 14 years, winning the SUNYAC Conference twice in 1961 and 1968, while sharing the title 1970. In 1970, Parker led Brockport to the NCAA Regional Conference Champions. Parker was inducted into the Brockport Hall of Fame in 1985, while the field at Brockport was named in his honor. Parker passed away in 2003.
Fred Holloway Defensive Player of the Year - Alex Lessman, Cortland
Lessman started 22 games at defense helping the Red Dragons hold their opponents to 20 goals overall and just .87 goals per game so far this season. Cortland was 6-1-2 after regular season conference play and clinched the No. 3 seed going into postseason. Lessman was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after leading a defense that allowed just two goals to help win the program's 21st overall league title. Lessman and his team will advance to the NCAA tournament where they will face Messiah at Williams College in the first round, Saturday, November 16 at 1:30 p.m.
T. Fred "Prof" Holloway coached men's soccer at Cortland from 1936-72, guiding his program to a 191-94-23 record. His Red Dragons suffered just two losing seasons in 35 years, while his teams appeared in three NCAA tournaments and captured six SUNYAC Championships. Prof chaired the founding committee of the National Soccer Coaches Association, designed a statistical system for the selection of All America Collegiate Soccer players, and in 1958 was selected by the members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America to receive their most coveted recognition, the Annual Honor Award. In 1987, Cortland dedicated its soccer field in his honor. Holloway passed away in 1990.
Rookie of the Year - Ronaldo Fatolou, Morrisville
Fatolou started seven conference games in goal for the Mustangs adding up 47 saves with two shutouts. Overall he started 11 matches, totaled 64 saves, had a save percentage of .810 and recorded three shutouts. Fatolou had a season high of 10 saves in two conference games this season against Oswego and New Paltz.
Coaching Staff of the Year - Buffalo State
The Buffalo State men's soccer coaching staff is led by head coach Francesco Cardillo and he is assisted by August Finn, Saleman Salim and Yohan Andraud. The Bengals clinched the top seed in the league after finishing regular season conference play 7-1-1. The team advanced to the SUNYAC tournament final match, but fell short to No. 3 Cortland, 3-1. Buffalo State, ranked No. 2 in the region, earned an at-large bid into the 2024 NCAA men's soccer tournament. This is the first time the Bengals have earned an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament since 2017 and it is the eighth time overall in program history. The team will face Thomas (ME) in the first round at Tufts. Buffalo State has a 15-2-3 overall record entering NCAA competition.
2024 SUNYAC Men's Soccer All-Conference Teams (PDF)
|
Name, School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
|
First Team |
|||
|
Manu Prieto, Buffalo State |
Sr. |
F |
Cascais Portugal/Salesianos Do Estoril |
|
Diego Rivera, Buffalo State |
Jr. |
F |
East Meadow/Cairo Durham |
|
Matt Shultz, Cortland |
Sr. |
F |
Oneonta/Oneonta |
|
Ali Somow, Oneonta |
Sr. |
F |
Utica/HCCC |
|
Mateo Marra, Cortland |
Gr. |
M |
Ossining/Ossining |
|
Derek Marques, Oneonta |
Sr. |
M |
Somers/Somers |
|
John Hayes, Plattsburgh |
Sr. |
M |
Pearl River/ Pearl River |
|
Salvador Gomes, Buffalo State |
Jr. |
D |
Lisbon, Portugal/Colegio de S. Thomas |
|
Alex Lessman, Cortland |
Gr. |
D |
Plainview/Plainview-Old Bethpage |
|
Brian Coughlan, Plattsburgh |
Sr. |
D |
Pearl River/Pearl River |
|
Christian Micheli, New Paltz |
Sr. |
G |
Carle Place/St. Anthony |
|
Second Team |
|||
|
Yasin Choukri, Cortland |
Sr. |
F |
Wilton, CT/Wilton |
|
Brian Taylor, Fredonia |
Sr. |
F |
East Patchogue/Bellport |
|
Luigi Prosperi, Oneonta |
Sr. |
F |
Lynbrook/Long Island University |
|
Sam Gregson, Buffalo State |
Jr. |
M |
Anglesey, Wales/Ysgol David Hughes |
|
Alex Wyant, New Paltz |
Jr. |
M |
Beacon/Beacon |
|
Nate Masucci, Oneonta |
Sr. |
M |
Greece/Fingerlakes CC |
|
Kyle Gehnrich, Oswego |
Gr. |
M |
Commack/Commack |
|
Tapiwa Mushonga, Buffalo State |
Jr. |
D |
Johannesburg, South Africa/Hilton College |
|
Jack Pinnata, Cortland |
Sr. |
D |
Plainview/Plainview-Old Bethpage |
|
Alberto Molina, New Paltz |
Gr. |
D |
Hopewell Junction/University of Rhode Island |
|
Teddy Healy, Plattsburgh |
Sr. |
G |
Amityville/Kellenberg Memorial |
|
Third Team |
|
|
|
|
Adam Webster, Buffalo State |
Sr. |
F |
York, England/Woldgate College |
|
Brandon Dhanoolal, New Paltz |
Fr. |
F |
Tarrytown/Irvington |
|
Tajay Ellis, Oswego |
So, |
F |
Queens/High School for Law and Public Service |
|
Aney Djadou, Buffalo State |
Fr. |
M |
Buffalo/Amherst |
|
Sam LaMendola, Cortland |
So. |
M |
Buffalo/Williamsville South |
|
Thomas O'Neill, Plattsburgh |
Gr. |
M |
Massapequa Park/Messapequa |
|
Owen McGarrity, New Paltz |
Gr. |
D |
Massapequa Park/Massapequa |
|
Dillon Kelly, Oneonta |
Jr. |
D |
Wappingers Falls/Beacon |
|
Adrian Matute, Oneonta |
So. |
D |
Islip/Islip |
|
Hajoon Lee, Oswego |
Sr. |
D |
Pittsford/Pittsford Mendon |
|
Shae Wirt, Buffalo State |
Sr. |
G |
Overland Park, KS/St. Thomas Aquinas |
|
Ronaldo Fatolou, Morrisville |
Fr. |
G |
New York/Urban Assembly for Media |
