News Release
Three Men's Soccer Players Voted to All-League Teams, Sye Selected NEWMAC Rookie of the Year
WORCESTER, MA- Three Wheaton College men's soccer players from this year's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season and tournament champions were voted to all-conference teams at Tuesday's postseason meeting at Clark University, including freshman standout Kyle Sye (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro Regional), who was also tabbed NEWMAC Rookie of the Year.
Seniors Trevor Cote (Portsmouth, RI/Providence Country Day School) and Jim Ferriero (Medway, MA/Medway) were selected to the all-conference first team, while Sye earned second-team accolades. Cote picked up his third consecutive all-league honor while being named to the first team for the first time, and Ferriero was chosen to the squad for the first occasion.
Cote provides a veteran presence as a co-captain and midfielder on a team for which 10 freshmen have appeared in at least 10 games. All three of his goals gave Wheaton the lead, two of which were back-to-back game-winning tallies against Roger Williams University and league foe Springfield College. Cote also scored a key goal during Wheaton's 2-1 win over Babson College on October 20, which clinched the regular season title for the Lyons. In conference play, he tied for fourth among all NEWMAC players in goals and tied for sixth in points. Cote has started in 20 games.
Ferriero, who is also a co-captain, anchors a backfield that primarily features one junior and two freshmen in front of three first-year keepers. Ferriero, who has 19 starts, has helped the Lyons yield one goal or less 15 times. In conference play, Wheaton posted a 1.12 goals against average. In the tournament, Ferriero played a key role in the team's shutouts over Clark in the semifinals and Babson in the final. His assists both came in the Babson victory that clinched the Lyons the regular season title.
Becoming the third Lyon to be named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year and first since 2005, Sye has posted two goals and seven assists for 11 points while appearing in every game from his midfield position, permanently moving into a starting role with the most recent nine contests. He is tied for the league lead in assists while also tying for the top spot in helpers during NEWMAC play. Five of Sye's assists came on goals that either tied the game or gave Wheaton the lead. His first collegiate tally came in overtime at Brandeis University on September 19.
Wheaton has posted a 12-6-3 record to date, as the Lyons captured the NEWMAC regular season and tournament crowns for the seventh time in the league's 10-year history, thus qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight fall and eighth time since 1997. Wheaton hosts local opponent Bridgewater State College in the first round tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., with the winner advancing to Saturday's second round at Middlebury College at 1:00 p.m.
Submitted 2007-11-06 15:28:41 by Wheaton College-MA Sports Information Department
