Castleton University Men's Soccer
Coach John O'Connor

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM CASTLETON MEN'S SOCCER!

KOENEMANN NAMED FIRST TEAM NSCAA ALL-NEW ENGLAND
First Spartan Player to be Honored by the NSCAA Since 2010

Kansas City, Kan. – Castleton senior goalkeeper Nate Koenemann has been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA)/Continental Tire NCAA Division III Men's All-New England Region First-Team for his impressive play this year.

Koenemann was selected to the North First Team after helping to lead Castleton to a 13-4-2 record, its best winning percentage in nearly 20 years and the top spot in the North Atlantic Conference Tournament. For his efforts during the regular season he was named the NAC Defensive Player of the Year, and also earned first-team all-conference honors.

The senior started all 19 games for the Spartans this year and finished with a 1.13 goals against average to go along with a solid .768 save percentage. In conference play he recorded four shutouts while posting a .824 save percentage and 0.64 GAA. He finished his career first in program history in victories (39), second all-time with 19 shutouts and third in goals against average (1.24).

Koenemann was one of four NAC players to earn all-region honors, as Michael Hand of Thomas, Rob Lucas of New England College and Nicholas George of Maine Maritime Academy were named to the second team.

Koenemann is the third Spartan in the last ten years to earn NSCAA All-Region honors and first since Josh Costa was a second-team selection in 2010.

Koenemann will now be eligible to be nominated for NSCAA All-America.

To view the complete team go to www.nscaa.com.

KALER & MCCORMICK NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Midfielders Earn North Atlantic Post Season Honors

CASTLETON, V.T. – Castleton State College junior midfielder Bryce Kaler and freshmen midfielder Alex McCormick have been named to the 2013 North Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer All-Tournament team.

Kaler, the Burnt Hills, NY native started in all 19 games this season, finishing his junior campaign with 3 goals and 2 assists for 8 points. He had two game winning goals this fall, one in a 1-0 win over Southern Vermont and the second 1-0 overtime match versus Thomas College. He was also named to First Team All-Conference team by a vote of the league coaches for the second consecutive season.

McCormick, from Starksboro, VT, started in 18 of 19 games this season as a first year player. His lone goal of the campaign was a 25 yard game winner in a 1-0 victory over SUNY-Cobelskill.

The Spartans finished 2013 with a 13-4-2 record, earning the regular season North Atlantic Conference league championship. Castleton earned the #1 seed in the NAC Tournament, defeating #8 Lyndon State College before losing to eventual champion Thomas College 2-0 in the semi-final.

KOENEMANN NAMED NAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Headlines Five All-Conference Picks for the Spartans

Castleton, Vt. – Senior goalkeeper Nate Koenemann was honored as the North Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and was one of five all-conference selections in a vote of the conference's head coaches.

Koenemann was named to the NAC All-Conference First Team along with juniors Spencer Dandurand, Bryce Kaler and Justin Hepburn. Junior Dameon Young was named second-team all-conference.

Castleton first-year head coach John O'Connor was also honored, earning Coach of the Year honors from his peers after piloting the Spartans to the top seed in the conference tournament.

Koenemann garnered Defensive Player of the Year honors after backstopping the Spartans to a 7-1-1 mark in conference play. He led the league with seven wins and just six goals allowed in conference play, while posting three shutouts and a save percentage of .824.

Dandurand started all nine NAC contests and finished with two goals and three assists to earn all-conference honors for the second time in his career. Kaler was selected to the first team for the second straight year, scoring two goals and one assist in conference play while controlling the middle of the field. Hepburn earned first-team honors after leading all Spartan defensemen with six points on two goals and two assists. Young was selected to the second team after scoring four times with two assists in nine NAC contests.

Maine Maritime forward Nicholas Gage was named the NAC Player of the Year after leading the conference with 21 points and nine goals in conference play, as well as a 7-1-1 record and a first-place tie in the league standings.

Husson freshman forward Jimmy Fitzpatrick was named Rookie of the Year after leading all first-year players with 11 points and four goals in conference play this season. Fitzpatrick scored an impressive three game-winning goals in five team wins and was named conference Rookie of the Week on three separate occasions.

Maine Maritime garnered the league's Sportsmanship Award.

NAC all-conference selections are determined by a vote of the conference coaches.

DANDURAND NAMED NAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Castleton, Vt. - Spencer Dandurand helped lead the Spartans to a playoff win on Sunday, and on Monday afternoon was named North Atlantic Conference Player of the Week for his performance.

Dandurand led the top-seeded Spartans to a 5-0 victory over Lyndon St. on Sunday afternoon, scoring the eventual game-winning goal and adding an assist on the Spartans' second score. The junior sprinted through contact to run down a lofted through ball, collected it, and chipped the Lyndon keeper to put Castleton up 1-0 in the early going. A few minutes later, Dandurand sent a cross from the left flank to the goal mouth where Owen Fellows finished it off.

SPARTANS CLINCH TOP SEED IN NAC TOURNAMENT