Three Falcons Recognized with Year-end Conference Honors

Westfield, Mass. – The Massachusetts State Collegiate Conference (MASCAC) has announced its year-end awards for men's soccer and three Falcons were honored.

Simon Vikoler of Fitchburg State has been tabbed as the 2014 MASCAC Rookie of the Year after a first-year campaign that saw the Chiusa, Italy native score seven goals and add an assist for a team-best 15 points and help his team to the third seed in the conference tournament.

Senior keeper Aidan Hanratty was tabbed to the all-conference second team for the second consecutive year, recording eight wins during the regular season. The East Bridgewater native currently holds a 1.05 goals against average, while recording five shutouts.

Junior defensemen Blaine Bolduc was also recognized by the conference on the inaugural all-sportsmanship team.

Conor Murtagh of Bridgewater State is the 2014 MASCAC Player of the Year and headlines the All-Conference Team as voted on by the coaches from around the league.

Helping the Bears to the regular season conference title and the top seed in this week's tournament, the junior from Walpole, Mass. closed out the regular season first in the conference in goals with nine and points with 20 while netting three game-winning goals.

For his efforts in helping the Bears to the top seed and a regular season title, Brendan Adams of Bridgewater State is the 2014 Champion's Choice Men's Soccer Coach of the Year.

Landing on the 2014 MASCAC First Team with Murtagh is Bridgewater State's Kolin Campbell, Nicholas Keddie and Jonathan Pires, Framingham State's Bryan Dasilva, Cory Cardeiro and Nicholas Cotter, Massachusetts Maritime's Joe Cohen, Rob Robbs and Michael Rouette and Westfield State's Nick Tavares.

The 2014 MASCAC Second Team along with Vikoler is Bridgewater State's Steve McAvoy and Justin Kachadoorian, Hanratty, Framingham State's Suhairu Kato, MCLA's Anthony Basile, Edward Boateng and Dylan Pereira, Massachusetts Maritime's Matthew McDonough and Worcester State's Joshua Evans and Kyle Venne.

This year for the first time, the conference is awarding a student-athlete from each institution in all of the participating sports and a coach selected by their peers to the MASCAC Sportsmanship Team. Those selected embody good sportsmanship on and off the field. The 2014 Men's Soccer Sportsmanship Team recognizes Kolin Campbell of Bridgewater State, Bolduc, Kelvin Okyere of Framingham State, Ryan Baker of MCLA, Matthew McDonough of Massachusetts Maritime, Nondas Kargakis of Salem State, Joe Pantusco of Westfield State and Emil Dedo of Worcester State. Greg Perry of Massachusetts Maritime was named the 2014 Men's Soccer Sportsmanship Coach of the Year by his peers.

The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the nation's first Division III men's and women's playing conference, has a rich and storied tradition of competitive success while celebrating excellence in the classroom. MASCAC core member schools include Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. Two other institutions, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University, are affiliate members of the conference in the sports of football and men's ice hockey, while Western Connecticut State University joined the conference as an affiliate member in football beginning in 2013.