SALEM, Mass. – Midfielder Gabriel Meireles (Everett, Mass.) was named the 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and earned first-team status as four Salem State players earned all-conference honors as announced by the league on Wednesday.
Joining Meireles on the first-team was Felipe Montiel (Maracaibo, Venezuela) while Igor Caldas (Vitoria, Brazil) and Lucas Amaral (Peabody, Mass.) earned second team honors.
Meireles led all freshman in the conference with 23 points (8g, 7a) and was the focal point of the Vikings' offense this season as one of the league's top passing midfielder's and his seven assists were third most in the MASCAC this year. Montiel was one of the MASCAC's top defenders, starting in all 18 games for Salem State while adding three goals and an assist. Montiel spearheaded a unit that allowed just 14 goals in 19 games (12-3-4) for a league-best .070 goals against average.
Midfielder's Caldas and Amaral finished tied for second in scoring for Salem State with four goals and four assists apiece. The duo combined for four game-winning goals to produce one of the most productive offensive units in the conference this year.
Framingham State's Bryce Nardizzi and Johance Liverpool earned the 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honorees. Nardizzi, a junior from Framingham, Mass. helped the Rams to a 5-0-2 mark during conference play and the top seed in the MASCAC Tournament. He finished the year atop the league in goals with 15 points with 39 and game-winning goals with six. He also had the second-most assists with nine and was 2-for-2 on penalty kicks.
Liverpool, a senior from Arima, Trinidad earned the first-ever 2018 MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year honor after anchoring a Rams' defense that held their opponents to 1.52 goals per game, a.098 shooting percentage with seven shutouts on the year.
After leading his team to the 2018 MASCAC Regular Season title and the top spot in the tournament, Dean Nichols of Framingham State was named the 2018 Champion's Choice Men's Soccer Coach of the Year by his peers.
Joining Nardizzi, Liverpool and Meireles on the 2018 MASCAC First Team is Bridgewater State's Kessy Alves and Nate Morgado, Framingham State's Isaac De Souza and Ken Stahovish, Massachusetts Maritime's Adam Crawford and Ben Paine, Salem State's Montiel and Worcester State's Clayton DeMelo.
Landing on the 2018 MASCAC Second Team is Bridgewater State's Zachary Ells, Kane Moran, Kevin Roberts and Stanislaus Sokolov, Salem State's Amaral and Caldas, Westfield State's Tyler Diotalevi, Brodie Keene, Sinha Kunphel and Kieran Moriarty and Worcester State's Bryan Brasil.
