Emory Selected 2009 Daktronics NCAA Division II Central Region Men's Soccer Player of the Year

Fort Lewis leads all teams with eight selections

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Steven Emory of Metropolitan State College of Denver headlines the 2009 Daktronics Men's Soccer Central Region team as he was voted the Daktronics Men's Soccer Central Region Player of the Year. 

Emory, who was also named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2009 and an All-RMAC first team selection, tallied 10 goals, seven assists, 76 shots (43 shots on goal), two game-winning goals and one hat trick.  Emory tallied his first career hat trick on Oct. 18 in a 4-1 win against UC-Colorado Springs.   He notched a career high four assists in a 7-0 win over Colorado Christian two weeks later.  Emory, who finished in the top five in the league in points, goals and assists, led the Roadrunners to a third place finish in the RMAC with an 11-6-2 overall record.  He started all 19 games he played in.

At the conclusion of the regular season, CSU-Pueblo's Erik Andersen was ranked fourth in the league in goals scored (10) and sixth in points (22).  The senior from Phoenix, Ariz. set a school record by scoring a goal in six straight games.  Colorado Mines' Jeff Nelson led the RMAC in game-winning goals (five), and he was second in goals scored (12), third in goals per game, fourth in points (28) and fourth in points per game.  An All-RMAC first team selection and ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII second team honoree, Nelson also added 36 shots and 26 shots on goal.  Fort Lewis' David Barden and Euan Purcell joined Andersen and Nelson on the Daktronics All-Central Region First Team.  Barden, who was an All-RMAC first team selection, was second on the team with 10 goals and third on the squad with 25 points.  Teammate Purcell, also an All-RMAC first team selection, led the RMAC in points (39) and goals (18).  A native of Bolton, England, Purcell scored three game-winning goals.

An All-RMAC first team selection in 2009, Chike Sullivan started all 20 games, notching 18 points (seven goals, four assists), three game-winning goals, 25 shots on goal and he was 3 for 3 in penalty kicks.  Junior Tom Settle of Fort Lewis was a unanimous All-RMAC first team selection who led his team and the league with 16 assists.  Heading into last weekend's NCAA playoffs, Settle had tallied eight goals, 16 assists and one game winning goal.  Mary's Nikola Nikolic, a newcomer to the program from Ridgewater Community College, led the Marauders with 10 goals, five assists and 25 points, along with three game-winners. He helped the Marauders double their win total from four each of the past two years to eight this season.

Teammates Ryan Brennan and Gary Cole of Regis University led the defensive selection on the first team.  Brennan, who started 14 of 17 games he played in, helped the Rangers register six shutouts this season.  He also assisted on one goal.  Cole tallied an assist and started all 19 games this season.  Both players were named to the All-RMAC first team.  Metro State's Pat Laughlin, also an All-RMAC first team selection, tallied eight points from his defensive position.  He had the second best plus-minus rating among MSCD defenders with +15 (on the field for 36 goals, 21 goal allowed).  Two of his three goals scored this season were game-winning goals.  Jamie Cunningham of Fort Lewis helped his team to an undefeated league record.  He tallied 12 points this season and helped hold opponents to a total of 11 goals in 22 games.

Zane Wells, the 2009 RMAC Defensive Player of the Year, led the league with nine shutouts.  He played 1426 minutes, allowing only eight goals and making 25 saves for a 0.50 goals against average.  He posted a 15-0-0 record.

The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. Sports Information Directors from each school in the region nominated and voted for the Daktronics all-region team.

The online nomination and voting processes are powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM.  Headquartered in Charleston, S.C., ATHLETICSITE.COM is the official provider for college athletic websites for over 30 sports organizations, primarily at the NCAA Division II level.  To receive more information on how your institution can partner with ATHLETICSITE.COM for a customized website solution, visit www.athleticsite.com. 

FIRST TEAM
F              Erik Andersen, CSU-Pueblo (Senior, 5-10, 175, Phoenix, Ariz./Phoenix College)
F              David Barden, Fort Lewis (Senior, 6-4, 185, South Haven, Mich./South Haven HS)
F              Jeff Nelson, Colorado Mines (Senior, 6-2, 190, Larmie, Wyo./Laramie HS)
F              Euan Purcell, Fort Lewis (Senior, 6-1, 163, Bolton, England/Harper Green HS)
MF          Steven Emory, Metro State (Junior, 6-2, Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins HS)*
MF          Nikola Nikolic, Mary (Sophomore, Belgrade, Serbia, Ridgewater CC)
MF          Tom Settle, Fort Lewis (Junior, 5-11, 155, Portsmouth, England, Cams Hill HS)
MF          Chike Sullivan, Colorado Mines (Sophomore, 6-0, 158, San Juan, Trinidad &
Tobago/St.       George's College)
D             Ryan Brennan, Regis (Senior, 6-3, 210, Albuquerque, N.M./St. Pius X HS)
D             Gary Cole, Regis (Junior, 6-0, 180, Englewood, Colo./University of Vermont)
D             Jamie Cunningham, Fort Lewis (Junior, 6-2, 174, Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle HS)
D             Pat Laughlin, Metro State (Senior, 5-10, Scottsdale Ariz./Brophy College Prep)
GK           Zane Wells, Fort Lewis (Senior, 6-1, 180, Durango, Colo/Durango HS)

SECOND TEAM
F              Scott Grode, Metro State (Sophomore, 5-10, Gilbert, Ariz./Basha HS)
F              Nathan Kafer, Regis (Junior, 5-8, 150, Eric, Colo./Broomfield HS)
F              Robert Kinsey, CSU-Pueblo (Sophomore, 5-8, 165, Denver, Colo./Cherry Creek HS)
F              Derek Oelmann, Upper Iowa (Sophomore, 6-1, 175, Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock     HS)
MF          Ted Decker, Colorado Mines (Senior, 5-9, 155, Butte, Mont./Butte HS)
MF          Matt Friesen, UC-Colorado Springs (Sophomore, 5-10, 180, Colorado Springs, Colo./Rampart HS)
MF          Tyler Hambrick, Metro State (Senior, 6-0, Northglenn, Colo./Faith Christian HS)
MF          Jeff Jennings, Fort Lewis (Senior, 6-1, 165, Aurora, Colo./Grandview HS)
D             Fabian Kling, Fort Lewis (Sophomore, 6-4, 170, Augsburg, Germany/ Holblein HS)
D             Jaron Stewart, UC-Colorado Springs (Junior, 6-2. 165, Frisco, Texas/Centennial HS)
D             Tyler Wilson, Metro State (Junior, 5-10, Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill HS)
D             Kyle Wood, Fort Lewis (Junior, 5-9, 165, Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado HS)
GK           Manville Strand, Colorado Mines (Freshman, 5-10, 152, Las Vegas, Nev./Spring Valley HS)

*2009 Daktronics NCAA Division II Central Region Men's Soccer Player of the Year