JMU'S SAPONG LEADS PRESEASON ALL-CAA MEN'S SOCCER SQUAD
RICHMOND, Va. (August 17, 2010) – James Madison senior forward/midfielder CJ Sapong, a three-time selection to the All-CAA men’s soccer first team, has been chosen as the conference’s preseason Player of the Year for 2010 in voting by the league’s head coaches.
Sapong received first team All-South Atlantic region accolades last season after contributing 10 goals and eight assists for the Dukes. He enters 2010 among the top 20 in JMU history in career goals (25) and points (62). Sapong was one of 39 players named to the Watch List for the Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s top collegiate soccer player at the end of the season.
Joining Sapong in the midfield on the preseason All-CAA men’s soccer team were William and Mary senior Nat Baako, UNC Wilmington sophomore Etienne Boulanger, Towson senior Marco Mangione and UNCW senior Daniel Roberts. Baako, a first-team All-CAA pick in 2009 and a member of the preseason Watch List for the Hermann Trophy, tallied three goals and five assists for the Tribe a year ago. Boulanger earned a spot on the CAA All-Rookie squad last season after tying for the UNCW lead in goals with five. Mangione had eight goals and four assists for the Tigers last year and made the All-CAA second team. Roberts contributed a team-high 13 points (4g, 5a) for UNCW last season and was a third-team All-CAA choice.
Voted to the preseason All-CAA team at forward were Northeastern sophomore Don Anding, George Mason senior Victor Freeman and Towson junior Liam Maloney. Anding received first-team All-CAA and CAA Rookie of the Year accolades after leading the Huskies with seven goals and 16 points. Freeman, a second-team All-CAA pick in 2009, topped the Patriots with seven goals and 18 points. Maloney made the All-CAA first team last season after tying for the league lead with 10 goals and ranking third in points with 24.
Chosen to the preseason all-conference squad on defense were Northeastern senior Santiago Bedoya, Towson senior Scott Horta, Northeastern senior Matt Sanford and UNC Wilmington senior Indy Smith. Bedoya tallied a goal and five assists for the Huskies last year and earned first-team All-CAA accolades. Horta received third-team All-CAA honors for the third year in a row in 2009, while Sanford also made the All-CAA third team last season. Smith, a two-time first-team All-CAA selection, received third-team All-America honors last year after scoring a pair of goals and anchoring a UNCW defense that posted 11 shutouts. He is also on the preseason Watch List for the Hermann Trophy.
UNCW senior Brock Duckworth is the goalkeeper on the preseason all-conference team. He earned second-team All-CAA honors in 2009 after posting a league-best 0.64 goals against average and eight shutouts while making 93 saves.
The 2010 CAA men’s soccer season gets underway on September 1.
2010 PRESEASON ALL-CAA MEN’S SOCCER TEAM
Player, School Pos. Cl. Hometown
Don Anding, Northeastern F So. Amity Harbor, N.Y.
Victor Freeman, George Mason F Sr. Bowie, Md.
Liam Maloney, Towson F Jr. Liverpool, England
Nat Baako, William and Mary MF Sr. Accra, Ghana
Etienne Boulanger, UNC Wilmington MF So. Ste-Julie, Quebec
Marco Mangione, Towson MF Sr. Parkville, Md.
Daniel Roberts, UNC Wilmington MF Sr. Sugar Land, Texas
CJ Sapong, James Madison MF Sr. Manassas, Va.
Santiago Bedoya, Northeastern D Sr. Weston, Fla.
Scott Horta, Towson D Sr. Lawrenceville, N.J.
Matt Sanford, Northeastern D Sr. Princeton, N.J.
Indy Smith, UNC Wilmington D Sr. Black Mountain, N.C.
Brock Duckworth, UNC Wilmington GK Sr. Parker, Texas
Honorable Mention: Stephan Barea, MF, Hofstra; Mike Kennedy, F/MF, Northeastern; Alan Koger, F, William and Mary; Evan Newton, GK, Old Dominion; Yannick Smith, F, Old Dominion; Tommy Webb, D, Old Dominion; Paul Wyatt, F, James Madison
PRESEASON CAA MEN’S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR: CJ Sapong, James Madison