Whittle Named Player Of The Year As Three Blazers Earn All-Conference Awards
Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Elms College junior Donald Whittle (Somers, Conn.) was been selected as the 2016 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Men's Soccer Player of the Year to headline the NECC Postseason awards, announced by the conference office Tuesday. Whittle was joined by classmate C.J. Dabkowski (Bristol, Conn.) on the All-NECC First Team, while sophomore Colby Macdonald (Bristol, Conn.) earned a Second Team selection.
Whittle becomes the second player in program history to be tabbed as the top player in the conference, joining Connor O'Grady, who claimed the award after the 2014 season. Whittle powered the Blazers offense in 2016, racking up 26 points with 11 goals, including three game-winning goals, and four assists behind a league-high 116 shots. In conference play, Whittle potted nine goals with an assist for 19 points, ranking second in conference play in both points and goals.
Dabkowski swipes his first NECC postseason accolade after registering a career-high 14 points with four goals and a team-high six assists. In conference action, Dabkowski led the league in assists, while adding three goals for 12 points in NECC play.
Macdonald nabs his second All-Conference selection, pairing his 2016 Second Team honor with his 2015 Third Team status. Serving a variety of roles for the Blazers on both halves of the field, Macdonald tallied five points with two goals and an assist.
The Blazers wrapped up the 2016 season with a 5-14-1 record, including a 4-3-1 mark in conference action, after falling to three-time conference champions Daniel Webster College in the semifinals.
Player of the Year: Donald Whittle, Elms (Jr., F, Somers, Conn.)
Rookie of the Year: Nilton De Andrade, Newbury (Fr., F, Boston, Mass.)
Goalkeeper of the Year: Cooper Hall, Daniel Webster (Jr., GK, Heber City, Utah)
Coach of the Year: Renato Capobianco, Regis
All Conference First Team
Alex Carvajal, Daniel Webster (Sr., M, Medellin, Columbia) Chasen Congreves, Daniel Webster (Sr., D, Essex Junction, Vt.) Cooper Hall, Daniel Webster (Jr., GK, Heber City, Utah) Michael Ottman, Daniel Webster (Sr., D, Kennebunkport, Maine) CJ Dabkowski, Elms (Jr., M, Bristol, Conn.) Donald Whittle, Elms (Jr., F, Somers, Conn.) Anthony Vitta, Lesley (Jr., M, Oceanside, N.Y.) Prince Boateng, Newbury (Sr., D, Worcester, Mass.) Nilton De Andrade, Newbury (Fr., F, Boston, Mass.) Emiky Pires, Regis (Jr., D, Boston, Mass.) Litchie Barbosa, Regis (So., M, Boston, Mass.)All Conference Second Team
Colby Macdonald, Elms (So., D, Bristol, Conn.) Billy Baker, Lesley Sr., D, Sacramento, Calif.) William Ferguson, Mitchell (Fr., D, Old Lyme, Conn.) Andrew Nigro, Mitchell (Sr., F, East Granby, Conn.) Seth Strader, Mitchell (Fr., GK, Preston, Conn.) Greg Brooks, Newbury (Sr., D, Amityville, N.Y.) Alex Davis, Newbury (Sr., M, Gloucester) Estevao Gomes, Newbury (Fr., M, Boston, Mass.) Derek Triana, Regis (So., M/F, Port St. Lucie, Fla.) David Venegas, Regis (Jr., M, Escondido, Calif.) Paddy McGovern, Southern Vermont (Jr., F, Cheshire, England)All Conference Third Team
Matheus De Farias, Daniel Webster (So., M/F, Lowell, Mass.) Kevin Herrara, Daniel Webster (Fr., M/F, Metapan, El Salvador) Eusebio Marote, Daniel Webster (Sr., M, Lowell, Mass.) Nuno Pereira, Lesley (Jr., F/M, Sao Filipe Fogo, Cape Verde) Harrison Sidell, Lesley (Sr., M, Newhall, Calif.) TJ Condon, Mitchell (So., M, North Stonington, Conn.) Zavier Veliz, Mitchell (Jr., D, New Longdon, Conn.) Manny Santiago, Regis (Sr., GK, Bristol, Conn.) Colin Thurston, Regis (Jr., D, Temecula, Calif.) Kieran Enright, Southern Vermont (So., D/M, Perth, Australia) Jake Figueiredo, Southern Vermont (Fr., D/M, Wethersfield, Conn.)All Sportsmanship Team
William Tripp, Becker (Sr., M, Aberdeen, Md.) Jon Fitzpatrick, Daniel Webster (Jr., D, Billerica, Mass.) Donald Whittle, Elms (Jr., F, Somers, Conn.) Enzo Bertolotti, Lesley (So., M/F, New York, N.Y.) Andrew Nigro, Mitchell (Sr., F, East Granby, Conn.) Michael J. Walker, Newbury (Jr., D/M, Fredriksted, St. Croix USVI) Derek Triana, Regis (So., M/F, Port St. Lucie, Fla.) Devin Furphy, Southern Vermont (Fr., D/M, Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) Cristian Lemus, Wheelock (Fr., D, Medford, Mass.)
ELMS SOCCER
