CAPE COD, Mass. - Southern Vermont College Mountaineer forward Nick Haggerty was named to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference 2009 Division III New England Men's Soccer All-Star First Team Wednesday. Haggerty, a sophomore criminal justice major, tallied 41 points and helped lead SVC to the NECC Semifinals.
"This is a tremendous honor for a very special young man," said SVC Head Coach Tim Penrod. "Not only does this recognize his efforts from this past season, but I really believe it honors our entire program and the hard work that they put in all season. If you look at Nick's 14 goals this year, he had help getting several of them. At the same time, he managed to have 13 assists, so he also found ways to set his teammates up as well."
When asked what this achievement means to the Mountaineers program Haggerty stated that, "This shows that our program is improving and that we are getting regional recognition outside of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC)."
Haggerty, of Wynantskill, N.Y. where he attended Averill Park High School, led the NECC in goals, assists, and overall points giving him a easy spot on the NECC First-Team All-Conference.
"We had a great season this year and it is a good step towards
building the program to what it should be," added Haggerty. "Coach
Penrod is working on recruiting a great freshmen class that will
help us advance even farther in the NECC Playoffs next year."
"I've had the pleasure of watching Nick play for two years now, and I'm confident that he's only going to get better in the next two years," said Coach Penrod. "If you watch him practice, he pushes himself each and every day to get better. He will not accept just being a good player. He wants to be the best, and he wants his team to be the best. His winning mentality played a huge role in our success this season."
The Mountaineers had an incredible 2009 season following a tough 2-13-1 finish in 2008, posting a solid 11-8-1 overall record.
"I find it remarkable that he accomplished so much this season, especially having to sit out a few games with an ankle injury," said Coach Penrod. "Without a doubt, he was our most influential player all season and, in my mind, probably the most influential player in our conference. The statistics speak for themselves, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him in the top 5 in the country in scoring again each of the next two years."
The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic and the only multi-divisional conference with approximately 300 Divisions I, II, and III colleges and universities from Maine to North Carolina and westerly to Illinois. Established in 1938, the ECAC, a non-profit service organization, sponsors nearly 100 championships in 37 men's and women's sports, assigns more than 4,400 officials in 12 sports, administers nine affiliate sports organizations and six playing leagues and recognizes more than 2,000 student-athletes through the public relations arm of the conference.