PITMAN, N.J. –
Brian Woods was named the 2008 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Men's Soccer Coach of the Year, leading a list of seven honorees from the William Paterson program, the conference office announced Nov. 4.
Sophomores
Julian Valerio (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) and
Joe Strawman (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central) were named to the All-NJAC First Team, while classmates
Ambrogio Pipitone (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and
Chris Belan (Howell, N.J./Freehold Twp.) were selected to the All-Second Team. Junior
Dan Peragallo (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) and sophomore
Matthew Heitmann (Westwood, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) rounded out the group of Pioneers as honorable-mention honorees.
Woods was honored for the first time during his 17-year career after leading William Paterson to a 13-3-2 regular-season record and a fourth-place finish in the NJAC standings with a 5-3-1 record. The fourth seed in the NJAC Tournament, the Pioneers earned a 5-1 victory against The College of New Jersey in the first round Nov. 1, and have been ranked as high as 11th this year in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top 25 Poll.
Valerio leads William Paterson with 16 assists and 34 points this season, adding nine goals. The sophomore forward leads the conference in assists and assists/game (0.89, fifth in Division III), is second in points and points/game (1.89, 32nd in NCAA), is tied for seventh in goals and eighth in goals/game (0.50). Valerio was named the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 8 and Oct. 20 and the ECAC Metro Region Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 21, and established a new single-season assists record when he recorded his 16th of the year on Nov. 1.
A sophomore back, Strawman has posted season totals of two goals and an assist for five points, despite missing the last eight matches due to injury. He has helped direct a Pioneer defense that ranks second in the conference in both goals allowed (14) and goals-against average (0.72).
Pipitone, a sophomore forward, leads William Paterson with 13 goals this fall and ranks second with 27 points. In the NJAC statistics, he is first in goals/game (0.76), tied for first in goals, fourth in points/game (1.59) and fifth in goals. He was named the NJAC and ECAC Metro Region Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 27.
A sophomore midfielder/back, Belan earns his second all-conference honor after being named to the 2007 All-NJAC Honorable Mention Team. He has scored a goal this season, and has helped lead a Pioneer defense that ranks second in the conference in both goals allowed (14) and goals-against average (0.72).
Peragallo, named the NJAC and ECAC Metro Region Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 15 and Sept. 29, has started all 19 matches in goal and is tied for first in the NJAC in save percentage (.875, 12th in Division III), second in saves/game (5.16), third in goals-against average (0.75, 45th in NCAA) and saves (98), tied for third in shutouts (seven) and fifth in shutouts/game (0.37). Peragallo is one shy of matching the William Paterson single-season shutout record of eight.
Heitmann, a sophomore back, has started all 19 matches for the Pioneers this season, and has helped to direct a Pioneer defense that ranks second in the conference in both goals allowed (14) and goals-against average (0.72).
