Matteo, Baxter named to NEAC Women’s Soccer All-Conference Teams
By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – Oct. 30, 2014) The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) has announced its 2014 Women’s Soccer All-Conference selections, naming two from Morrisville State to its second and third teams, respectively.
Paris Matteo (Valley Stream, N.Y.) earned second team honors for the Mustangs at the midfield position, following a stellar junior season that brought a new dynamic to both the offensive and defensive game for Morrisville State this season.
Second on the team in scoring with eight goals and seven assists, Matteo was responsible for creating opportunities for the Mustangs offensively. She led the team in game winning scores this season, netting four winning tallies, three that came within conference play (Gallaudet, Wilson, Cazenovia). Matteo had a single game high two goals twice on the season, once against Southern Vermont, and again at St. Elizabeth.
She currently ranks sixth overall in the conference in assists (7) and is 13th in points (23). Her efforts on the field garnered her NEAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, September 30.
The graduate of SUNY Delhi and Valley Stream High School is majoring in technology management at Morrisville State College. She is the daughter of Jan and Tony Matteo of Valley Stream.
Senior Krista Baxter (Downsville, N.Y.) earned third team accolades for a second straight year for the Mustangs at forward, following her best collegiate season.
Baxter led Morrisville State in scoring, netting 13 goals, nine coming within conference play, for a total 26 points on the season. Twice this season she posted single game highs of 4 goals, in the wins over St. Elizabeth and Wilson College.
Baxter currently ranks 7th overall in the conference in goals scored (13) and is 10th in points (26). She is tied for second all-time in the Mustang record books in career points recorded in her career.
The senior is a graduate of Downsville High School and is majoring in criminal justice at Morrisville State. A two-sport student-athlete in soccer and softball, Baxter is the daughter of Betseylynn and James Baxter of Downsville.
Morrisville State concluded the 2014 season campaign with a 9-7 overall record, finishing 6-6 within conference action.
Larkin nabs top goalkeeping honor; named NEAC Goalkeeper of the Year
By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – Oct. 30, 2014) The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) has announced its major individual award winners, naming Morrisville State College junior Rob Larkin (Clinton, N.Y. / Clinton), the 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year.
Larkin led all conference goalkeepers in wins recorded throughout the year (12), goals against (7), and goals against average (0.64), while ranking second in save percentage (0.837).
Throughout the year, he posted four shut out victories, adding 36 saves to his tallies, including a season most seven stops in Morrisville State’s 3-2 overtime defeat of then #13 nationally ranked University of Rochester early in the season.
Within conference play he has allowed just four goals, while posting a .846 save percentage and 0.52 goals against average.
“Rob’s contribution to our success this season cannot be measured,” said head coach Kyle Graves.
“On the field he gives us the confidence to know that he and our backs can keep the ball out of the back of the net, which allows us so much freedom to get forward and score at the rate we do. Aside from his play, he was grown into an outstanding leader who earns the respect of everyone around him.”
Larkin also ranks 34th overall in all of Division III in goals against average (0.644) and is 50th in save percentage (0.837). To date he has boasted an overall record of 12-1-0 in net for the Mustangs, 8-1-0 in conference play, and played a major role in the team that claimed the regular season conference title with a 14-2 overall record, 9-1 NEAC record.
“I think earning conference recognition is long overdue and I couldn’t be happier for Rob,” Graves said.
The Mustangs rank ninth in all of Division III in win-loss percentage (0.875) and are 44th in shut out percentage (0.50) for the regular season. For the past five weeks, Morrisville State has also maintained ranking in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III East Region poll, ranking as high as seventh among top teams in the region.
In three years at keeper for Morrisville State, Larkin has significant numbers for the Mustangs in net, appearing and starting in 50 games, playing 4,291 minutes. Over three seasons, he has posted a 33-10-5 overall record in net, a 1.03 goals against average, and 0.816 save percentage while posting 12 shut out victories.
Just a season ago, he broke the all-time record for goals against average in a single season (0.84) and is on pace to again take the top spot this year. Larkin also holds the top spot in career shut outs recorded in the Mustang record books.
A graduate of Clinton High, Larkin is majoring in residential construction at Morrisville State. He is the son of Shannon and Robert Larkin of Clinton.
Morrisville State’s Graves named NEAC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year
By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – Oct. 30, 2014) The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) has announced that Morrisville State College head coach Kyle Graves, has been named the Conference Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year.
Graves was selected by his coaching peers after guiding Morrisville State to the regular season title and top seed in the upcoming conference championship tournament with a 14-2 overall record and 9-1 stint within NEAC action.
One of the wins came over then #13 nationally ranked University of Rochester early in the season.
The Mustangs also posted a program best 10-0 record on their home turf, the first time in program history as a member of the NCAA, while maintaining a top 10 ranking within the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III East Region poll for the past five weeks. Graves’ Mustangs have ranked as high as seventh among powerhouse programs in the East region.
In the latest Division III men’s soccer rankings released Monday by the NCAA, Morrisville State currently holds a top 14 spot in seven different categories; including points per game (5th – 9.94), assists per game (7th – 2.56), total assists (14th – 41), win-loss-tie percentage (9th – 0.875), scoring offense (3rd – 3.69), goals (4th – 59), and points (5th – 159).
Graves has guided the Mustangs to three straight appearances in the NEAC Championship Tournament, claiming the tourney title in 2012 to advance to the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time in program history.
Over the past three years, Graves has guided the men’s soccer program to an overall 39-12-5 mark, 22-4-2 stint within NEAC play.
Morrisville State hockey duo earn SUNYAC Weekly Honors
By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – Nov. 18, 2014) The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) has announced its winter athletes of the week for the week ending November 16, naming Morrisville State College’s Darren Young (Woodstock, Ontario) and Layne Martin (Findlay, Ohio) the Men’s Ice Hockey Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively.
Young paced the Mustangs to a 2-0 weekend with seven points across two games, as he posted one goal and tallied six assists as Morrisville State swept Cortland 6-4 and 7-3 over the course of the weekend.
He posted a goal and four assists on Friday before adding two additional assisting tallies on Saturday.
The sophomore is majoring in business administration at Morrisville State. He is the son of Eustacia and Dave Young of Woodstock, Ontario.
Martin earns Rookie of the Week accolades following his four point weekend in the sweep over Cortland, On Friday he posted a two goal, one assist performance to help lift the Mustangs to the victory before adding another assist in the win on Saturday.
To date on the season, he has posted four scores and assisted another four for eight points.
The freshman is majoring in liberal arts and sciences – math and science at Morrisville State. He is the son of Tiffani and Thomas Martin of Findlay, Ohio.
Fitzpatrick named NJAC Football Co-Coach of the Year
By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – Nov. 21, 2014) The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) office announced today that Rowan University head coach Jay Accorsi, and Morrisville State College head coach Curt Fitzpatrick have been selected by their peers as the 2014 NJAC Co-Coaches of the Year.
Fitzpatrick guided the Mustangs to a program best record since becoming a member of the NCAA Division III as they wrapped up the regular season with an 8-2 overall record. In the preseason poll Morrisville State was selected to finish fifth, but was slated as the conference “dark horse” and put together a 6-1 conference record, clinching a share of the NJAC Championship Title, and a berth to the ECAC North Central Bowl.
In just two seasons at the helm of the program, Fitzpatrick has guided the Mustangs to an 11-9 overall mark gaining national attention as his high powered offense holds a fifth overall ranking in the NCAA Division III in first downs (262), a 27th overall ranking nationally in rushing offense (243.3 yards per game), and 16th overall ranking in total offense (485.5 yards per game).
Morrisville State sits atop the NJAC statistic leaderboard in scoring (36.5 points per game), total offense (485.5 per game), rushing offense (243.3 per game) and first downs (26.2 per game).
During his time with the program, 18 student-athletes have earned NJAC All-Conference recognition, with senior quarterback Lemar Johnson (Ossining, N.Y.) earning the NJAC Offensive Player of the Year honors in consecutive seasons.
Three Mustangs named NJAC Football Players of the Week in final week of selections
(Morrisville, NY – Nov. 2014) The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) announced its final football players of the week selections for the week ending November 22, naming three from Morrisville State to its weekly awards.
Senior quarterback Lemar Johnson (Ossining, N.Y.) collected his seventh Offensive Player of the Week accolade this season, after being named the Most Outstanding Player of the ECAC North Central Bowl. In the 52-41 victory over Utica, he rushed for a collegiate best 210 yards and five touchdowns, adding 118 passing yards and a touchdown in the program’s school-record ninth NCAA Division III victory of the year.
In his final collegiate contest, he broke three Mustang records, including career rushing yards (2,659), career rushing touchdowns (32) and career points scored (194). Johnson finished the season as the NJAC leader in both pass efficiency (138.7) and total offense (331.2 yards per game).
Senior kicker, Zach Drake (Canastota, N.Y.) earns the final NJAC Special Teams player of the Week accolade, after helping Morrisville State secure the bowl victory over Utica. In this final game of his collegiate career, Drake went a perfect 7-for-7 on PAT attempts, while adding a 22-yard field goal for a 10 point contribution to the program’s first postseason appearance since becoming a member of the NCAA, Division III.
Drake finished the season ranked tied for fourth in the NJAC in field goals made per game (0.40).
Tyler Cowley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was named the conference’s Offensive Rookie of the Week after contributing to the offensive unit that produced 568 yards total offense in the ECAC Championship over Utica. In the first postseason game of his career, he helped propel the Mustangs to a school record 450 yards rushing yards.
Cowley started 10 games for the Morrisville State offense that finished the season as the NJAC leader in both team scoring (37.9 points per game) and total offense (493.3 yards per game).
Morrisville State wrapped up the 2014 season campaign with a 9-2 overall record, claiming a share of the NJAC title, and earning its first ever post-season bid, and ECAC Bowl Title.
Pictured from top Johnson, Drake and Cowley.