SUNY CANTON ATHLETICS

(Canton, N.Y.)- The SUNY Canton men's soccer team announced their team award winners at a banquet earlier this spring.

Head coach Al Benda, who stepped down after the season, handed out three awards to his team that advanced to the Sunrise Conference tournament for the third straight year.

Junior defender Justin Martin (Lowville, N.Y.) was named the Most Valuable Player.  Martin, an outside defender who came back from a season-ending knee injury as a sophomore, missed just two games this season and helped guide a defense that held opponents to only 2.2 goals per game while posting five shutouts.  The Roos also allowed just 14 shots per game.

Sophomores Brett Nortz (Watertown, N.Y.)and Homero Flores (Mexico) were each given a Coach's Award.  Nortz recorded one goal and two assists on nine shots from his midfield position and Flores had one assist and made six saves playing goalie in one game.

Freshman forward Chris Cumella (Webster, N.Y.) was named the Sunrise Conference Rookie of the Year and junior midfielder Repton Abrahams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and sophomore goalie Eamon Case (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) both made the all-Sunrise Conference team.  Nortz was named the conference's Outstanding Scholar-Athlete for earning the highest grade-point average among all men's soccer players and Martin received a Scholar-Athlete award.