Conaway, DeBord Earn Top Individual Honors in NCAC

Andrew DeBord

Junior Brian Conaway (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg) and senior Andrew DeBord (Cincinnati, Ohio / Indian Hill) capped off a stellar season for The College of Wooster men's soccer team by being named the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in the North Coast Athletic Conference, respectively. Seven Scots in all were selected all-conference, including four on the first team, as the league office made the announcement on Monday.

Conaway earned his third consecutive first-team selection and his second Offensive Player of the Year award in three years after being selected as a freshman in 2001-02. The speedy junior led the league with 31 points on 12 goals and seven assists, including eight game-winning goals, and finished the season averaging a league-best 1.94 points per match. Through his first three seasons, Conaway has 31 goals and 13 assists, putting him in excellent position to finish among Wooster's top-five all-time scorers.

DeBord, also earning his third first-team honor, was the defensive anchor to a unit that allowed just 11 opponent goals all season and recorded eight shutouts out of 16 matches. During his four years as a starter, Wooster's defense recorded 31 shutouts in 70 matches. DeBord also contributed on the offensive end for the Scots, tallying two assists on the year.

Rounding out the first-team selections for the Scots were senior Adam Milligan (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville) and junior David Treleven (Hudson, Ohio / Western Reserve Academy). Milligan, selected to the all-conference team for the third time, earned his second consecutive first-team selection after recording nine goals on the year and a school record 10 assists. He finished second to Conaway in scoring with 28 total points and 1.75 points per match. Milligan closed out his career as a Scot ranking third on the all-time scoring list with 97 points (39 goals, 19 assists).

Treleven was the league's top goalie after making 58 saves and posting a 0.69 goals against average. The junior goalie saved 84.1 percent of the shots he faced and recorded eight shutouts. At one point in the season, Treleven had a 647:48 scoreless streak spanning nine games, seven of which he recorded shutouts in.

Seniors Brian Goche (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) and Chris Sirois (Meriden, Conn. / Choate Rosemary Hall) were selected for the third and second postseason awards of their careers, respectively. Goche was one of the top-midfielders in the conference, helping the defense limit its opponents to just 8.0 shots per game and posting the seven shutouts, while starting every game. He also lent support on the offensive end, tallying two assists. Goche was named to the second team in 2002 and tabbed honorable mention all-conference in 2003.

Sirois earned his second postseason distinction after being named second team All-NCAC last season. The senior was an important factor during Wooster's run to the co-championship, helping the defense post seven consecutive shutouts at one point in the season. Sirois contributed offensively as well, recording a goal and an assist.

Earning honorable mention accolades for the second consecutive season was Gerrit Ockers (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Coffman). Ockers was an important part of the Scots' league-leading defense, helping the squad hold opponents to a 0.69 GAA and only giving up 11 goals in 16 games. He also chipped in with a goal and two assists, including the helper on the game-winning goal against Earlham.

Wooster claimed its second consecutive NCAC co-championship after finishing 8-1 against conference opponents and 13-3 overall. The Scots have posted five consecutive winning seasons, including an overall record of 61-18-8.