Just, Falconieri on first unit
D&E and Wesleyan both well represented for league honors
BRIDGEPORT — Davis & Elkins sophomore midfielder Markus Just and West Virginia Wesleyan senior forward Luca Falconieri have earned spots on the Mountain East Conference men’s soccer first team.
The Bobcats’ Luis Diaz, a sophomore defender, was named to the second team, while D&E’s Nicolas Burnz (defender) and Wesleyan’s Jeremy Collins (GK) and Josh Tenney (midfielder) were honorable-mention choices.
Burnz and Collins were also named to the All-MEC freshman team.
The University of Charleston had six first-team selections, while runner-up Notre Dame had three. Urbana had two first-team selections, while D&E, Wesleyan and West Liberty each had one honoree.
Urbana’s Jasminko Dizdarevic, along with Charleston’s Ploutarchos Alonefti, Jordi Ramon and Dan Stratford, earned top honors from the league.
Dizdarevic, a senior forward from St. Charles, Ill., notched 13 goals and had five assists on his way to Offensive Player of the Year honors in the MEC. He led the league in goals, goals per game, points, points per game and shots. He recorded four multi-goal games this season and registered a point in 10 of 18 games for the Blue Knights.
Ramon, a junior from Valencia, Spain, is the third different player from Charleston in as many years to earn MEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Ramon helped lead a defensive unit that has posted 10 shutouts on the year and a goals-against average of 0.38.
Alonefti, a native of Nicosia, Cyprus, is the conference’s Freshman of the Year for his work in the midfield for UC. He found the back of the net five times this year and also dished out five assists for 15 points.
Two of his scores were game-winners for the Golden Eagles.
Stratford was named MEC Coach of the Year for a second straight season after leading Charleston to a 15-2-1 record, including a 15-0-1 mark in league play — marking a third straight unbeaten record in the MEC. He helped guide UC to a sixth straight regular season conference title.