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Aaron Smiles is named first team, Daniela Marchitto fourth team

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Senior defender Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA) and junior forward Daniela Marchitto (Orange) - the men's and women's Player-of-the-Year selections in the Little East Conference this past season-- have been named to their respective National Soccer Coaches' Associate of America (NSCAA) All-New England Region teams.

At right: Aaron Smiles (10)

Smiles was named to the men's team for the third time while Marchitto was a first-time selectee. A first-team repeater, Smiles became only the second player in the history of the men's program to receive the honor as many as three times.  A total of 26 players were to the men's All-New England South Team - 13 to the first team and 13 to the second team. Smiles, who will be eligible for NSCAA All-America honors on the basis of his first-team selection, was one of three all-region selections from the Little East Conference.

Marchitto was a fourth-team all-region selection to the women's team, which included 46 players divided into four teams. Marchitto was one of four all-region selections from the Little East, three of whom landed on the fourth team.

At left: Daniela Marchitto (8)

This past year, Smiles was named LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and became only the second Eastern player in 23 years of LEC men's soccer to be named to the all-conference team as many as four times. He earned first-team accolades for the third straight year.   He was also named to the NEISL Senior All-Star Game last month.

Smiles started all 19 matches in which he appeared (missing three with a concussion), averaging 82.8 minutes per match and contributing five assists to improve his career total in that department o 29 - the most by an Eastern player in at least the last 22 seasons.

Under fifth-year head coach Greg DeVito in 2011, Eastern finished 15-6-1 (one win shy of the program record which was set two years ago), 6-1-0 in the Little East and became the first team in the program's 51-year history to record as many as five straight seasons of ten or more wins. The Warriors, ranked eighth in the final NSCAA New England rankings, qualified for post-season play for the fifth straight year, fourth as NCAA tournament participants. Eastern finished with a share of first place in the final conference standings for the third time under DeVito, winning outright its second regular-season title and going on to its third conference tournament championship.

This past year, Marchitto was selected as the Little East Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year - the fourth straight season in which an Eastern player has been tabbed as either the offensive or defensive Player-of-the-Year. The 2009 LEC Rookie-of-the-Year, Marchitto was named to the all-conference team for the third straight time - second time as a first-teamer.

Also a first-team all-conference selection in lacrosse last season, Marchitto was second in the conference this season in points (37), goals (15) and game-winning goals (4) and shared second place in assists (7). She contributed a point in 14 of 20 matches, including seven straight heading into the LEC championship game, won on penalty kicks by Eastern over top-seeded Keene State College at Keene, NH. Marchitto's goal was the only one of the match in a semifinal-round home win over Western Connecticut.

Marchitto's final point total this year was the fourth-highest in a season in program history and her goal mark equalled the fourth-highest.  With one year remaining, Marchitto ranks third all-time in goals (33), tied for fifth in points (79), and sixth in game-winning goals (10).

Seeded second, the women (11-9-1) qualified for their third straight (fifth in nine years under 12th-year head coach Chris D'Ambrosio) NCAA Division III tournament this past year with a 3-2 penalty-kick shootout win in the championship game of the  Little East tournament  The LEC tournament title was the fourth in nine years for Eastern., whose 6-1-0 LEC regular-season record this past year gave it a 62-9-6 mark - with more than one loss occurring in a season only once -- in regular-season conference play the last 11 seasons.

Student-athletes from all six fall teams earn all-academic honors

Complete listing.pdf

Eastern's honorees.pdf

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- A total of  32 Eastern Connecticut State University student-athletes representing all six fall sports earned spots on the Fall, 2011 Little East Conference All-Academic Team.

Seniors who were attaining spots on the fall academic honor roll for the maximum third time were Ryan Hughes (Cheshire) and Bryan Jorge (Bristol) of the men's cross country program, Sam Konopka (Hebron) and Jo-Ann Merheb (Bethel) of the women's soccer program and Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) of the men's soccer program.

Among the eight full-fledged LEC member institutions, Eastern recorded the second-highest total of all-academic team qualifiers in the fall.

Additional academic honor roll repeaters from last fall were junior Ryan Franklin (Glastonbury) from men's cross country, junior Denica Gagnon (Colchester) and senior Amanda Quinones (Trumbull) from women's cross country, senior Lyndsey Zavisza (Suffield) and junior Rochelle Normandin (South Windsor) from field hockey, juniors Jordan Munsell (Waterford) and Cory Tobler (Portland) from men's soccer, juniors Mackenzie MacLeod (Northfield) and Daniela Marchitto (Orange) from women's soccer, senior Gianna Trombino (East Moriches, NY) and junior Danielle Bourne (Branford) from women's volleyball. Senior women's volleyball player Kristianna Ibsen (Shelton) returned to the team after qualifying as a sophomore in 2009.

To qualify for the team, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore athletic and academic status with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30.

In addition to their athletic accomplishments, five of the student-athletes were recognized by the conference for their on-field successes this past fall: Quinones ran to All-New England Alliance honors for the third time with an 11th-place finish in the conference championships Oct. 29; Marchitto was named LEC Offensive Player-of-the-Year and to the all-conference first team; Appel was the first-team All-LEC goalkeeper, and Tobler was named to the second team.

Eastern's total of 335 all-academic selections since the program's inception in the fall of 2007 ranks it second among the eight conference institutions - the second most in the conference - 44 more than the third-place institution.

In 2010/11, Eastern featured the most academic honor roll achievers in all three playing seasons, totaling 89; in 2009/10, Eastern won the inaugural Presidents' Cup for having the highest cumulative GPA of all conference institutions.

Slonski in volleyball and Appel, Smiles in men's soccer are selected

From far left: Slonski, Appel, Smiles

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Eastern Connecticut State University senior volleyball player Samantha Slonski (Griswold) and senior men's soccer players Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) and Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA) have been selected to participate in their respective upcoming New England Division III senior all-star games.

Slonski, a  5-foot-7 inch setter/outside hitter,  is one of 33 selections to the New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) Senior Classic, while Appel and Smiles are among 36 selections to the New England Intercollegiate Soccer League (NEISL) All-Star Game.

The soccer showcase is scheduled for this Sunday at 11 a.m. on the Harvard University turf field in Cambridge. The volleyball all-star game is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 4 at 11:30 a.m. at the Clark Athletic Center on the University of Massachusett Boston. A 10 a.m. skills competition will precede the exhibition match.

A total of 33 different institutions are represented in the volleyball all-star game, with the soccer contest representing 21 New England institutions. The Little East Conference will be represented with six selections from four institutions to the volleyball game and four conference players representing two institutions will compete in the soccer match.

Slonski becomes the 22nd Eastern selection to the volleyball all-star game since 1987 - first since Marianna Capomolla and Jessica Keogh five seasons ago. The selections of Appel, a goalkeeper, and Smiles, a defender, bring to 15 - seven in the last five years -- the number of Eastern players tabbed to the soccer all-star game.

This past season, Slonski led the Warriors in assists (458)  for the third time in four years and ranked first in attack attempts (793), second in kills (278) and digs (343) and third in service aces (35). In her career, Slonski finished seventh all-time in assists (1,826) and in the top 15 in digs (1,168).

Behind Slonski, Eastern regained a spot in the Little East post-season tournament this past fall after a year's absence under interim head coach Pete Maneggia and upset higher-seeded Western Connecticut State University in the first round on the road. The Warriors finished with at least 20 wins (20-10) for the 26th time in the program's 37-year history.

This past year, Smiles was named LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and became only the second Eastern player in 23 years of LEC men's soccer to be named to the all-conference team as many as four times. He earned first-team accolades for the third straight year.  Appel was named to the all-conference team for the third time this past fall, second time as a first-teamer. 

Smiles started all 19 matches in which he appeared (missing three with a concussion), averaging 82.8 minutes per match and contributing five assists to improve his career total in that department o 29 - the most by an Eastern player in at least the last 22 seasons.

Overall, Appel tied the program record with ten full shutouts in backstopping the team to a program season-record  of 14. He finished the season with a 13-6-1 record, a 0.70 goals-against average and .854 save percentage, ranking 24th  nationally in save percentage and 36thth in GAA. As a team, Eastern ranked fourth in shutout percentage (.636/14 in 22 matches), 15th in save percentage and 21st in GAA.

In seven regular-season conference matches this past year, Appel allowed only one goal for a 0.14 goals-against average. In conference regular-season play, he also led the loop in save percentage (.968) and shutouts (5). 

Under fifth-year head coach Greg DeVito in 2011, Eastern finished 15-6-1 (one win shy of the program record which was set two years ago), 6-1-0 in the Little East and became the first team in the program's 51-year history to record as many as five straight seasons of ten or more wins. The Warriors, ranked eighth in the final NSCAA New England rankings, qualified for post-season play for the fifth straight year, fourth as NCAA tournament participants.

Eastern finished with a share of first place in the final conference standings for the third time under DeVito, winning outright its second regular-season title and going on to its third conference tournament championship.

Above: Carl Appel (12) and Aaron Smiles (second from left) were among five seniors whose careers ended in Sunday's NCAA loss.

They are eliminated in second round after allowing three straight goals

WATCH: Head Coach Greg DeVito (at left) evaluates the match (1:45)

AMHERST, Mass. -  The Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team was unable to neutralize Amherst College's strengths and was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament by a score of 4-2 Sunday afternoon at Hitchcock Field.

Ranked No. 8 in New England, Eastern (15-6-1) allowed more than two goals in a match for the first time this year and had a four-game winning streak snapped. Ranked No. 1 in New England and No. 4 nationally, Amherst (16-1-2) advances to the Round of 16 after setting a program record for wins in  a season

"We knew that they were going to be dangerous on re-starts and throw-ins," noted fifth-year Eastern head coach Greg DeVito. "With their size advantage, , we knew that we were going to need to win all second balls, and we weren't able to win all second balls."

Featuring eight players standing between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-5, Amherst scored its first three goals on serves into the box that were re-directed by headers and knocked into the goal when the Warriors were unable to clear the ball out of the box.

At right: Eastern senior defender Matt Esposito (6) defends Amherst junior forward Spencer Noon Sunday afternoon.

Eastern was able to match an early Amherst goal when junior Carl Stensland (Storrs) answered with his  fifth goal of the season five minutes after the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute.

After Amherst scored twice in ten minutes to take a 3-1 halftime lead, the Warriors came out strong in the second half and nearly scored twice in the opening minutes. Amherst senior keeper Leonard Kovacs, not called upon for a save in the first half, made his first save when he batted down a close, quick header taken by sophomore Luke Capezzone (Colchester) on  junior Cory Tobler's (Portland) cross from the left. Following an Eastern corner kick, juniors Matt Furman (Montville) and Jon DeCasanova (Glastonbury) unloaded shots in the box but neither was able to get through traffic. Minutes later, Tobler uncorked a quick shot off a pass from DeCasanova, but Kovacs made a diving, one-handed save at the right post.

In the 62nd minute, an unmarked sophomore Jae Heo found room in the middle of the box and sent the ball inside the left post to make it 4-1 to ice the win. DeCasanova's second goal of the year four minutes later rounded out the scoring.

Eight Amherst players contributed a point, with Heo assisting on the first goal, and scoring the tie-breaking goal and his team's fourth goal.

Eastern senior keeper Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) made four saves and Kovacs three. Eastern had took ten of its 11 shots in the second half. With Eastern trailing by two goals 11 minutes into the second half, Appel kept that margin intact when he leaped to bat junior Spencer Noon's open 16-yard one-timer  over the crossbar

ALL SMILES: In photo above, Matt Esposito (left) and Bradley Fletcher (right) celebrate Aaron Smiles' (center) first goal in three years that gave the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team an early 1-0 lead on the way to a 2-0 victory over Springfield College Saturday morning in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Hitchcock Field on the Amherst College campus.

AMHERST, Mass. --  Senior back Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA) scored his first goal in 50 matches to give the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team an early lead and the Warriors went on to a 2-0 victory over Springfield College Saturday morning in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Hitchcock Field.

A winner of six of its last seven, third-seeded Eastern (15-5-1) will face top-seeded Amherst College (15-1-2) Sunday at 1 p.m. in a second-round match at Hitchcock Field. Ranked fourth in Division III and first in New England,  Amherst  eliminated fourth-seeded Husson University, 4-0,  in Saturday's second match.

The winner will move into the Round of 16 next weekend at a location to be determined.

Smiles, who had not scored a goal since the eighth match of his sophomore year, gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead  12 minutes into action when he knocked the ball off the right post and past Springfield freshman keeper Brett Bascom. The play originated on  a corner kick by sophomore back Christopher Giustina (Enfield) from the right side. The corner sailed through the box, where junior midfielder Carl Stensland (Storrs) collected it and found Smiles near the top of the box, who fired it off the right post.

The Warriors added a second goal with 8:38 left in the first half when sophomore forward Tom Vear (Monson, MA) scored his fourth goal of the season after being inserted into the lineup six minutes earlier on an assist from junior midfielder Jon DeCasanova (Glastonbury).

Eastern senior keeper Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) recorded his tenth shutout of the season - 30th of his career. Appel needed only one save - than coming when he grabbed the re-direct of a header by Drew Vanasse in the first 30 seconds of the second half. The shutout extended the second record to  14 for Eastern, which has won all but one of its matches this season by shutout.

Each team recorded 11 shots, but none by Springfield were dangerous.  Appel's most difficult play came with Eastern leading 2-0 with 13 minutes left when he collided with Eric Stalsburg to break up a potential dangerous play at the left post, and clear the ball over the end line.

The Warriors nearly added a third goal inside the final minute of play when Stensland carried into the box, maintaining possession despite being tightly marked,  and firing a low shot which carried wide of the left post.

The win over Springfield in the second meeting ever between the programs (Springfield eliminated Eastern in the first round of the 1975 ECAC tournament) evens Eastern's post-season tournament record under fifth-year head coach Greg DeVito at 4-4. Last year, Eastern blanked Nichols College, 1-0, for its first NCAA win ever before the Warriors were eliminated in the second round by Bowdoin College.

No current Eastern player has faced Amherst, which defeated the Warriors by a 2-1 score in 2007 at Hitchcock Field.  The hosts won the game with a goal off a corner kick with 75 seconds left in regulation. A win Sunday ties the program record for wins in a season, set in 1969 and equaled two years ago.

Despite time limitations, coaches have developed quality programs

Above: Greg DeVito (left) and Chris D'Ambrosio

Men's Match: LIVE VIDEO! - 11 am

Women's Match: LIVE VIDEO/STATS, 5 p.m.-

WILLIMANTIC,Conn. -- By day, Greg DeVito is a fulltime faculty member at E.O. Smith High School. By night, Chris D'Ambrosio works  fulltime for the State of Connecticut with the Department of Developmental Services.

At right: Head women's coach Chris D'Ambrosio (background) and long-time assistant Ken Goodale (foreground).

In their spare time, the pair have made the soccer programs at Eastern Connecticut State University the envy of the Little East Conference, to say nothing of vaulting them into the regional and national limelight.

Saturday morning, DeVito leads the men's team into their fifth straight post-season tournament when they face Springfield College at 11 a.m. in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Hitchcock Field on the campus of Amherst College.

Some six hours later and 400 miles to the south, D'Ambrosio will be at the forefront when the women's soccer team kicks off  NCAA tournament play against homestanding Johns Hopkins University at 5 p.m. at Homestead Field on the JHU campus.

It's common knowledge that developing a winning program at the college level is a difficult, time-consuming process. Throw into that coaching mix a fulltime job and family and personal responsibilities, and the difficulty of creating and maintaining a successful program can be multiplied at least two-fold.

Both DeVito, a Norwalk native and University of Connecticut graduate, and D'Ambrosio, a Coventry native and St. Thomas University (FL) graduate, joined their respective soccer programs at Eastern as assistant coaches. Three years later, they were appointed head coaches.

At left: Greg DeVito directed the men's soccer program to its third straight NCAA tournament this fall.

DeVito replaced Frantz Innocent when the latter retired after a 17-year (parttime, as well) tenure. D'Ambrosio stepped in for his hometown buddy, Matt Paton, after Paton  was offered an assistant coaching position at the University of Colorado.

Neither DeVito nor D'Ambrosio needed much time to apply an indelible mark to their respective programs.

All five of DeVito's season at the helm have been punctuated by trips to a post-season tournament. Three times, the Warriors have won the Little East Conference tournament and with it, an automatic berth in the NCAAs. Last year, they were selected on an at-large basis after losing in the LEC tournament semifinals, and in 2008, they were the No. 1 seed in the ECAC tournament.

Every season, the Warriors have won at least ten matches under DeVito - the first time in the 51-year history of the program that this has been accomplished -- and have compiled a .745 winning percentage, which is easily the best winning percentage among the five coaches in program history.

Giving more credence to DeVito's accomplishments is the fact that until his arrival the program and qualified for post-season play only once in the previous 29 seasons and in the previous eight LEC tournaments, had failed to qualify four times and bowed out in the first round the other four years.

Twelve seasons into his head coaching career, D'Ambrosio is the all-time winningest head coach in the program's 26-year history with 146 victories. He also has compiled the highest winning percentage (.679) among the five coaches in program history.

With D'Ambrosio, the Warriors have lost more than one LEC regular-season match only twice. They have won or shared four conference regular-season championships and have won more LEC tournaments (4) in the last nine years than any other conference institution.

DeVito has been coaching soccer on a variety of levels for nearly 20 years. Prior to his appointment as Innocent's assistant, he had spent six years coaching girls' soccer at E.O. Smith, averaging 12 wins per year in three seasons as head coach. He began as assistant boys' coach with the state power boys' soccer team at Smith.

D'Ambrosio has coached both boys and girls' soccer, coming to Eastern after 11 successful seasons at Coventry High School with the girls' program. He has worked for the State of Connecticut for nearly 25 years, primarily on third shift. After catching a few hours sleep in the morning, he arrives at Eastern for practice or a game or to meet a recruit. Later that night, he will many times return to work in time for his 11 p.m. shift.

Making additional demands on D'Ambrosio's time are his two teenage boys who are involved in both travel and high school soccer.

Between games, travel, practices, scouting, recruiting and fundraising, each coach estimates working a 35-40 hour week during a ten-week soccer season.

Through the first week of November, D'Ambrosio says that he has additionally arranged two dozen campus visits for high school recruits.

There are two common denominators to both coach's success at Eastern: a passion for the game and time-management skills.

"With any situation like this, you have to love what you do," points out DeVito. "It doesn't really simulate work when you really enjoy it. And as the years go by, I've learned to make more time for myself and make sure that I don't' get to the point where I am overwhelmed, because if you are overwhelmed, it's not fun anymore. There's enough time in the day -- if you manage your time - to keep that anticipation  and fun and always look forward to the next day."

D'Ambrosio echos those comments: "Just trying to balance your schedule is one of the most difficult things," says D'Ambrosio, who labels the fall as 'chaotic.' "The time commitment is unbelievable. For me, 'organization' has become a strength. I know the amount of time that I have and the amount of time I need to do something in. "But the first few years," he admits, "were overwhelming."

Each coach points out that the contributions of his assistant coaches have been instrumental in the success of the program. D'Ambrosio's close friend, Ken Goodale, has shared the sideline with him for the last 11 seasons. DeVito has been assisted by Adam Phaniah in each of his five seasons and Jay Barney for four and Matt Weston for three. Goodale's roots go back to the early 1980s when the program began on the club level. Phaiah is an alumnus of the program and Barney a former standout goalkeeper who backstopped the team to its first LEC tournament title in DeVito's inaugural season in 2007..

After 25 years coaching girls and women, D'Ambrosio is well-versed on the need to communicate effectively and motivate his female players. "You have to be able to talk to them," he notes. "You need to say 'let's have a conversation'. Yelling and screaming at players - especially women - doesn't work. The chemistry is really important. The women have to want to work for each other. They have to get along."

Like D'Ambrosio, DeVito has developed a rapport with his players over the years and feels that communication and trust are imperative to building a successful program, especially when the coach isn't available to monitor activities on a fulltime basis. He looks upon the student-athletes as the building blocks of developing a national program.

Points out DeVito: "We have guys in the program who are willing to work hard all the time when they are not being watched all the time, and guys who are willing to do the right thing even when I'm not there to stand over them. Adds DeVito: "We have a group of guys who have bought into what it is that we are trying to teach them, and that what we are trying to stress to them is important."

Women visit unbeaten Johns Hopkins; men face Springfield at Amherst

Men's Match: LIVE VIDEO! - 11 am

Women's Match: LIVE VIDEO/STATS, -

5 pm

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - For the third consecutive time, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's and women's soccer teams will be competing in their  respective NCAA Division III tournaments in the same year and will play first-round matches on the road Saturday.

At left: Accepting the LEC championship trophy are seniors (from left) Theresa Pagnozzi, Sam Konopka, Jo-Ann Merheb, Amber Petrizzo and Laura Violette.

Both teams qualified automatically after winning their respective Little East Conference championships over the weekend for the second time in three years. The top-seeded men defeated second-seeded Keene State College, 1-0, Saturday at Thomas Nevers Field in the LEC final and the second-seeded women got past top-seeded Keene State College Sunday with a 3-2 penalty-kick decision after the teams had played 110 scoreless minutes at Keene, NH.

At left: Accepting the LEC championship trophy from Commissioner Jonathan Harper are senior co-captains Carl Appel (center) and Sean Collins.

The Eastern men (14-5-1), ranked No. 9 in New England, face Springfield College (10-4-4) at Hitchcock Field on the campus of Amherst College Saturday at 11 a.m. in a regional which includes host Amherst College and Husson University squaring off at 1:30 p.m.  Eastern is competing in a post-season tournament for the fifth straight year and in the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in that span. The Warriors have qualified on an automatic basis for the NCAA tournament twice and have been selected on an at-large basis twice. Unranked Springfield qualified for its first NCAA tournament in 12 years after defeating No.12 nationally-ranked Babson College on penalty kicks (4-3) following a 1-1 overtime draw in the championship match of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournamentSunday.

The Eastern women (11-8-1) qualified for their third straight NCAA tournament and fifth in the last nine years and will visit No. 4 nationally-ranked and unbeaten (19-0-0) Johns Hopkins University Saturday at 5 p.m. at Homewood Field in the first of two regional matches at Baltimore. At 7:30, Springfield College meets Cabrini College. Sunday's regional final is scheduled for 5 p.m. In 2009, Eastern qualified for the NCAA tournament by defeating top-seeded Keene State College on its home field in the Little East title game; last year, the Warriors gained an at-large bid on the strength of an unbeaten record,  and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament after winning the New England regional. Johns Hopkins advanced to the national quarterfinals a year ago before losing to eventual national runner-up Messiah College.

The Eastern men have faced Springfield only once - 36 years ago - when the Pride eliminated the Warriors in the first round of the ECAC tournament, 3-1, at Springfield, MA.The Eastern women and JHU will be meeting for the first time.

The Eastern men and women are the only Little East Conference institutions competing in the NCAA tournament.

Smiles of men's soccer team is four-time all-conference selection

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. --  Senior back Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA) of the men's soccer team and junior forward Daniela Marchitto (Orange) of the women's soccer team have been recognized with major awards by the Little East Conference in its season-ending awards program, it has been announced today.

Above: Aaron Smiles (Cristina Danielson photo)

Smiles was named Defensive Player-of-the-Year and Marchitto Offensive Player-of-the-Year and were among ten Eastern athletes in three sports recognized for their performances this past fall.

Smiles became only the second Eastern player in 23 years of LEC men's soccer to be named to the all-conference team as many as four times, joining two-time Offensive Player-of-the-Year Maxim Fantl (2006-2009). Smiles was named to the first team for the third straight year after earning second-team recognition as a freshman in 2008.

Marchitto was named to the first team twice in three years, repeating the first-team honor in 2009 when she was additionally recognized as Rookie-of-the-Year. She was a second-team choice last season.  Marchitto becomes the program's tenth Player-of-the-Year in the last 16 years - fifth in the last four years.

At left: Daniela Marchitto

A total of  four Eastern players were named to the 13-person first team - the most of any of the eight conference teams. Junior forward Matt Furman (Montville) repeated as a first-team selection, senior keeper Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ)  was named to the all-conference team for the third time. He was a first-team pick this year and in 2009 and a second-teamer in 2010. Earning recognition for the first time were senior back Matt Esposito (East Haven) and second-team selection Cory Tobler (Portland), a junior forward.

Joining Marchitto on the women's first team  were senior back Amber Petrizzo (Plainville) and junior midfielder Kelly Wallace (South Windsor), while sophomore midfielder Tamar Merheb (Bethel) was a second-team pick. Wallace repeated on the first team and Petrizzo was a second-teamer in 2010.

Junior back Lauren DeLuca (South Windsor) was a third-team selection for the field hockey program, which was presented the Team Sportsmanship Award for the second time in three years.

During the year, Smiles was voted LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Week three times, Appel Goalkeeper-of-the-Week twice, Tobler and Furman Offensive Player-of-the-Week once each, and Esposito was tabbed as the LEC tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Smiles started all 17 matches in which he appeared (missing three with a concussion), averaging 82.2 minutes per match and contributing five assists to push his career total in that department o 29 - the most by an Eastern player in at least the last 22 seasons.

In seven regular-season conference matches this year, Appel allowed only one goal for a 0.14 goals-against average. In conference regular-season play, he also led the loop in save percentage (.968) and shutouts (5).  Overall, he has posted nine full shutouts in backstopping the team to a program-record 13. He is 12-5-1 with a 0.55 GAA and .885 save percentage, ranking seventh nationally in save percentage and 15th in GAA. As a team, Eastern ranks third in save percentage, fourth in shutout percentage, and sixth in GAA.

The overall Little East scoring leader as a sophomore, Furman shared the conference lead this season in conference matches with four and was third with nine points. He leads Eastern against this year with nine goals (a team-high four game-winners) and 22 points, giving him 25 goals (11 game-winners) and 17 assists in his 55-game Eastern career. His 67 total points rank him second among all players in the last 22 seasons.

A four-year player, Esposito played both back and midfield this year. He has started 17 matches and has contributed six goals (tied for second on the team) and 14 points (tie for third). His penalty-kick goal early in the LEC championship game stood up in the Warriors' 1-0 victory over Keene State College last Saturday at Thomas Nevers Field.

A starter in 16 matches, Tobler is second on the team with 16 points and is second to Furman with three game-winners. In 62 career games, he has 15 goals and 13 assists for 43 points, with six game-winners.

The Eastern men (14-5-1) open play in their fifth straight straight post-season tournament Saturday at 11 a.m. against Springfield College at Amherst, MA. The Warriors, ranked eighth in New England, qualified automatically for the NCAA tournament with a 1-0 victory over Keene State in the conference championship game Saturday.

Marchitto was selected as the conference's Offensive Player-of-the-Week in the first report of the season. Also a first-team all-conference selection in lacrosse last season, Marchitto leads the conference in assists (7) and is second in goals (15) and points (37). She has contributed a point in 14 of 20 matches, including seven straight heading into Sunday's LEC final, won on penalty kicks by Eastern over top-seeded Keene State College at Keene, NH. Marchitto's goal was the only one of the match in a semifinal-round home win over Western Connecituct.

Marchitto's point total is currently the fourth-highest in a season in program history and her goal mark equals the fourth-highest.  Heading into NCAA play, Marchitto ranks third all-time in goals (33), tied for fifth in points (79), and sixth in game-winning goals (10).

A fifth-year senior, Petrizzo joins Marchitto as the only players on the team to start all 20 matches. She leads all  players with 1,637 minutes , an average of 81.9 and has played every minute of 12 matches this year, eight of them coming in succession beginning in mid-September.

A three-year starter, Wallace has started 18 matches this year with four goals and three assists. She assisted on Marchitto's winning goal against Western Connecticut  and knocked in the game-winning penalty kick Sunday against Keene State. She shares seventh place all-time with 19 career assists, ten coming as a freshman.

Merheb has been a two-year starter, teaming at midfield with Wallace.  She has started 18 matches and is second on the team in points (15) and tied for second in goals (6). She has played every minutes 12 times (six straight) and averages 77.5 minutes. Her unassisted goal on a free kick in the 80th minute Oct. 17 provided Eastern with a key 2-1 home conference victory over UMass Boston.

The Eastern women (11-8-1) open play in their fifth NCAA tournament in the last nine years Saturday when they visit No. 4 nationally-ranked and unbeaten Johns Hopkins University at 5 p.m.

A second-year player, DeLuca  becomes the field hockey program's  12th all-conference selection in 11 years.  She becomes only the third Eastern player to be named on defense, following Erika Profenno in 2004 and 2005 and Kristin Therkelsen in 2002. DeLuca let the conference with nine defensive saves. The Warriors finished 3-15, 0-11 in the conference.

All-Conference Selections

MEN'S SOCCER
Carl Appel-1   Sr. K West Windsor, NJ First Team
Matt Esposito   Sr. B East Haven  First Team
Matt Furman-2  Jr. F Montville  First Team
Aaron Smiles-3  Sr. B Bedford, MA  First Team
Cory Tobler   Jr. F Portland  Second Team

Defensive Player-of-the-Year
Aaron Smiles

1-First team in 2009, Second team in 2010 2-First team in 2010
3-Second team in 2008, First team in 2009 and 2010

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Daniela Marchitto-a  Jr. F Orange   First Team
Amber Petrizzo-b  Sr. B Plainville  First Team
Kelly Wallace-c  Jr. MF South Windsor First Team
Tamar Merheb   So. MF Bethel   Second Team

Offensive Player-of-the-Year
Daniela Marchitto

a-First team and Rookie-of-the-Year in 2009, Second team in 2010.
b-Second team in 2010
c-First team in 2010

FIELD HOCKEY
Lauren DeLuca   Jr. B South Windsor Third Team

Team Sportsmanship Award

Eastern Connecticut State University

Top-seeded Warriors earn fifth straight post-season bid with 1-0 win over Keene

VIEW NCAA Bracket

WATCH: Post-game interview with Matt Esposito. (2:30)

WILLIMANTIC,Conn. - The Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team remained undefeated in three trips to the Little East Conference playoff  final with a 1-0 victory over 2010 champion Keene State College Saturday afternoon at Thomas Nevers Field.

At left: Matt Esposito is presented the MVP Award by LEC Commissioner Jonathan Harper.

Senior Matt Esposito's (East Haven) penalty kick goal 5:30 into the match was the difference and sent top-seeded Eastern (14-5-1) to the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in the last five years.  The post-season tournament appearance will be the fifth straight for Eastern under fifth-year head coach Greg DeVito, now 70-25-11 in his Eastern coaching career.

Esposito deposited the game-winning penalty kick under the cross bar after Eastern junior Carl Stensland (Storrs) was knocked off his feet in the penalty box by Keene  (11-8-0)  senior Kevin Gomes. The goal was the sixth of the season and first in six games for Esposito, who recorded his first game-winning goal since his freshman season in 2008.

Esposito, named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, had a chance to make it 2-0 when he was awarded another penalty kick with 16 minutes left in the first half, but Keene sophomore keeper Malcom Cheney guessed correctly and made the save when he dove to his left. That PK was awarded when Eastern junior Matt Furman (Montville) was hauled down in the box by Keene freshman Nate Banas.

Two of the three saves by Eastern senior keeper Carl Appel (West Windsor, NJ) preserved Eastern's one-goal lead. The first came midway through the first period when the All-Region keeper denied Keene junior Danny Silverman with a dive to his right. With three minutes left in the first, Keene caught Appel away from the goal and was initially prevented  from putting a shot on net as the keeper scrambled back to his mark. In the box, freshman Michael Jacques finally fired a shot through traffic but Appel left his feet and hauled in the shot with a dive to his left.

Appel's career-high ninth shutout of the season and 29th of his career extended Eastern's season record in that category to 13. The shutout was the second this year against Keene for Appel, who made  one save in a 3-0 victory Oct. 8 at Nevers Field.

At left: This save with three minutes left in the first half by Carl Appel preserved the shutout. (Cristina Danielson photo)

Cheney made  five saves, one coming with 18 minutes left in the first half on a header by Furman off a free kick from senior Aaron Smiles (Bedford, MA). Cheney collected the shot at the right post to keep the margin at one goal.

Another Eastern opportunity went by the boards midway through the second half when sophomore Zach Kice's (Denver, CO) header off a feed from Smiles sailed over the cross bar.

Eastern has not given up a goal in three LEC title games. In its previous title game appearances, Eastern shut out Massachusetts Dartmouth, 1-0, in 2009 at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex and won a penalty-kick shootout over Keene State for its first championship in 2007 at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.  Keene is 6-3 in title game appearances.

In nine LEC regular-season and playoff games this year, Eastern  was 8-1 and featured a 21-1 advantage in goals and 95-70 lead in shots. Furman had four of the goals, Stensland and sophomore Mitch Power (Douglas, MA) three each and Kice had five assists. Appel played all but 14 minutes in those game with eight shutouts and a 0.11 goals-against average and .974 save percentage.

Eastern's 14 wins matches its total of a year ago and is two shy of the program record set in 2009.  The Warriors have won at least ten matches five straight seasons -- the first time in the program's 51-year history that this has been accomplished. 

Eastern will open in the NCAA tournament with either a first-round match Thursday or second-round contest Sunday.