Three Owls Tabbed With A-10 Postseason Honors

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Atlantic 10 Conference released its annual men's soccer awards on Wednesday in preparation for the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championship, which begins this Thursday, Nov. 8 at Transamerica Field in Charlotte, N.C. Among those recognized, Temple freshmen midfielder Jared Martinelli was named the league's Rookie of the Year and to the All-Rookie Team.

Joining him with all-conference honors is senior Cody Calafiore, who was tabbed a member of the All-Conference Second Team, and junior Vaughn Spurrier, who received accolades by being named to the All-Academic team.

Nationally-ranked VCU's Jason Johnson was named the 2012 Atlantic 10 Conference Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year, while Xavier's Nick Hagglund and Charlotte's Donnie Smith were tabbed the league's Defensive and Midfielder of the Year, respectively, in voting conducted among the Conference's 16 head coaches. In the same vote, Mike McGinty of Saint Louis was selected as Coach of the Year

Martinelli, a four-time A-10 Rookie of the Week this season, has scored 28 points in 2012, which is tied for eight all-time for most points in a single season at Temple. Currently, the midfielder from Mechanicsburg, Pa. is ranked third in the nation for most points by a freshman.

In a season in which the Owls are playing their final year in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Martinelli not only is the last Owl to pick up the Rookie of the Year award, but the first since Chris Cotton was garnered with the honor in 1990.

Of those 28 points, 18 have come from his nine goals, which is the most for an Owl since 2003 and is the third-most by first-year player at Temple. Five of his goals have served as game-winners in half of the team's total wins. Martinelli is one score away from becoming Temple's first 10-goal/10-assist scorer in program history.

Martinelli became the third player in Temple history to notch double figures in the assists category when he tallied his 10th in the Owls' A-10 Tournament berth victory at La Salle on Oct. 28.

For the second time in his three-year career at Tempe, Calafiore has been named to the All-Conference team. This season he is named to the second team following a year in which he transitioned into more of a defensive midfielder this season. Ranking eighth in the conference with six assists, the Howell, N.J. native has scored four goals, giving him 14 points, which is second-most on the team. Heading into the Atlantic 10 Championships, Calafiore, who was named to the conference's first team back in 2010, has registered at least one point in four of the last five games, helping Temple go 3-1-1 in that span.

With a 3.65 grade point average in biophysics, along with becoming Temple's second player in program history to tally 10 assists, the 2010 All-Rookie Team selectee has been named to this season's All-Academic team. The midfielder from Cleveland, Ohio is tied with Martinelli for the team lead and for fifth in the nation. He, along with Martinelli combine for the most assists ever by a Temple duo with 20.

Spurrier is Temple's first member to the All-Academic team since J.T. Noone was selected in 2009.

2012 ATLANTIC 10 MEN'S SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Robbie Kristo, Saint Louis - F
Jason Johnson, VCU - F
Luke Spencer, Xavier - F
Tyler Gibson, Charlotte - MF
Donnie Smith, Charlotte - MF
Romena Bowie, VCU - MF
Matt Walker, Xavier - MF
Thomas Allen, Charlotte - D
Adam Clement, Duquesne - D
Nick Hagglund, Xavier - D
Klay Davis, Charlotte - GK

ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Giuseppe Gentile, Charlotte - F
Joshua Patterson, Duquesne - F
Emmett O'Connor, St. Bonaventure - F
Zach Steinberger, Butler - MF
Alex Sweetin, Saint Louis - MF
Cody Califiore, Temple - MF
Will Walker, Xavier - MF
Anthony Manning, Saint Louis - D
Jon Roeckle, Saint Louis - D
Dennis Castillo, VCU - D
John McCarthy, La Salle - GK

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Jeff Adkins, Butler
Biko Bradnock-Brennan, Charlotte
Maik Schoonderwoerd, Dayton
Chris Froschauer, Dayton
Kyle Bitterman, Fordham
Joe Farrell, La Salle
Tim Lazorko, Saint Joseph's
David Graydon, Saint Louis
Jared Martinelli, Temple
Dennis Castillo, VCU
Devon Fisher, VCU

ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Brandon Fricke, Butler
Tyler Gibson, Charlotte
Jonathan Nelson, Dayton
Joshua Patterson, Duquesne
Simon Gomez, Duquesne
Carter Poe, Duquesne
Tim Brennan, Saint Joseph's
Adnan Gabeljic, Saint Louis
Vaughn Spurrier, Temple
Andrew Wells, VCU
Sean Ryan, Xavier

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jason Johnson, VCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nick Hagglund, Xavier
MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR: Donnie Smith, Charlotte
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jared Martinelli, Temple
COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike McGinty, Saint Louis

Temple University Athletics

Three Owls Tabbed With A-10 Postseason Honors

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