Nov. 8, 2006

BAY CITY, Mich. - Mercyhurst College earned a sweep of the 2006 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) men's soccer postseason awards in balloting conducted by the league's coaches.

Mercyhurst senior midfielder Jason Pedra was named "Offensive Player of the Year," while Laker senior defender Andrew Tait earned "Defensive Player of the Year" honors. Mercyhurst forward Kurt Young was honored with the league's "Freshman of the Year" award, and Keith Cammidge, who guided the Lakers to the 2006 GLIAC championship, earned "Coach of the Year" accolades.

Teammates Daniel Mudd and Kyle Jackson joined Pedra, Tait, and Young on the All-GLIAC first team. Zach Hiltner was picked to the second team.

Pedra, a native of Mississauga, Ontario, tied for third in the conference in both scoring, with 22 points, and assists, with six. His eight goals tied for sixth in the GLIAC. One of just three players in the conference to rank in the top 10 in all three categories, he was named the conference Player of the Week on Oct. 10, leading the Lakers to a pair of non-conference wins over Oakland City (Ind.) and Tiffin (Ohio). A four-time All-GLIAC selection, Pedra ended his career with 30 goals, 18 assists and 76 points, all of which rank in the top ten in the Mercyhurst career record books.

A native of Halifax, England, Tait led a Mercyhurst defense that allowed just 21 goals in 21 games. The unit also shut out nine opponents, nearly double the next nearest conference competitor, and at one point did not allow a score for over 567 minutes of play. A three-time All-GLIAC honoree, Tait was named to the All-Great Lakes Regional Tournament this season. He scored a career-high three goals in 2006 to finish his career with four goals and four assists for 12 points.

Young recorded a stellar rookie year in which he set Mercyhurst records for goals (18) and points (39). He led the conference in both categories, tallying 16 more points and seven more goals than his nearest competitors. Young also tied for the conference lead with five game-winning goals and ended the season as the highest scoring freshman among Division II players, ranking 19th nationally in goals scored. His hat trick against Saginaw Valley on Sept. 30 earned Young both the GLIAC and ECAC Player of the Week honors. He helped turn around an offense that scored 28 goals in 2005 into the GLIAC's top attack. The 2006 team scored 58 goals, 20 more than the second place team.

Cammidge, in his fifth year with the Lakers, takes home his second GLIAC Coach of the Year award after earning the honor in 2002. His 2006 team posted a 17-4 record, a nine-win improvement over the previous season and the largest single season turnaround in school history. He also guided the squad to a 9-1 conference mark, winning the GLIAC championship in the process. Five different Lakers earned Player of the Week honors during the season under Cammidge's guidance. The 2006 Lakers led the conference in nearly every statistical category: shots (362), points (155), goals (58), goals per game (2.76), assists (39), assists per game (1.86), goals allowed (21), goals against average (0.99) and shutouts (nine). The squad earned a bid to the NCAA Championships, falling in the opening round of regional action. He has a 71-20-4 record at Mercyhurst, including a 24-7-5 mark in GLIAC play.

Mudd is a sophomore goalkeeper from Hull, England makes his second appearance on the All-GLIAC team after earning second team honors as a freshman. He led the conference in goals against average in 2006 with a mark of 1.04, 0.20 better than the second ranked goalkeeper. His eight shutouts also paced the GLIAC.

Jackson is a junior midfielder from Pittsford, New York. He finished second in the GLIAC in scoring behind Young with 23 points. His nine assists were a league-high and his seven goals were eighth. It is his second All-GLIAC selection.

Hiltner, a midfielder, was named to the All-GLIAC, making the senior a four-time all-conference pick. The native of Wadsworth, Ohio scored one goal in 2006, completing his career with 14 goals, five assists and 33 points.

Rounding out the All-GLIAC first team are senior forward Rudi Costa, senior midfielder Jonathan Brickman, and junior defender Gareth Kolkenbeck of Gannon University, junior forward Albert Smith and senior midfielder Dean Williams of Ashland University; and sophomore defender Filip Dabovic of Northwood University.

he Lakers finished with a record of 17-4, tying the school record for wins in a season. Mercyhurst also won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship with a record of 9-1 in GLIAC play. The Lakers advanced to the NCAA Championships, falling in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Regional.