Drexel University Athletics
Page, Tribbett, Hess Headline Men's Soccer All-CAA Nods
11/13/2013 8:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA - It has been a banner year for the Drexel men's soccer team, winning its second-consecutive regular season Colonial Athletic Association championship. On Wednesday night at the conference's annual postseason banquet, held at the Sheraton University City on the eve of the CAA Tournament at Vidas Field, the league announced that seven members of the program would be earning postseason honors. That group was headlined by senior midfielders Nathan Page and Ken Tribbett, who earned spots on the First Team All-CAA, and head coach Doug Hess, who for a second-straight year was recognized as the Coach of the Year in the league.
Also recognized were senior defender Tal Bublil and freshman goalkeeper Tyler Afflerbach, who were named Second Team All-CAA performers. Afflerbach was also tabbed as the All-Rookie Team goalkeeper. Finally, junior midfielder Michele Pataia and junior defender Robert Liberatore earned a spot on the Third Team All-CAA.
Hess, who last year shared the distinction with Northeastern's Brian Ainscough, stood alone as the Coach of the Year in 2013. The fourth-year leader of the Dragons won his 100th career game earlier this season with a 2-1 win at Lehigh, and has gone 20-11-6 over the past two seasons, 12-2-3 in CAA play. Hess guided the Dragons back to the No. 1 seed for the second year in a row and the second time ever since the Dragons joined the CAA 12 seasons ago.
Page, the leading scorer for the Dragons two seasons in a row, comes into postseason play with five goals and 13 total points. He has netted three game-winners this season, including an 81st minute score at Lehigh to help overcome an early 1-0 deficit and earn Hess' 100th victory. Page's All-CAA honor is the third of his career, and the second First Team recognition.
Tribbett finished second on the team with four goals and 10 total points. The center midfielder, through whom the offense flows, was the catalyst not only in 2013 but throughout his career, earning four All-CAA distinctions beginning with an All-Rookie nod in 2010. The First Team honor is a career first, however.
Bublil, a fourth-year starter and senior captain, anchored the defense which prevented many shots from getting through to Afflerbach and led the Dragons to the top seed despite not scoring more than two goals in a game since September 1. He also scored a crucial game-tying goal against Hofstra late in the season.
Afflerbach, who stepped into the starting lineup in the season's fourth game and promptly won his first five contests, including three shutouts in his first four outings, posted a 0.91 goals against average for the season. He was twice the recipient of the CAA's Rookie of the Week award, including last week when he held the College of Charleston scoreless for the first 87 minutes of play as Drexel clinched the CAA title.
Pataia finished the regular season with a goal and two assists for four points. However, three of those points - a goal and an assist - came in the Dragons' 2-1 regular season win over Delaware. That performance earned him the CAA Player of the Week award. Drexel will take on the Blue Hens in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament tomorrow.
Finally, Liberatore was recognized by the league for the first time after another outstanding defensive season, holding down the back line along with Bublil and Afflerbach. Liberatore, who had three assists on the season, was responsible for holding opponents scoreless five times throughout the course of the season, and under two goals in 13 of the Dragons' 18 matches.
Drexel and its All-CAA performers will get back to work on Thursday, when the Dragons take on No. 4 Delaware in the CAA semifinal at 7:00 p.m. The winner will take on the winner of No. 2 UNCW and No. 3 William & Mary at Vidas Field on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. for the CAA championship.
Also recognized were senior defender Tal Bublil and freshman goalkeeper Tyler Afflerbach, who were named Second Team All-CAA performers. Afflerbach was also tabbed as the All-Rookie Team goalkeeper. Finally, junior midfielder Michele Pataia and junior defender Robert Liberatore earned a spot on the Third Team All-CAA.
Hess, who last year shared the distinction with Northeastern's Brian Ainscough, stood alone as the Coach of the Year in 2013. The fourth-year leader of the Dragons won his 100th career game earlier this season with a 2-1 win at Lehigh, and has gone 20-11-6 over the past two seasons, 12-2-3 in CAA play. Hess guided the Dragons back to the No. 1 seed for the second year in a row and the second time ever since the Dragons joined the CAA 12 seasons ago.
Page, the leading scorer for the Dragons two seasons in a row, comes into postseason play with five goals and 13 total points. He has netted three game-winners this season, including an 81st minute score at Lehigh to help overcome an early 1-0 deficit and earn Hess' 100th victory. Page's All-CAA honor is the third of his career, and the second First Team recognition.
Tribbett finished second on the team with four goals and 10 total points. The center midfielder, through whom the offense flows, was the catalyst not only in 2013 but throughout his career, earning four All-CAA distinctions beginning with an All-Rookie nod in 2010. The First Team honor is a career first, however.
Bublil, a fourth-year starter and senior captain, anchored the defense which prevented many shots from getting through to Afflerbach and led the Dragons to the top seed despite not scoring more than two goals in a game since September 1. He also scored a crucial game-tying goal against Hofstra late in the season.
Afflerbach, who stepped into the starting lineup in the season's fourth game and promptly won his first five contests, including three shutouts in his first four outings, posted a 0.91 goals against average for the season. He was twice the recipient of the CAA's Rookie of the Week award, including last week when he held the College of Charleston scoreless for the first 87 minutes of play as Drexel clinched the CAA title.
Pataia finished the regular season with a goal and two assists for four points. However, three of those points - a goal and an assist - came in the Dragons' 2-1 regular season win over Delaware. That performance earned him the CAA Player of the Week award. Drexel will take on the Blue Hens in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament tomorrow.
Finally, Liberatore was recognized by the league for the first time after another outstanding defensive season, holding down the back line along with Bublil and Afflerbach. Liberatore, who had three assists on the season, was responsible for holding opponents scoreless five times throughout the course of the season, and under two goals in 13 of the Dragons' 18 matches.
Drexel and its All-CAA performers will get back to work on Thursday, when the Dragons take on No. 4 Delaware in the CAA semifinal at 7:00 p.m. The winner will take on the winner of No. 2 UNCW and No. 3 William & Mary at Vidas Field on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. for the CAA championship.
Tuesday, March 18
Thursday, September 22
Thursday, May 23
Wednesday, October 03