Roberts Named America East Coach of the Year
November 8, 2004 | Men's Soccer
BOSTON - After leading the Terrier men's soccer team to the 2004 America East regular-season title, Boston University head coach Neil Roberts was named the conference's Coach of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches.
Boston University (9-7-1, 6-2-1) had seven players named to All-Conference teams, more than any other team in the league.
Junior midfielder Jamie Johnson (Brisbane, Australia), who led the Terriers and ranked third in America East with seven assists in 14 games, was an All-Conference First Team selection. Four Terriers were named to the All-Conference Second Team, including junior forward Sedrick Chin (St. Mary's, Jamaica), senior midfielder Federico Bianchi (Pacific Palisades, CA), senior back Erik Evjen (Askim, Norway), and sophomore back Zach Kirby (Marietta, GA). Freshman forward Roland Erlichman (Paradise Valley, AZ) and freshman back Shane Westbrook (Eureka, MO) were named to the All-Rookie Team.
In his 20th season at the helm, Roberts guided the Terriers to their first regular-season title since 2001 and eighth in his tenure. The award marks the fourth time he has been recognized for coaching excellence by America East. Roberts also was named the conference's Coach of the Year in 1991, 1994, and 2001.
With the Terriers' 2-0 win over UMBC on Oct. 30, Roberts clinched his 20th consecutive winning season since taking over as head coach in 1985. Entering the season ranked 36th on the Division I coaches all-time wins list, Roberts has posted a 240-107-49 overall record during his career.
A mainstay in the Terrier midfield over the last three seasons, Johnson earned First Team honors after leading all Terrier midfielders and ranking third on the team in scoring with four goals and seven assists for 15 points. Of his four goals this season, three were game-winners against conference opponents. An All-Rookie Team selection in 2002, Johnson has contributed a point in eight of the 14 games he appeared in this season.
After battling injuries in each of the last two seasons, Chin enjoyed his first complete season in 2004, starting all 17 regular-season games while earning All-Conference Second Team honors for the second consecutive season. The speedy forward enters the post-season second on the team in scoring with six goals and four assists for 16 points.
Starting all 73 games during his career, Bianchi ranks fourth on the team in scoring in 2004 with three goals and five assists for 11 points. An All-Rookie Team pick in 2001, Bianchi serves as one of the team's co-captains along with classmate Brian Conway (Northville, MI).
Evjen and Kirby have been the Terriers' steady leaders on the defense, anchoring a team that allowed just 1.31 goals a game and posted six shutouts. Making his fourth appearance on the All-Conference Second Team, Evjen started all 17 games during his senior season. An All-Rookie Team selection a year ago, Kirby battled back from a mid-season ankle injury to appear in 13-of-17 regular-season games.
A four-time America East Rookie of the Week, Erlichman was named to the All-Rookie Team after leading the Terriers in scoring with a team-high eight goals and four assists for 20 points. Erlichman is aiming to become the first Terrier freshman in a decade to lead the team in scoring. The last B.U. rookie to lead the team in scoring was All-American Nick Bone, who totaled 18 goals and seven assists for 43 points in 1994.
Westbrook was the only Terrier freshman to start all 17 games during the regular season. In a defense anchored by upperclassman, Westbrook played nearly every minute for the Terriers.
Top-seeded B.U. hosts fifth-seeded Stony Brook (11-5-2, 4-3-2) in an America East Championship semifinal game on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 7:00 p.m. With a win, the Terriers would host the winner of the Binghamton-Albany semifinal in the 2004 America East Championship title game on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1:00 p.m.
