Four Terriers Claim All-Region Accolades
December 10, 2015 | Men's Soccer
NSCAA All-Northeast Region List
BOSTON - After making its first NCAA appearance in seven years, the Boston University men's soccer team received a total of four All-Northeast Region awards, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced Thursday afternoon.
Junior and reigning Patriot League Defender of the Year David Asbjornsson was joined on the first team by classmate Felix De Bona and sophomore Anthony Viteri. The fourth Terrier, junior Matt Gilbert, was named to the second team after being tabbed the PL Goalkeeper of the Year back in November.
De Bona took over for 2014 PL Offensive Player of the Year Dominique Badji immediately by scoring a goal and assisting on the game winner in the season opener at Fordham. The Somerville, Mass., native tallied nine goals, the most by a Terrier since 2009, and added two assists for 18 points after recording a combined 13 points his first two seasons. Besides scoring against UConn in the NCAA First Round, he claimed game winners against Siena, American and Holy Cross.
A midfielder, Viteri joined De Bona on the first team by playing a critical role on the offensive end as well, tallying six goals and two goals for 14 points. After finding the back of the net for the first time with BU against Boston College, he scored both goals in the 2-1 win at UMass. The Flushing, N.Y., native struck twice against Harvard and later earned the game winner in overtime at Colgate.
Asbjornsson proved to be the anchor this season for the backline after spending most of the previous two years in the midfield. A native of Iceland, he was the first Terrier since 2011 to claim the conference's top defensive player honor. Besides helping BU post a goals against average of 1.06, 66th best mark in the country, he also assisted on a goal in the 2-1 double-overtime victory at Navy to help the Terriers become the only team from the 2014 Patriot League semifinals to reach the 2015 edition.
A native of Madison, N.J., Gilbert had a standout year in which he claimed BU's first-ever Goalkeeper of the Year award since it became available in 2002. Playing every second at net, the previously named NSCAA College Player of the Week earned seven shutouts, highlighted by blank sheets against three top-50 RPI teams (American, Harvard and Albany), while also finishing in the top 50 nationally for save percentage (.796) and saves per game (4.30).
Wrapping up his 31st season at the helm, head coach Neil Roberts will have all four honorees return next season in an attempt to help BU reach back-to-back NCAA tournaments for the first time since 2007-08.
