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University of Massachusets Athletics
Deren, Pouncey garner All-New England Honors
December 04, 2001 | Men's Soccer
Dec. 4, 2001
AMHERST, Mass. - Junior forward Jeff Deren (Chicopee, Mass.) and senior sweeper J.R. Pouncey (Houston, Texas) were both named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas Division I All-New England Second Team, the national committee announced last week. Pouncey, a first team selection a year ago, is the first Minuteman to be named to the team in consecutive seasons since Randy Jacobs was named to the squad in 1992 and 1993.
Deren, who put together one of the finest offensive seasons in school history during the 2001 campaign, tallied 16 goals, six assists, 38 points and five game-winning goals this season. He finished the year ranked 17th nationally, averaging 0.8 goals per contest. Deren was named the 2001 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, and, after his two goal, one assist performance in the A-10 Tournament, he was named to the A-10 All-Tournament team. Earlier this season, he was named WHMP/UMass Athlete of the Week and twice earned A-10 Player of the Week honors.
Deren's breakout season moved him into the school's career top 10 in several categories. The junior now ranks eighth all-time with 62 career points, and he now stands alone in sixth place on the school's goal-scoring list with 32 career tallies. The junior led the A-10 in scoring, now ranks second all-time on the UMass single-season scoring chart, and his 33 points on the season are the fourth most ever compiled by a Minuteman.
Pouncey, a three-year captain, anchored a UMass defense that allowed only 27 goals this season , and in the last 15 games of season, the Minuteman defense allowed more than two goals just once. Behind his leadership, the defense posted seven shutouts on the year, including a 150 minute blanking of Richmond in Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game. For his efforts in that tournament, he was named A-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player and he became the first Minuteman since 1995 to earn first-team, All-Atlantic 10 team honors in back-to-back seasons.
