.png&type=webp){kind=icon}
University of Massachusets Athletics
Several Minutemen Earn League Honors
November 14, 2002 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 14, 2002
RICHMOND, Va. - Jeff Deren (Chicopee, Mass.) repeated as Atlantic 10 Conference offensive player of the year and three others earned All-League honors, announced today. In addition, Head Coach Sam Koch was named Atlantic 10 Co-Coach of the Year with Duquesne's Wade Jean.
Deren, a senior forward, led the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring for the second straight year. He tallied 45 points (19 g, 7 a), and broke several UMass single-season and career scoring records. This is the second straight year that Deren has won league offensive MVP honors, and third year that he has been selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference team, gaining second-team honors as a sophomore.
Deren was joined on the first team by two other Minutemen. Senior midfielder Yuri Morales (Santa Cruz, Calif.) was selected as a first team selection. Morales tallied 27 points (9 g, 9 a) on the season and holds the school record with 27 career assists. Senior defenseman Derek Rhodes (DePere, Wis.) earned first team recognition after scoring nine points (2 g, 5 a). Rhodes started the season as a midfielder, but was switched to a defenseman four games into the season and UMass responded with a 10-3-2 record, including a 12-game unbeaten streak. Rhodes organized a defense that allowed only 12 goals in 11 league games.
Ptah Myers (Columbus, Ohio), a junior forward, earned second team honors. Myers was third on the team in scoring with 22 points (8 g, 6 a).
Sam Koch was named Atlantic 10 Co-Coach of the Year after guiding the Minutemen to their second league title in three years. The Minutemen started the season 2-4-0, but then went on a 12-game unbeaten streak to win the A-10 title and earn the top seed in this weekend's A-10 Conference Tournament. Koch has a 135-81-20 career record in his 12th season with the Minutemen and earlier in the year became the school's all-time winningest coach.
The top-seeded Minutemen will battle George Washington Friday, Nov. 15, at 5:30 p.m., in the first A-10 semifinal. The second semifinal will pit Duquesne and Richmond at 8:00 p.m. The finals will be played Sunday at 1:00 p.m.