By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photos: JD Cavrich Photography
TOWSON, Md. – The Landmark Conference has announced the 2013 Men's Soccer All-Conference selection and three members of the Juniata College men's soccer team were named Second-Team selections and head coach Dan Dubois was named Landmark Coach of the Year. Senior Dane Azeles (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg) has earned is second all-conference selection, and juniors Robby Higgins (Middletown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and Nick Weit (Litiz Pa./Warwick) both garnered their first all-conference honor. The Coach of the Year honor is the first for Dubois and the first for Juniata men's soccer.
"It means a lot, I have a lot of respect for the coaches in the conference," said head coach Dan Dubois. "To be recognized for what we're doing over here is a great thing. The guys have put in a lot of hard work, the coaching staff has, and the players put in a lot of hard work. They're the ones that are going out and getting results. We've worked hard to get to where we are, the coaching staff and they players. I think the players see the level of dedication we have as a staff and it helps motivate them. It's an award that says 'coach of the year,' but it recognizes what our program is doing right now and I'm pleased with that."
The Eagles won a program record 13 games this year and qualified for the Landmark Conference tournament for the first time in program history. As the No. 4 seed, Juniata traveled to Washington, D.C. to face No. 1 seed Catholic University of America and came away with a 3-1 upset win.
"Players aren't going to get recognized if your team is not up to par," said Dubois. "The team has done very well. We've got some guys that deserve to be recognized. It's good that they were able to go out and make an impact. The guys that are on there are very deserving. Their names are the ones that are up there and the award goes to them, but they're not doing it by themselves. There's an entire team behind them pushing them, which is why they're getting as good as they are. It's a good thing for me to see. The fact that they are getting recognized is great for them and the fact that they are getting recognized is a testament to how hard the team is working as a whole."
Azeles was named second-team all-conference as a junior in 2012. This year he has scored four goals and notched two assists. He is only the second Juniata men's soccer player to earn all-conference honors more than once in a career.
"Dane is very deserving," said Dubois. "He hasn't had the numbers that he had last year, but his leadership on the field, during games and during training, has been fantastic. His dedication level has never waned. He pushes hard all time and he is part of the reason we are so effective offensively. Even though he's not the one with the numbers he's making sure that we're still attacking with the same kind of potency we had last year."
Both Higgins and Weit are receiving the honors for the first time. Higgins scored two goals in conference play this year; most notably he had the game winning goal in Juniata's over time victory against The University of Scranton for the programs first victory over the royals. Weit anchored a defense that boasted a 0.88 goals against average for the season.
"Robby and Nick, getting second-team as juniors and [us] being able to have them back next year is great," said Dubois. "It's a great spring board for them going into their senior season. Hopefully it's something that can push them through the off-season. Having two players of their caliber coming back is never going to be bad for our program. I'm looking forward to what we can do in the future with them."
For the full Landmark release, click here.
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