UMBC

—Five UMBC men’s soccer players earned All America East Conference honors in voting by the league’s nine head coaches. Senior midfielder Bryan Moffa (Baltimore, Md./Eastern Tech) and junior midfielder Kevin Gnatiko (Montgomery Village, Md./Watkins Mill) were named to the second team All America East Conference, while a trio of Retriever freshmen earned all-rookie squad honors.

Striker B.J. Quigley (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley), midfielder Levi Houapeu (Germantown, Md./Watkins Mill) and defender Chris Williams (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) all earned honors as first-year players.

The fifth-seeded Retrievers take on fourth-seeded Hartford in the quarterfinals of the America East Championships on Saturday evening (6:00 p.m.) in West Hartford, Conn. The winner of that game takes on top-seeded Binghamton in Vestal, N.Y. on Wednesday, Nov. 14.

Moffa was shifted from fullback to defensive midfield in 2007. He has managed to dish out a team-high five assists, matching last year’s total which led the America East Conference. The former America East all-rookie team member (2004) now has 14 assists in his career in 64 games played.

Gnatiko built up his assist total early in the season, then scored his goals in the latter part of the campaign. He scored goals in three consecutive games and is tied for the team leadership in points with 12. The speedy midfielder now has 11 goals and 10 assists (32 points) in his career at UMBC.

Quigley, Houapeu and Williams all earned the conference’s Rookie of the Week honors during the campaign. Quigley has four goals and a pair of assists in his first season, while Houapeu has netted three goals, including a crucial score in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against UNH. Williams has started every game at central defense and scored the game’s first goal in a 2-0 win over league foe Albany. \

Binghamton University’s Cameron Keith was named the America East Striker of the Year, while teammate Adam Chavez was tabbed Defender of the Year and the Bearcats’ coaching staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Neil Hlavtay of Boston University and Matt Glaeser of Hartford were selected Midfielder and Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively. Aaron O’Neal from Boston University took home Rookie of the Year honors.