HAMDEN, Conn. — Canisius senior Thomas Teupen has been named the 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, announced Thursday night at the MAAC’s annual Men’s Soccer Championship Awards Banquet.
Teupen is just the second Golden Griffin in program history to earn the league’s top defensive player award, joining former Griff Fabien Lewis, who received the honor in 2003.
Teupen was also named All-MAAC First-Team on Thursday night, making him the first defender in program history to earn all-conference honors three times through his career on Main Street. Joining Teupen on the All-MAAC First-Team unit is Canisius sophomore midfielder Melvin Blair. This marks the first time since 1996 where Canisius has had two players named to the MAAC’s top all-star team in the same season.
Teupen, a native of Munster, Germany, played in and started all 19 games this year for Canisius. His efforts on the Griffs’ backline have been a driving force in making the Blue and Gold’s defense one of the MAAC’s best, as the team enters Friday’s MAAC Championship semifinal round game ranked second in goals against average (0.96), second in shutouts (six) and third in goals allowed (1.00 per game). Last week, Teupen and the Canisius defense kept Marist forward Cameron Harr, the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, off the score sheet in a 2-0 road win in the first round of the 2016 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship.
Teupen also scored two goals this season, both game-winning markers, and he added an assist as well. An all-region honoree last year, Teupen has played in 67 career games for Canisius, where he has made 66 starts.
Blair ranks second on the Canisius roster this year with eight points on the power of two goals and four assists. He scored the game-winning goal in Canisius’ 2-1 win over Monmouth Oct. 22, and his 2.79 shots per game ranks seventh best in the league. He is the first Canisius midfielder to earn All-MAAC First-Team accolades since former Griff Gavin Falconer was recognized by the league’s coaches in 2012.
Canisius will play top-seed Quinnipiac on Friday in the MAAC Championship semifinal round. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m., and the game will be streamed live through MAAC.tv. The Griffs, who are making their first MAAC semifinal appearance since 2007, are 9-7-3 on the year. The nine wins are tied for most in a single-season in program history.
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