BUFFALO – Canisius senior defender Thomas Teupen and sophomore midfielder Melvin Blair were recognized as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced its all-region teams on Wednesday.
Teupen garnered First-Team All-Northeast Region honors while Blair earned second-team distinction.
The accolade marked the second straight season Teupen has garnered all-region distinction. The Munster, Germany, native was a third-team selection a season ago. It also marks the fifth-straight season that a Canisius player earned all-region accolades, extending the longest streak in the program’s history.
The 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Teupen started all 20 games for Canisius this season; anchoring a defense that ranked amongst the region’s best as the Griffs led the MAAC in goals against average (1.00), goals allowed (1.00) and ranked second in shutouts (6).
The first defender in program history to earn all-conference honors three times in his career, Teupen also contributed offensively for the Griffs during his senior campaign with two game-winning goals and an assist.
Blair, meanwhile, ranked second on the Canisius roster with eight points on two goals and four assists. He scored the game-winning goal in Canisius’ 2-1 win over Monmouth Oct. 22, and his 2.65 shots per game ranked 10th best in the MAAC. An All-MAAC First-Team selection, he became 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 finished the 2016 season with a 9-8-3 overall record and a 4-3-3 ledger in Metro Athletic Conference action. The Griffs, who matched the program mark for wins in a season, advanced to the MAAC Tournament semifinal round for the third time in program history.
from GoGriffs.com via IFTTT