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American Dominates Patriot League Men's Soccer Honors
Seven Eagles Honored, Including Five First-Teamers and the Rookie of the Year

Nov. 15, 2001

WASHINGTON - American University was one of the dominant men’s soccer teams in the Patriot League all season long, and it was reflected when the league’s season awards were announced this afternoon. Five Eagles were named to the All-Patriot League First Team, one was a Second-Team selection, and American was also honored as having the league’s Rookie of the Year.

Named to the Patriot League First Team were Adam Rosen (Millburn, N.J./Millburn), Kris Bertsch (Clinton, N.J./Pingry), Kris Kuykendall (Vienna, Va./Madison), Bobby Brennan (Northport, N.Y./Northport) and Larry McDonald (Waddel Village, Trinidad/Presentation). Michael Behonick (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) was a second-team pick, while Andrew Herman (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) was the league’s Rookie of the Year.

Rosen, a senior forward, earned Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors three times this season, while finishing second in the loop in scoring. His 20 points (eight goals, four assist) led American in scoring this season.

Kuykendall, a junior midfielder, was solid for the Eagles all season long, controlling much of the transition to the offensive third of the field. He contributed two assists on the season, while starting all 18 matches, and played outstanding defense at the same time.

Bertsch, a junior forward, finished third on the team in scoring. Named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 8, Bertsch closed the regular-season with 13 points on three goals and a team-high seven assists.

Brennan, a senior, and McDonald, a junior, both controlled the Eagle backfield, helping AU to eight shutouts on the season, including three straight down the stretch. Their play in the back limited the opposition to 23 goals this season, and just three in Patriot League play.

Solid in net all season long, Behonick posted seven shutouts and a 1.38 goals against average. He played all but 140 minutes of American’s schedule this season, and had a .735 saves percentage.

Herman might have been the ingredient the Eagles were looking for from the start of the year. Inserted into the lineup against Princeton on Oct. 20, he tallied three goals against the Tigers, en route to seven for the season. Adding three assists, he finished with 17 points, while twice being named the league’s Rookie of the Week.

American finished the regular season with a 6-1-0 mark in Patriot League play, while going 10-7-1 overall. The Eagles will be the second seed in the upcoming league championship, hosted by top-seeded Holy Cross, Nov. 16-18, in Worcester, Mass.

The Eagles will face No. 3-seed Lehigh at 1:30 in the semifinals on Friday. No. 1-seed Holy Cross takes on No. 4 Navy at 11:00 a.m. The winners of the two games will meet for the Patriot League title, and subsequent NCAA automatic bid, on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.

American University became a full member of the Patriot League on July 1, after competing in the CAA since the 1985-86 academic year. The University, founded in 1893, fields a 19-sport Division I athletics program, featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men.