EDISON, NJ (Nov. 8, 2021) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) today revealed the 2021 Men’s Soccer Major Award winners and All-MAAC Teams, voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches.
Headlining the major award winners was 2021 MAAC Coach of the Year Matt Viggiano from Marist College. In his 15th season at Marist, Viggiano earned his first coach of the year award after leading the Red Foxes to their first MAAC Regular Season championship in program history and top overall seed in the MAAC Championship following a 7-2-1 conference mark and 10-6-2 overall record. Under his guidance in 2021, the Red Foxes recorded a 0.47 overall scoring margin, which led the league. Viggiano’s squad paced the MAAC in goals and points in conference only contests, while posting the league’s best overall goals against average and most shutouts. The third coach from Marist to win the award – first since 2002 – he also captured his 100th career win this season on October 13 after a 4-2 win over Rider.
Rider’s Zaki Alibou was selected as the 2021 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. A forward from Meknes, Morocco, Alibou tied for second in total points (25), tied for third in both goals (10) and points per games (1.47), and tied for seventh in assists (5) on the MAAC individual leaderboard this fall. Moreover, he took the second-most shots and owned the third-most shots on goal in the league. Alibou became the first recipient from Rider to win the top offensive player award since the MAAC expanded its player of the year award to offensive and defensive in 2003, and the third all-time player of the year winner from the school. The senior took home MAAC Player of the Week on October 11 after spearheading a 2-0 week for the Broncs behind three goals scored.
The leader of Marist’s back line, Huib Achterkamp was voted as the 2021 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. The graduate captain joined Ben Castor as the program’s only honorees of the distinction after anchoring a Marist defense that recorded a conference-high seven shutouts. In addition to his defensive prowess, Achterkamp notched the league’s second-most game-winning goals, posting four victory-securing tallies for the Red Foxes and he ranked second on team in goals and points, while going a perfect 3-for-3 on penalty kicks to also lead the unit. A two-time all-conference selection, the Steenderen, Netherlands native was also named to the All-MAAC Second Team in 2019.
Becoming a two-time MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year, Sam Ilin of Marist earned the top goalie award in 2021, the fifth keeper in MAAC history to win the award twice following his 2019 award. Ilin logged 1433.50 minutes in goal, compiled 46 saves, five clean sheets, 2.88 saves per game and 1.19 goals against average. The senior from Brooklyn, New York ranked top-10 in the MAAC in goals against average (2nd), shutouts (2nd), saves (5th), save percentage (6th), and saves per game (9th). Ilin also garnered his second All-MAAC First Team placement and was awarded MAAC Defensive Player of the Week on October 25 after a couple of clean sheet victories in 200 shutout minutes.
The 2021 MAAC Rookie of the Year was Jacob Sandun Arachchige-Jensen from Siena. The first top freshman from Siena since 2009 and third overall in program history, Arachchige-Jensen completed his first regular season in Loudonville as the team-leader in points (17), assists (7), goals (5), shots (28) and shots on goal (12). His total assists and assists per game were both third-best in the league this season. Hailing from Svendborg, Denmark, Arachchige-Jensen was named MAAC Rookie of the Week on September 6 and he was the only MAAC freshman to earn a spot on the All-MAAC First Team in 2021.
The full list of All-MAAC Teams and major awards winners are below.
| 2021 Men’s Soccer Major Awards |
| Awards |
Player |
School |
| Offensive Player of the Year |
Zaki Alibou |
Rider |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Huib Achterkamp |
Marist |
| Goalkeeper of the Year |
Sam Ilin |
Marist |
| Rookie of the Year |
Jacob Sandun Arachchige-Jensen |
Siena |
| Coach of the Year |
Matt Viggiano |
Marist |
| All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Zaki Alibou |
Sr. |
Forward |
Rider |
| Stefan Copetti |
Jr. |
Forward |
Marist |
| Brage Aasen |
Jr. |
Forward |
Quinnipiac |
| Jelldrik Dallman |
Jr. |
Forward |
Niagara |
| Jamie Davis |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Saint Peter’s |
| Henrique Cruz |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Marist |
| Jacob Sandun Arachchige-Jensen |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Siena |
| Huib Achterkamp |
Gr. |
Defense |
Marist |
| George Akampeke |
5th |
Defense |
Monmouth |
| Sergio Aguinaga |
Gr. |
Defense |
Rider |
| Cormac Pike |
Sr. |
Defense |
Fairfield |
| Sam Ilin |
Sr. |
Goalkeeper |
Marist |
| All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Jonathan Filipe |
Sr. |
Forward |
Fairfield |
| Camil Azzam Ruiz |
Jr. |
Forward |
Iona |
| Thomas Drillien |
So. |
Forward |
Fairfield |
| Jonas Lindner |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Monmouth |
| Luke McBeth |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Monmouth |
| Skylar Conway |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Marist |
| Paulo Soares |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Henrik Winkelmann |
Fr. |
Defense |
Siena |
| Robin Oswald |
Sr. |
Defense |
Monmouth |
| Tom Climpson |
Jr. |
Defense |
Saint Peter’s |
| Antek Sienkiel |
Jr. |
Defense |
Marist |
| Sean Murray |
R-Sr. |
Goalkeeper |
Monmouth |
| MAAC All-Rookie Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Rasmus Sorenson Rejnhold |
Fr. |
Forward |
Fairfield |
| Thomas Storodegard |
Fr. |
Forward |
Siena |
| Sam McCann |
Fr. |
Forward |
Quinnipiac |
| Richard Morel |
Fr. |
Forward |
Marist |
| Zach Gardner |
Fr. |
Forward |
Siena |
| Jacob Sandun Arachchige-Jensen |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Siena |
| Adel Al-Masude |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Rider |
| Erik Reis |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Siena |
| Henrik Winkelmann |
Fr. |
Defense |
Siena |
| Daniel Blackmore |
Fr. |
Defense |
Saint Peter’s |
| Jesper Schone Vogtengen |
Fr. |
Defense |
Siena |
| Guillaume Veinante |
Fr. |
Goalkeeper |
Rider |
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
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