Regular-Season Champions Land Five on All-SUNYAC Team

November 06, 2009

FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Nationally NSCAA 20th-ranked and regular-season league champion SUNY Plattsburgh earned five spots on the State University of New York Athletic Conference men's soccer all-conference team, the SUNYAC released this week. Junior midfielder Chris Taylor along with junior backs John LoGuirato and Bart Misiak received first-team accolades, senior midfielder David Hickman placed on the second-team and senior back Mike Pinamonti made third-team. The Cardinals' five selections represents the second-most behind Oneonta--the No. 4 seed in this weekend's SUNYAC Tournament--which had eight all-conference players. Plattsburgh tied runner-up Brockport with three SUNYAC first-teamers.

Taylor, of Liverpool, England (Cardinal Heenan Prep), repeated on the all-conference first team and was recognized for the third time in his career. He leads the SUNYAC and is tied for third in the NCAA with 14 assists, which is three shy of the school single-season record. He also has four goals and is Plattsburgh's leading scorer with 22 points.

It's no coincidence that the majority of Plattsburgh's back line are SUNYAC all-stars because the Cardinals' defense is second in goals-against average (0.78; Brockport, 0.77), fewest goals allowed overall (15), first in SUNYAC games-only scoring defense (0.44) and first in SUNYAC games-only shutouts (6). In fact, Plattsburgh pitched shutouts in their final five conference games, extending an opponents' scoreless streak of 539 minutes and 29 seconds. Misiak (Mississauga, Ontario/St. Martin's Secondary), who was named an All-American as a sophomore, is a three-time all-SUNYAC performer. LoGuirato, the 2006 SUNYAC Rookie of the Year, is also a three-time all-conference choice, including the first team the last two times. The Holbrook product out of Ronkonkoma Sachem North High School has scored two goals and six points. Pinamonti, of Farmingville (Sachem East HS), has contributed a goal and an assist while starting all 18 games, and he achieves his first all-SUNYAC nod.

Hickman, who is from Lake Grove High via N.C. Wesleyan University, helps Taylor dictate an offense that ranks second in goals scored with 39, or 2.17 per game. The Cardinals are also No. 1 in SUNYAC with a plus-24 scoring margin over their opponents. Hickman has one assist on the season.

Top-seeded Plattsburgh (12-2-4) hosts the SUNYAC tournament this weekend at the Field House Soccer Complex, playing fourth-seed Oneonta at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. Saturday's championship game kicks off at 1 p.m.