Harvard Earns Three Selections to NSCAA All-Northeast Region Team

Pictured: Brian Rogers was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year
Photo courtesy: David Silverman Photography

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- After helping the Harvard men's soccer team win the Ivy League title and reach the third round of the 2009 NCAA tournament, seniors Andre Akpan and Kwaku Nyamekye and freshman Brian Rogers were honored on the NSCAA All-Northeast Region team. Akpan and Nyamekye garnered spots on the first team, while Rogers was named to the third team.

Akpan, a finalist for the Hermann Trophy, presented to the nation's top collegiate player, is a three-time All-American, having been tabbed to the NSCAA All-America first team this fall.  A native of Grand Prairie, Texas, Akpan stands as Harvard's all-time leading scorer with 127 points.  He also ranks first in school history with 33 assists and is tied for first with 47 goals.  Akpan, a forward, is a four-time All-Ivy League first-team choice and was the Ivy League Player of the Year this season.  A nominee for Soccer News Net Player of the Year, Akpan was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National second team this season, after scoring 12 goals and handing out six assists for 30 points. 

The Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2006, Akpan led the Ivy League in goals and points this season and is a four-time NSCAA All-Northeast Region choice.  He was also honored for his effort in the classroom, having been selected to the Academic All-Ivy League team.

Nyamekye, a defender from Geneva Switzerland, joined Akpan as the only unanimous choices to the All-Ivy League first team.  Nyamekye, who is making his first appearance on the NSCAA All-Northeast Region first team after being selected to the third team in 2007 and 2008, is a four-time All-Ivy selection and was the Crimson's leader at defense.  He started all 19 games this fall, helping Harvard surrender only 15 goals to opponents.  Nyamekye also scored a goal in Harvard's 2-1 victory over Dartmouth Oct. 31, propelling the Crimson to first place in the Ancient Eight standings. 

Rogers, who hails from Bronxville, N.Y., was honored as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year after ranking second on the Crimson with six goals and six assists for 18 points.  Rogers, who also grabbed a spot on the All-Ivy second team, tallied three game-winning goals and was honored as the Ivy League Rookie of the Week three times.  Rogers, a forward, began his career with a six-game point streak (Sept. 4-23) and netted a goal in three consecutive contests during that streak (Sept. 14-23).

Harvard completed its season with a 14-4-1 record and won the Ivy League with a 5-1-1 conference mark.  The Crimson, which reached as high as No. 6 in the national polls, defeated Monmouth, 3-0, in the second round of the NCAA tournament Nov. 22, reaching the third round for the first time since 1987.