MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) office has announced its 2018 Men's Soccer All-Conference teams and individual award winners, naming Morrisville State's Toyi Hakizimana (Rochester, N.Y.) the Rookie of the Year, as voted by conference coaches.
The freshman came in as a highly touted attacking player. After a few games the adjustment was made to move him to a defensive midfielder role, where he would be more impactful for our group this year, and he took the change in stride.
"He actually suggested making the move which shows the selflessness of him as a player," said head coach Kyle Graves. "Had he played in an attacking role he could have easily been one of the top forwards in the conference but as a midfield player he was involved in all aspects of the game and was a major reason we had the success we did this year."
On the season the freshman collected three goals and four assists for 10 total points, netting two game winners over Cazenovia and Wells College, and posting two assists in a single match against Cobleskill.
A former member of the Empire United US Soccer Development Academy, Hakizimana is majoring in individual studies at SUNY Morrisville. He is the third Mustang under direction of Graves to receive Rookie of the Year accolades. He was also a first team All-Conference honoree this season.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2018 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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