Wilmington University is pleased to announce that Sargbah Tarpeh (Overbrook HS/Philadelphia, PA), Fatoma Turay (Bartram HS/Philadelphia, PA), Nickalus McDonald (Martin Luther King HS/Philadelphia, PA), Jamal Wiggins (St. Anthony’s HS/St. Thomas Central, Trinidad), and Dave Dease (Delsea HS/Newfield, NJ), have earned NCAA Daktronics All-American Men’s Soccer Honors for their performances this past season.
Tarpeh, a senior forward, and East Region Player of the Year, earned first team accolades. He was the catalyst of the Wildcat offense and led the Wildcats in almost every offensive category, including goals (21), assists (11), and game winning goals (7). He also led the CACC in points, goals, assists, shots, points per game and assists per game. His offensive contributions ranked 6th in Division II in points per game and assists per game, and 7th in the nation in goals per game. His 54 this season were a single-season CACC record. A four-time All-CACC First Team selection, he was also named the CACC Player of the Year. Tarpeh became the first Wildcat to earn Regional Player of the Year Honors in men's soccer.
McDonald and Wiggins were both named to the third team. McDonald, a sophomore midfielder, netted 12 goals and six assists this season. He was third in the CACC in points, and is tied for fourth in goals and assists. Wiggins, a junior back, was one of the anchors of the Wildcat defense. He helped lead a defense that finished second in the CACC in goals against average (0.87) and in goals allowed (20; 0.85/game). He helped the ‘Cats to seven shutouts this season and led the squad to a ranking of 25th in the nation in team goals against average. Both Wiggins and McDonald were First-Team All-Conference and First Team All-East Region award winners.
Turay and Dease each earned honorable mention honors. Turay, a senior midfielder, finished second on the squad in assists (9). He was fourth on the team in points (15), and ranked second in the conference in assists. Dease, a senior defender, helped anchor the Wildcat defense that finished second in the CACC in goals against average (0.87) and in goals allowed (20; 0.85/game). He helped the ‘Cats to seven shutouts this season and led the squad to a ranking of 25th in the nation in team goals against average Both Turay and Dease were First-Team All-Conference and First Team All-East Region award winners.
Together, these five players helped Wilmington end the 2009 campaign with a stellar 19-3-1 overall record, including a perfect 11-0 mark in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). The season saw many highs, including the highest national ranking in school history (9th), highest regional ranking in program history (1st), and six members honored with All-Conference awards. Head Coach Nick Papanicolas was named CACC Coach of the Year, and the squad claimed the CACC regular season title. Head coach Nick Papanicolas was also named the CACC Coach of the Year.
The five Wilmington student-athletes were the only members of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference to earn All-American honors. They become the first Wildcats to earn All-American accolades since Wilmington made the move to NCAA Division II in the fall of 2003.