UMBC sweeps America East Conference honors
Coaches in the America East Conference voted Jeremy Blevins as the Player of the Year, and Don Zimmerman was named the Coach of the Year for the second straight year and for the third time in four seasons.
Blevins, who is the third Retriever to win Player of the Year honors (attackman Brendan Mundorf won in 2005 and 2006, and midfielder Terry Kimener was selected last year), is eighth in the nation with a 7.58 goals-against average and he leads all active goalies with 42 wins. Blevins, who is one of 21 players still vying for the Tewaaraton Trophy, is fourth on the school’s all-time saves list with 601.
Under Zimmerman, UMBC has captured or claimed a share of the America East regular-season crown in each of the last five seasons. The program’s 43 victories over the last four years ranks as the most in its history, exceeding the 42 wins between 1974-77. Zimmerman boasts a career record of 196-113 (.634) in 23 seasons, and he is 123-97 (.559) in his 16th year with the Retrievers.
Joining Blevins on the conference first team were midfielders Peet Poillon and Kyle Wimer, defenseman Kevin Goedeke (Fallston) and short-stick defensive midfielder Jordan Pierce (Mount St. Joseph).
Poillon, a transfer from Ohio State, leads the team in points with 42 on 25 goals and 17 assists, while Wimer ranks second with 36 points on 21 goals and 15 assists. Goedeke and Pierce have helped Blevins anchor a defense ranked ninth in the nation in surrendering just 7.8 goals per game.
Attackmen Ryan Smith (Fallston) and Matt Latham (Liberty), midfielder Alex Hopmann (Annapolis) and defenseman Matt Kresse were named to the second team.
Attackman Rob Grimm was selected to the All-Rookie team, while Goedeke and attackman Chris Jones earned All-Academic honors.
