Amine, Walleekendeh Lead Four All-PSUAC Men’s Soccer Performers; Spangler Earns Coaching Honor
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania -- Senior Manny Amine (Detroit, Mich./Wyoming Park) and junior Bill Walleekendeh (Chester, Pa./Chester) both earned All-Penn State University Athletic Conference First Team honors for the second-straight season, leading four Penn State Brandywine men's soccer players garnering postseason awards on Tuesday. In addtion, Head Coach Scott Spangler was named as the league's coach of the year for the second consecutive season.
Representing Brandywine as Second Team All-PSUAC performers were sophomore goalkeeper Pat O'Neill (Morton, Pa./Ridley) and freshman defender James Cellucci (Rosemont, Pa./Radnor).
Walleekendeh leads Brandywine in scoring for the third consecutive season with 41 points, good for fourth in the conference and seventh nationally. In 16 games this fall, Walleekendeh owns 17 goals, the third-highest total in the PSUAC, and seven assists. He netted at least one goal in eight-of-nine conference matches and produced six multi-goal efforts overall this season.
A UCAA All-American in 2014, Walleekendeh has amassed 63 goals and 147 total points in three seasons at Brandywine.
Amine serves as a team captain and as its leader in the midfield. He was selected to the first team despite missing the Lions' final nine regular-season matches due to injury. At the time of his injury, Amine was leading the team with three assists and second in shots (18).
As a four-year starter at Brandywine, Amine totaled 14 goals and 12 assists for 40 points. He also became Brandywine's first-ever academic all-American in 2014.
O'Neill started 12 games in goal for the Lions, recording a 1.97 goals-against average and .758 save percentage. He posted a 5-1 record in league games, allowing just over one goal per game in those contests. During the middle of the season, O'Neill owned a scoreless streak of over 240 minutes, which included consecutive shutouts against Penn State Hazleton, Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Mont Alto.
One-of-three players to start all 17 matches, Cellucci led the PSUAC's top defensive unit. Brandywine posted seven shutouts and allowed just 0.67 goals per game against conference competition. Cellucci quickly became the leader for Brandywine's backline that surrendered just 51 shots against in nine PSUAC matches.
Spangler directed the Lions' to a first-place finish in the PSUAC and the No. 1 seed in the PSUAC Tournament after Brandywine posted an 8-1 conference mark. Brandywine will be looking to win its third league title in three years under Spangler's guidance. The Lions own a 28-2 conference record and have had 12 all-conference standouts during that span.
Brandywine opens its PSUAC title defense Thursday afternoon against either No. 4 Penn State York or No. 5 Penn State Greater Allegheny at 3:00 pm.
