Delaware Midfielder Vincent Mediate Named to College Soccer News National Team of the Week
November 16, 2011
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
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NEWARK, Del. -- University of Delaware men's soccer standout Vincent Mediate (at right), who led the Blue Hens to their first-ever Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title Sunday in a 2-1 win over Old Dominion, has been named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for the period ending Nov. 13.
Mediate, a sophomore midfielder from Southlake, Tex. (Southlake Carroll High School), was selected as the CAA Tournament Most Valuable Player after dishing out an assist in a semifinal win over James Madison and scoring the Hens' first goal in the championship game win over Old Dominion.
The Blue Hens (12-5-4), the tournament No. 4 seed, had to work overtime to capture the title, the team's first-ever won in post-season tournament fashion. Delaware advanced past No. 5 Northeastern on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals and followed that with a victory over top-seed and host James Madison in the semifinals. The win over the No. 20 ranked Dukes also came on penalty kicks after the verdict could not be decided in two regular periods and two overtime sessions.
Delaware then knocked off No. 2 seed and and No. 18 ranked Old Dominion 2-1 in the title game, winning thanks to a first half goal by Mediate and the deciding goal with 25:29 left in the game when an ODU defender deflected a pass into his own net. The victory gave the Hens the CAA Tournament title and the Blue Hens' first NCAA Tournament berth since 1970.
The Hens, who also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1968, will take on Atlantic Coast Conference semifinalist and 2009 national champion Virginia on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. in Charlottesville, Va. The winner will advance to take on No. 4 ranked UCLA in the round of 32.
A civil engineering major, Mediate has appeared in 19 games this season with 16 starts and ranks No. 4 on the team in scoring with 11 points on four goals, including two game-winners, and three assists. He also ranks fourth on the team with 23 shots.
He was joined on the team by Jack Burridge (Fairfield), Ben Speas (North Carolina), Arthur Ivo (SMU), Jack Bennett (St. John’s), Miguel Ibarra (UC Irvine), Kalle Sotka (Monmouth), Leonardo Fernandez (Stony Brook), Charlie Bales (Western Illinois), Thomas Brandt (Penn), Chris Phillips (Liberty), and Peter McKeown (Loyola Chicago).
