Cassano Tabbed Defensive Player of the Year, Joins Seven Others Named All-AMCC

ERIE, Pa. – The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) office released its end of the year awards and honors for the 2021 men's soccer season on Tuesday. Penn State Behrend had eight different players selected to an All-Conference team with Andrew Cassano (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) earning Defensive Player of the Year.

Cassano played in integral part on arguably the AMCC's best defensive team, helping the Lions to post eight total shutouts with a conference-leading six in AMCC play. The sophomore defender shut down the AMCC's leading goal-scorer during the Lions matchup with Medaille and withheld him from registering a shot on goal. Cassano also chipped in two goals and an assist, totaling five points to go along with the conference's best defensive play.

First Team All-Conference selections included Cassano, Cameron Eckberg (Westmoreland City, PA/Norwin) and Sam York (Akron, OH/Revere). Eckberg ended AMCC play as the team's leading scorer with eight goals. His mark in goals ended up tied for fifth in the conference. York earns his first all-conference selection after posting an AMCC-best, seven shutouts. He was also tied for first in wins (10) and second in goals against (10) and goals-against average (0.70).

Behrend had four second team selections with two coming from the back line. Zak Schwarzel (South Park, PA/South Park) and Justin LeDonne (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) both earned their first all-conference selection. Schwarzel and LeDonne were both mainstays in the Lion lineup, contributing to post conference-best numbers defensively. They both combined for nine points with LeDonne netting three goals. Tyler Vandemerwe (Erie, PA/Cathedral Prep) and Sean Abraham (Oakmont, PA/Riverview) round out the second team selections. Abraham tied for eighth in the conference in assists with three as well as tying for the team lead. Vandermerwe also collected three assists but also found the back of the net three times for a combined nine points.

Lastly, Brendan Akut (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum) finishes off the long list of Behrend Lions named all-conference earning third team. Akut finished the year with a goal and an assist, however his lone goal was the game winner against Alfred St. during a 1-0 decision, helping Behrend secure the two seed for the AMCC Tournament.