Yarborough, Seven Hatters Honored by A-Sun

soccer coach YarboroughStetson head coach Ernie Yarborough was named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year, and seven Hatters earned spots on the various all-conference teams, which were announced by the league office on Tuesday. League head coaches voted on the post-season awards.

JJ Bostic and Eli Beates were voted to the all-conference first team, while Lucas Diniz and Jared Huber earned second-team honors. Huber, David Caulfield, Marco Hjorth and Jeppe Moe were named to the league’s All-Freshman team.

“I’m very proud of the group,” said Yarborough. “Any time individual awards are given out they happen because of the team. For us to have so many players honored when there were so many questions about us going into the year makes me very proud of this team. I’m proud of the way the team has handled everything this year.”

Yarborough is the first Stetson head coach to be named A-Sun Coach of the Year since Sean Murphy in 2001.

Yarborough was chosen as the conference’s top boss this season after the rookie head coach steered the Hatters to within a win of the program’s first regular-season title since 2006. Yarborough has so far guided the Hatters to an 8-6-2 overall record, the program’s first winning mark in three seasons. Stetson finished third in the A-Sun standings and faces Northern Kentucky in the opening round of the conference tournament on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.

“From a personal standpoint, it’s a very nice honor,” said Yarborough. “We don’t win awards without the team. Players go out a do what we ask of them. They do the real work. All I’ve done is continue the work of Logan Fleck and what he laid out in front of us. I’m honored and humbled and at the same time very excited about what it means for our team and the program.”

Bostic, a senior defender, is tied for the team lead and also tied for third in the conference with seven goals. He is the captain of a Stetson defense which allowed a league-low five goals in conference play.

Beates, a junior forward, is part of an explosive Stetson offense which leads the conference and ranks 16th nationally with 34 totals goals. Beates has scored five goals, including two game-winners, and has one assist.

Bostic and Beates are the first Stetson teammates name to the all-conference first team since 2011, when three Hatters were so honored.

Despite leading the A-Sun in both assists (9) and total points (23), junior midfielder Lucas Diniz was relegated to the second team. Diniz, who is tied for eighth nationally in assists, also leads the conference in points in conference games with 13. He has two game-winning goals and is a perfect 3-for-3 on penalty kicks.

Huber, a freshman forward, leads the conference with three game-winning goals among his five total goals for the year. Huber was also one of two players who were unanimously voted to the All-Freshman Team.

Caulfield and Moe, both defenders, teamed with Bostic to give Stetson the top back line in the conference. Caulfield scored a pair of goals and added an assist, while Moe also chipped in two goals and four assists.

Hjorth, who started 15 of Stetson’s 16 matches, contributed two goals and two assists.

These are Stetson’s first All-Freshman selections since 2011, and the most in the program’s history for one season.

The Hatters open A-Sun Tournament play on Wednesday when they face Northern Kentucky at 5 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn.

GOHATTERS.COM

by Cris Belvin