USL PRO News Release
Friday, September 6, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – USL PRO honored its top performers of the season today, announcing the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year from the 2013 season. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Orlando, Florida, site of Saturday’s USL PRO Championship Game featuring the Charlotte Eagles and Orlando City at the Florida Citrus Bowl.
Voting for the awards was conducted by USL PRO team management.
Most Valuable Player – Jose Angulo, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Angulo had a standout season for the Riverhounds as he led the league with 34 points and finished tied for the league lead with 15 goals. The first player to score at Pittsburgh’s new Highmark Stadium, Angulo had a role in more than half the Riverhounds’ 36 regular-season goals as he led the side to the USL PRO Playoffs.
Rookie of the Year - Nate Robinson, Richmond Kickers
A trialist at the Kickers’ preseason combine, Robinson quickly became a key figure in the regular-season champions’ success as he finished his rookie season with four goals and a team-high nine assists. Robinson’s delivery from the flanks and on set pieces provided outstanding service to Richmond’s front-runners as the Kickers scored 50 goals in a regular season for the first time since 2006.
Defender of the Year - Colin Falvey, Charleston Battery
The Battery’s captain was instrumental in Charleston’s strong performances in USL PRO, with the club conceding just 29 goals in 26 games. Named the team’s Most Valuable Player, Falvey appeared in every game of the season, missing just 34 minutes of action, while also scoring two goals and adding an assist. He also scored the game-winning goal in the Battery’s victory against defending MLS Supporter’s Shield holder the San Jose Earthquakes in the U.S. Open Cup.
Goalkeeper of the Year - Andrew Dykstra, Richmond Kickers
Dykstra was at the heart of a Kickers defense that conceded the fewest goals in USL PRO throughout the season. The league-leader in goals-against average and shutouts, Dykstra made 75 saves in 21 appearances on loan from D.C. United, with a number of them allowing the Kickers’ historic 22-game undefeated streak to continue as Richmond won the USL PRO Regular Season Championship.
Coach of the Year - Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers
In the first season of the club’s partnership with D.C. United, Cowlishaw did a masterful job of combining a veteran core with a new crop of youngsters that shone throughout the season. The Kickers set a new USL PRO record by going 22 games without defeat, with contributions coming from all over the field. Richmond scored more than twice the number of goals it conceded, and clinched the club’s sixth regular-season championship with a game to spare.
The 2013 USL PRO Championship Game will see the No. 2-seed Orlando City host the No. 5-seed Charlotte Eagles at the Florida Citrus Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Eagles defeated the regular-season champion Richmond Kickers 2-1 to advance, while Orlando City held off the Charleston Battery, 3-2.
For live updates from the USL PRO Championship Game, follow the league on Twitter (@USLPRO) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/USLPRO).