LOWELL, MA (Dec. 17, 2007) – UMass Lowell junior Matias Pietropinto (Leominster, MA) and senior Edens Chery (Brockton, MA) were each named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division II All-America Team, the NSCAA announced Monday.

Pietropinto was named to the first team while Chery earned second team honors as the two became the first UML players to earn the coveted distinction since 2004. They joined former River Hawk standouts Brandon Curran (2002), Jason Paige (2003) and Jonathan Curran (2003, 2004) as the sole All-Americans in men’s soccer history.

“We are all extremely proud of Matias and Edens,” said UML Head Coach Ted Priestly, who recently capped his 11th year. “They are both tremendous people as well as being outstanding soccer players, and their examples of dedication, perseverance and leadership serve as a positive example for young players.

“As a Massachusetts state university, it is especially satisfying to see two products of Massachusetts Youth Soccer win this award,” Priestly added. “They are two ideal reflections of our program: we believe in Massachusetts and in Massachusetts soccer players and we look forward to continuing to build a proud, winning tradition with Massachusetts players.”

UML posted a 12-4-4 overall record and a 10-2-1 clip in the Northeast-10 Conference, in which it placed second to national champion Franklin Pierce. The River Hawks enjoyed their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five years where it drew (1-1) with Southern Connecticut in the first round before advancing on penalty kicks (3-2).

UML, however, suffered a 3-1 loss in the Northeast Region Final to the Ravens.

Pietropinto compiled four goals and a school record 13 assists (21 points) this fall, ranking tops among NE-10 assist leaders and third in Division II. Pietropinto bested the previous school record of 12 set by Michael Cafeteiro in 2004.

 He emerged in big matches, evidenced by four assists in UML’s regular season wins over then-No. 1 Dowling (3-2) and Southern Connecticut (1-0) and the 3-1 loss to FPU in the NCAA Tournament.

“Since the season ended, Matias has lived in two places: the classroom and the weight room,” Priestly noted. “This award was by no means his ultimate goal. His main goals are team-related, and they include winning championships.

“For our two captains (Pietropinto and sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Richards) to be the hardest working teammates in the weight room, it shows that while finishing 9th in the country is significant, our players are hungry for something more and they are prepared to work hard enough to deserve that success.”

The only senior on the squad, Chery enjoyed his best season and compiled a career-best seven goals and five assists. He ends his collegiate career with 12 goals and 21 assists (45 points) and ranks tied for ninth among UML career leaders.

“I look forward to seeing where Edens ends up playing next year,” Priestly said. “He will be involved in the Haitian National Team setup in the coming months, and there have been a number of inquiries about him from MLS clubs.  Given his age (21) and his ability, he will make an ideal MLS developmental player.”