Sam Maheu highlights Atlantic 10 postseason awards

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – As the St. Bonaventure men’s soccer team readies for its first Atlantic 10 Championship appearance since 1999, the A-10 announced that senior Sam Maheu earned Offensive Player of the Year while three other players garnered postseason awards as voted upon by conference coaches.

Maheu also garnered a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference first team and Academic team. Classmate Tyler Bellamy earned a nod to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference second team and junior Brett Allen landed on the All-Conference honorable mention team. Junior Kevin Okapal was awarded for his work on and off the field garnering an Academic team spot. This is the first time in program history that four players have been honored with postseason awards.

“It’s always a pleasure to stand in front of a team and share with them how the conference’s coaches perceive them and the respect they have for them as is the case with this year’s All-Conference selections,” said head coach Mel Mahler. “To have three selected as All-Conference and one as Player of the Year is a tribute to their hard work and that of their teammates.”

This is the third Atlantic 10 award that Maheu has received in his career as he earned an All-Rookie spot and an Honorable Mention nod last season. Maheu leads the league in overall points (31), is tied for first in the league in assists (7) and is second in the Conference in goals. The Ottawa, Ontario, product is currently ranked fourth on the all-time scoring list with 25 goals and 14 assists for a total 64 points through four seasons. His 12 goals this season put him in the record book at seventh just under Brad Wolf and Peter Carr who have 14 each from the 1982 season.

The accounting major with a 3.213 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) was a two-time A-10 Player of the Week this season. The senior has been named to the Dean’s list four times and the Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times, and is involved with Phi Eta Sigma, a national honor society.

“Sam has had a career year. We’ve always known of his scoring abilities. We’ve expanded his role to be more of a playmaker and it has given him the option to be on the ball more thus he’s had more shots resulting in leading the league in goals, but more importantly in assists and points. He has become more of a complete player and that is why he was selected as the top attacking player in the conference.”

Maheu’s classmate, Bellamy is the heart of the backline this season, helping with five shut  outs. The defender scored one goal and one assist, starting all but one game this season. The Hammonton, N.J., native is able to work the back as well as attack the net when necessary.

“Tyler has been a defensive standout for two years and raised his game to a higher level this year,” said Mahler. “He’s great in the air and an excellent marking defender. This year he has become a wonderful threat as an attacking defender.”

Junior Allen carries the Bonnies’ midfield with four goals and six assists to tie for second with 14 points. The Rochester, N.Y., ranks sixth in the A-10 in assists and second on the team. He had two game-winning goals against Niagara and Saint Joseph’s and a game-high two assists against Buffalo and La Salle.

 “Brett has developed into a dangerous attacking midfielder. His pace with the ball and his work ethic has always been a strong part of his game. This year he has been able to score and assist making him a dangerous attacking player.”

 Joining Maheu on the All-Conference Academic team is Okapal, a junior biology major with a 3.893 GPA. Moving from the defense to a more midfield position this season, he has one goal and three assists. The Sylvania, Ohio, native is selected into the Dual Admissions Program with George Washington University School of Medicine.

“Congratulations to all three young men, but not to be forgotten is Kevin Okapal and Sam for their All-Conference Academic team selection. They are true role models for all student-athletes to model themselves after by the way they balance their academic and athletic lives in a successful way.”

After finishing well above the preseason prediction of 13th, sixth-seeded St. Bonaventure faces third-seeded Fordham on Thursday at 5 p.m. Maheu and St. Bonaventure look to avenge the 2-1 loss at McGraw-Jennings Field during the regular season.

The University of Rhode Island plays host to the entire tournament that features another opening round matchup in between the fourth-seeded host and fifth-seeded Charlotte at 8 p.m. Regular season champion Dayton and runner-up Saint Louis received opening round byes. Live stats and video of every game can be found at the A-10 Tournament Central.