Heidelberg Men's Soccer Receives OAC Top Honors

Brian Haley, head coach of the Heidelberg College men’s soccer team, has won the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Award for the 2007 season. It is the second time in his 19 years at Heidelberg that Haley has been given the honor, and he is the only men’s soccer coach in the Berg’s history to ever receive it. Haley led the Berg to the OAC Tournament as the number two seed, and ended the year with an overall record of 10-9 (6-3 in the OAC).

Also receiving awards for their performances on the field in 2007 for the Student Princes are freshmen Mike Harling (Rochdale, England / Holy Cross) and Owen Botting (Billingshurst, England / The Weald School), along with junior Raul Mendez (Mexico City, Mexico / Green Hills).

" Receiving the coach of the year award  is due to the commitment and focus of the whole team and those who work within it," stated Haley. "I see this as a  program award. Dr Traci Stark was instrumental in developing a sense of purpose within the team with a focus on performance both in the classroom and on the field; Vince Laverick has also been a positive influence in the expectations for individual players and the development of players over the last year. The team has certainly moved a long way from last year -  from eighth in the OAC to league runner up - however, we still feel that we have unfinished business and look forward to the challenge that lays ahead of going just one step further."

Harling, a forward and midfielder for the Berg, was awarded First Team All-OAC honors in his first season of collegiate play. He led the team with five goals, three of which were game-winning. Harling also stepped in at goal for the Berg in the team’s 3-1 win against OAC foe Baldwin-Wallace (Oct. 10). He earned the win after only allowing one goal and recording two saves for the day.

Second Team All-OAC honors went to Botting, a defender and midfielder for the Berg. Botting, also in his first season of collegiate play, finished the year with two goals and three assists. He provided the game-winning assist in Heidelberg’s first win of the season against the College of Wooster.

Rounding out the awards for Heidelberg is Mendez, a forward and midfielder for the Student Princes who has earned Honorable Mention All-OAC. The team captain completed the season with three assists, including one against Otterbein College (Oct. 24) which helped Heidelberg earn its ninth win of the season by a score of 1-0.

Haley believes that a major turning point for the team this year was the belief that they could succeed and believing is a major part in achieving. "I'm proud of the players in what they have achieved so far - they are beginning to realize that being part of a program is buying into a mission - the mission of having a sense of purpose,  which leads to distinctive performance both on and off the field, is what ultimately  brings results - which in turn leads to a positive student experience."