Bowling Green State University Athletics
DeGraff and Leardini Named All-MAC; Mahler Named Coach of the Year
November 18, 2002 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 18, 2002
Cleveland, Ohio - Bowling Green State University junior goalkeeper David DeGraff and senior defender Matt Leardini have been named to the Mid-American Conference First-Team. In addition, BGSU coach Mel Mahler was named MAC Coach of the Year. It is the second time he has been tabbed the league's top coach (1996 and 2002).
DeGraff had a league-low 0.49 goals-against-average in five MAC matches (461:13 minutes) while making 19 saves and posting two shutouts (Buffalo and Akron). For the season, he started all 19 Falcon matches and finished with a career-high 87 saves and 2.03 goals-against-average (1,731:48 minutes). DeGraff's two shutouts this season upped his career total to 13.
Leardini, the team captain, finished his senior campaign with two goals and one assist in 19 games played. He was moved to defender early in the year and helped the Falcons rebound from a slow start to post a 5-4-0 record in the second half of the season. The Youngstown, N.Y., native scored a goal in the MAC semifinal win over Kentucky (2-1) and his other netter came vs. Ohio State.
Mahler led BGSU to its third MAC Regular-Season title (co-champs with Akron) and the team's seventh appearance in the MAC Tournament Championship. All of this came after a young Falcon squad began the year 0-8-0 and had only five goals in those eight matches. BGSU rebounded to win five of its last nine matches of the regular-season and score 12 goals over that same time period. Mahler's nine-year record at BGSU now stands at 103-67-8 (.601 pct.) and his 12-year overall coaching record is 121-99-10 (.548 pct.).
Marshall's Byron Carmichael was the MAC Player of the Year while Akron's Kirk Harwat was the MAC Newcomer of the Year.
