January 8, 2013
MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Big Apple Soccer honors Stony Brook’s Fernandes

Leonardo Fernandes is the Big Apple Soccer Men’s College Player of the Year. photo by James Escher, courtesy Stony Brook Athletic Communications

Stony Brook senior midfielder Leonardo Fernandes has been named the Big Apple Soccer Men’s College Player of the Year. He also is among the finalists for the Soccer News Net College Boot, awarded to the national player of the year.

The nominations included athletes playing at colleges within the site’s coverage area, as well as athletes from the area playing collegiately elsewhere in the country.

Fernandes, of North Babylon, NY (North Babylon HS/BW Gottschee), is the America East Conference’s first-ever three-time Midfielder of the Year and just the second to win any major award three years in a row (2010-2012). In December, he became the first Seawolves player ever honored as an NSCAA All-American, with a Second Team nod. The preseason All-American ranked second among league leaders in points (22), tied for third in goals (8) and was second in assists (6). Fernandes, who served as the focal point of an offense that ranked second in conference scoring at 1.69 goals per contest, earned America East Player of the Week honors on Sept. 17 and BigAppleSoccer.com College Player of the Week recognition for the week ending Sept. 30. He also was named to the America East Championship All-Tournament Team.

Previous winners of the Big Apple Soccer Men’s College Player of the Year award were: 2007—Eliseo Giusfredi, Seton Hall; 2008—Mike Grella, Duke; 2009—Ryan Kinne, Monmouth; 2010—Ryan Kinne, Monmouth; 2011—Ryan Clark, Monmouth.