NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Eastern Connecticut State University earned three of the five major awards this afternoon, when the 2009 Little East men's soccer all-conference teams were announced. Senior forward Maxim Fantl (West Hartford, Conn.) was named the offensive player of the year, while teammate freshman defender Bradley Fletcher (Middletown, Conn.) was selected as the rookie of the year. The Warriors also took home the inaugural team sportsmanship award. Rhode Island College junior defender Corey Carvalho (Dartmouth, Mass.) was honored as the defensive player of the year, while Henry Almeida of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth was tabbed as the coach of the year by his peers.

Fantl is making his fourth straight appearance on the all-conference teams and third consecutive on the first team. The striker from West Hartford, Conn. is the third men's soccer player to earn at least a share of the top offensive player award in back-to-back seasons, joining Southern Maine's Sinisa Bajic (2006, 2007) and Rhode Island College's Kyle Teixeira (2004, 2005). Fantl ranks among the national leaders in goals per game (20th, 0.84) and points per game (24th, 2.0), while leading the Little East in goals (17) and points (40). He became just the second Warrior to record his 100th-career point since 1991, when he scored the game-winning goal against the Anchormen on Oct. 19. A starter in all 21 matches, Fantl registered at least one point in seven straight matches between Oct. 18 and Nov. 4. He matched his season-high point total (5) twice on the campaign, most recently at the University of Massachusetts Boston on Oct. 26. Fantl was named the player of the week once on the campaign.

Carvalho is the first Rhode Island College student-athlete to be named the top defensive player in the conference. The Anchormen limited their opponents to fewer than two markers in eight matches, including four shutouts. Rhode Island College posted a season-best scoreless streak of 214 minutes, 14 seconds, a streak spanning four matches. The All-Little East, first-team selection started 17 of his 19 matches this season. Carvalho recorded his only points on the campaign at Westfield State, scoring the decisive goal and adding an assist. 

Fletcher is just the third Eastern Connecticut player to be honored as the rookie of the year and first since Fantl accepted the award in 2007. The native of Middletown, Conn. is also making his debut on the all-conference, second-team. The Warriors led the conference in goals against average (0.92), while sharing the lead in shutouts (9) with Keene State College. Fletcher made an immediate impact in the Eastern Connecticut defensive third, starting all 21 matches.  He earned his first collegiate point against Western Connecticut, assisting on the game-winning goal. Fletcher and his teammate held both their opponents in the Little East Men's Soccer Championship scoreless to capture the program's second conference title in the past three seasons.

Almeida guided the Corsairs into the finals of the 2009 Little East Men's Soccer Championship for just the second time in program history. UMass Dartmouth, making its first tournament appearance since 2002, upset top-seeded Keene State College 2-1 in overtime in the semifinals. Under his direction, the Corsairs posted an overall record of 12-7-2, including a 3-3-1 mark in the conference circuit. UMass Dartmouth opened the campaign with a season-best four match winning streak, including shutting out NCAA Tournament participant Salem State College, 2-0. Almeida is just the third Corsairs' coach to be named the top boss in the Little East.

The Warriors earned the conference's inaugural team sportsmanship award after being booked for the least amount of cautions among Little East teams. Eastern Connecticut received a total of just six yellow cards, marking the only squad in the conference to be cautioned less than 10 times. Head Coach Greg DeVito led his charges to the 2009 Little East Men's Soccer Championship and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Warriors' reached the 10-win mark for the third consecutive season, posting an overall record of 16-4-1.    

Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East Conference has since grown to its present eight-school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.