NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - The Little East Conference office recently announced the Little East Men's Soccer All-Conference teams and major award winners for the 2008 season this afternoon. Eastern Connecticut State University junior forward Maxim Fantl (West Hartford, Conn.) was named the Offensive Player of the Year, while Rhode Island College freshman goalkeeper Justin O'Connor (North Kingstown, R.I.) was selected the Rookie of the Year. University of Southern Maine earned two of the major awards as senior defender Colin Reilly (Evergreen, Colo.) was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year, while Mike Keller was tabbed the Coach of the Year by his peers.

Fantl is the third Warrior in the program's history to be named the top offensive player and first since 1992. The West Hartford, Conn. product is making his third consecutive appearance on the all-conference teams, earning first-team honors the past two seasons and a spot on the second-team in 2006. Fantl led the Little East in goals (15) and points (36), while ranking among the leaders in game-winning goals (2nd, 3) and assists (5th, 6). The 2006 Rookie of the Year is a prolific scorer, he netted at least one goal in 11 of his 19 matches and recorded multiple markers four times. Fantl registered a season-best five points twice, most recently against Southern Maine on Oct. 18. He was named the Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Week three times on the campaign.

Reilly is the first Huskies student-athlete to be honored as the top defensive player in the conference circuit. A starter in all 23 matches, the native of Evergreen, Colo. anchored the third-best defensive unit in the Little East, allowing just 28 goals this season. Southern Maine posted a shutout in eight of its 12 victories on the campaign, including back-to-back scoreless matches against Maine Maritime and Western Connecticut. Reilly earned his lone point of the season against UMass Boston. He was selected the Little East Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending Sept. 21, 2008.

O'Connor backstopped a stifling Anchormen defensive unit that allowed just 16 markers in 21 matches for a 0.72 team goals against average. The North Kingstown, R.I. product is among the national leaders in save percentage (11th, .874) and goals against average (26th, .644), while second in the Little East in shutouts (8). He is just one shutout shy of matching the Rhode Island College single-season record. O'Connor held the opposition scoreless for 545 minutes and 15 seconds, a span that stretched into parts of seven matches. He made a season-best nine stops in the conference semifinal tournament match against then-No. 24 Eastern Connecticut on Nov. 5. O'Connor is the third Anchorman to earn the Little East's top rookie award.

Keller led the University of Southern Maine to the program's first Little East Conference regular season championship and top-seed in the conference tournament. The Huskies posted an overall record of 12-8-1, including a 6-1 mark in the Little East. Earlier this season, Keller earned his 100th career victory when Southern Maine defeated Plymouth State University. He mentored five All-Little East Conference selections, including three first-team picks. He guided the Huskies to their second straight ECAC New England Tournament appearance.

Six of the eight Little East Conference clubs were honored on the 12-member first-team. Southern Maine senior Greg Cox and Plymouth State University senior Semir Mehmedovic join Fantl as the top forwards. Rhode Island College junior Ryan Kelley and senior Brandon Migliore, Huskies junior Peter McHugh, and UMass Boston senior Romeo Zeqo were named to the first-team midfield. Eastern Connecticut senior Kyle Bedini and Jim McConville and Anchormen senior Josh Silva join Reilly as the top defenders. Western Connecticut senior goalkeeper Dan Michalowski is the conference's top netminder.

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.

2008 Little East Conference Award Recipients 

Offensive Player of the Year: Maxim Fantl, Eastern Connecticut State University

Defensive Player of the Year: Colin Reilly, University of Southern Maine

Rookie of the Year: Justin O'Connor, Rhode Island College

Coach of the Year: Mike Keller, University of Southern Maine