Philadelphia, Pa. – Hofstra senior forward Chris Griebsch was named the Colonial Athletic Association's Player of the Year, the league announced tonight at the annual awards banquet on the eve of the CAA Men's Soccer Championships.
Griebsch became just the second Hofstra player to win the CAA Player of the Year award, joining Michael Todd in 2006. Hofstra also saw senior Maid Memic named to the first team and junior Elliott Firth make the third team. Senior defender and co-captain Tyler Botte also made the third team.
Freshman Ignacio Gorrono and Rory Murphy earned spots on the All-CAA rookie team while senior Herbert Biste was Hofstra's selection to the all-academic squad.
William & Mary's Will Smith was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year, Delaware's Guillermo Delgado was the Rookie of the Year and Drexel's Doug Hess was the CAA Coach of the Year.
Griebsch was one of the top offensive performers in the CAA this season, ranking among the top-three in the conference in goals, assists and points. The senior forward led the league in assists for the third year in a row with eight, and is the Pride's all-time assists leader with 32. He also ranked third in the CAA with seven goals and 22 points. Griebsch contributed either a goal or an assist in 10 of the Pride's 18 matches, including five of seven CAA contests. He was a third-team All-CAA selection in 2011 and a second-team All-CAA pick in 2012 before moving up to the first team this season.
Two of the three first-team forward spots went with Hofstra players with Griebsch and Memic joining Delgado. Memic set a career high with 10 goals, notching four game-winners and logging 23 points with a .467 shot-on-goal percentage.
Firth, a junior with two more season of eligibility remaining, shined in his first season with the Pride. The midfielder scored two goals, notching scoring strikes against Boston University and Drexel. He also contributed to a defensive effort that led to four shutouts and helped Hofstra qualify for the CAA Tournament.
Botte finished his career with 12 goals while also helping Hofstra post 11 shutouts since 2012. The former St. Anthony's High School standout and Long Island native was a three-year starter for the Pride.
Gorrono was one of three forwards to make the all-rookie team after he tallied three goals and two assists to finish third on the team in scoring strikes. Murphy was a stalwart on the Hofstra back line, spending ample time at full back. He was a major contributor to Hofstra's four clean sheets and a factor on the offensive end with three assists.
Hofstra finished the 2013 campaign 8-7-3 and ended with a winning record for the fourth time in five seasons under head coach Richard Nuttall.