2019 AUS men's soccer major award winners and all-stars announced

(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2019 men's soccer all-stars and major award winners as selected by the conference's 10 head coaches following regular season play.

Fourth-year Cape Breton Capers defender Peter Schaale of Bernkastel-Kues, Germany, has been named the AUS most valuable player for the second consecutive year.

The AUS rookie of the year is Capers midfielder Isaiah Johnston of Milton, Ont.

Gracious Kasheke, a third-year striker for the Dalhousie Tigers from Halifax, N.S., is this year's recipient of the AUS student-athlete community service award.

And in his 21^st year at the helm of the Dalhousie Tigers program, Pat Nearing has been selected by his peers as the AUS coach of the year for the second time in his career.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Peter Schaale, Cape Breton Capers 

Peter Schaale, a fourth-year defender from the U SPORTS no. 2-ranked Cape Breton Capers, has been named the Atlantic University Sport men's soccer most valuable player.

The Bernkastel-Kues, Germany native anchored the Capers defence and led them to an undefeated 10-0-2 record, a first-place finish in the AUS standings and a first-round playoffs bye through to Friday's championship semifinals.

Schaale's Cape Breton squad allowed just nine goals against all season for a goals against average of 0.75 per game—the best in the conference.

The Capers had seven shutouts this season.

In addition to his defensive prowess, Schaale scored two goals this season—including the game-tying goal in Cape Breton's final regular season game to save the Capers' undefeated season.

Along with being named AUS MVP, he was named an AUS all-star for the fourth consecutive year. He was named to the AUS second team all-star squad in 2016, and an AUS first team all-star in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

He was also named a U SPORTS first team all-Canadian last season.

Schaale will now represent the Atlantic conference as the league's nominee for the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy as the U SPORTS player of the year.

Atlantic conference nominees have taken home the honour in 2017, 2014, 2005, 2003, 2001, 1998 and 1996.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Isaiah Johnston, Cape Breton Capers

Cape Breton Capers midfielder Isaiah Johnston has been chosen by the coaches as the 2019 Atlantic University Sport rookie of the year.

A community studies student from Milton, Ont., Johnston played in eight regular season games for the U SPORTS no. 2-ranked Capers this season and started in six of them.

He was named Subway Player of the Game on two occasions—Sept. 15 in a 5-0 win over Mount Allison and Sept. 22 in a 6-0 win over Acadia.

He had one goal and three assists for four points this season.

Johnston becomes the fifth player from a Capers squad to be named AUS rookie of the year. Current teammate Charlie Waters is the most recent Cape Breton player to take home the honour during his freshman season in 2017.

Past Capers winner also include Joel Eckert-Ayenza (2015), Ian Greedy (2010) and Paul Hamilton (2006).

Johnston will now represent the AUS as the conference's nominee for the Lou Bilek Award for U SPORTS rookie of the year.

Former UNB standout John Fish was the last AUS men's soccer player to earn national rookie of the year honours. He took home the award in 2004. Dalhousie's Simon Richardson is the only other Atlantic University Sport player to be named U SPORTS (formerly CIS) rookie of the year. He earned the title in 2001.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Gracious Kasheke, Dalhousie Tigers

Gracious Kasheke, a third-year striker with the Dalhousie Tigers, is the 2019 AUS student-athlete community service award recipient.

A student-athlete in Dalhousie's challenging neuroscience program, Kasheke played in seven games for the Tigers this season and started in six of them.

The Halifax, N.S. native scored two goals and added three assists for five points on the season.

Kasheke volunteers his time extensively.

He serves as the vice president for the Dalhousie Undergraduate Neuroscience Society, with which he organizes and runs various fundraisers for Direction 180. Direction 180 is a harm-reduction based methadone clinic which focuses on supporting members of the Mi'kmaq population suffering with opiate addiction.

Kasheke is a volunteer researcher with both the Mayo Clinic and Dalhousie University.

He has also volunteered with such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, the Channel One Food Bank and the Greater Love Street Team—which packs and distributes food to the homeless.

Kasheke is the fifth player from the Dalhousie Tigers to receive the men's soccer student-athlete community service award. Other Dalhousie winners include Jonathan Doucett (2016), Sangmuk Choi (2015), Nathan Rogers (2013) and Ryan Haughn (2006).

He will now represent the Atlantic conference as the nominee for the national student-athlete community service award. Doucett, Choi, Rogers and Haughn each earned the national honour in their respective years.

Since the inception of the national award in 2005, AUS student-athletes have claimed the honour 10 times (in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007 and 2006). Acadia's Zachary Visser earned the honour most recently in 2017.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Pat Nearing, Dalhousie Tigers  

Head coach Pat Nearing of the Dalhousie Tigers has been selected by his peers as the AUS men's soccer coach of the year for the second time in his career.

In his 21^st season at the helm of the Dalhousie program, Nearing led the Tigers to a 6-2-4 regular season record and a fourth-place finish in the conference standings.

His Dalhousie squad allowed just 16 goals against all season for a goals against average of 1.32.

Nearing first earned AUS coach of the year honours following the 2008-09 season. He was named CIS (now U SPORTS) coach of the year that same year.

He has led the Tigers to two AUS championship titles—in 2008 and in 1999.

Nearing now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS coach of the year award.

Cape Breton head coach Deano Morley took home the national honour the past two consecutive seasons.

Other national award wins by AUS coaches in recent years include Acadia's Findlay MacRae in 2016, UNB's Miles Pinsent in 2012 and StFX's Graham Kennedy in 2010.

FIRST AND SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS

The AUS first and second team all-stars were also announced Wednesday. They are as follows:

First Team All-Stars:
Keeper – Ben Grondin, Dalhousie (3^rd year – Calgary, Alta.
Defender – Josh Read, StFX (4^th year – Bath, England)
Defender – Peter Schaale, Cape Breton (4^th year – Bernkastel-Kues, Germany)
Defender – Luis Garcia, UNB (3^rd year – San Antonio, Texas)
Midfielder – Ben Gorringe, UNB (5^th year – Mount Uniake, N.S.)
Midfielder – Freddy Bekkers, Dalhousie (5^th year – Halifax, N.S.)
Midfielder – Sam Smiley, UPEI (5^th year – Stratford, P.E.I.)
Striker – Dan Hayfield, StFX (5^th year – Exeter, England)
Striker – Tane Caubo, StFX (4^th year – London, England)
Striker – Alex Black, Saint Mary's (4^th year – Halifax, N.S.)
Striker – Cory Bent, Cape Breton (4^th year – Preston, England)        

Second Team All-Stars:
Keeper – Evan Barker, UNB (4^th year – Winnipeg, Man.)
Defender – Jack Kennedy, StFX (2^nd year – Antigonish, N.S.)
Defender – Michael O'Brien, Memorial (3^rd year – Mount Pearl, N.L.)
Defender – Harry Carter, Memorial (2^nd year – St. John's, N.L.)
Defender – Pascal Doucette, Moncton (2^nd year – Berwick, N.S.)
Midfielder – Spencer Buck, Acadia (5^th year – Quispamsis, N.B.)
Midfielder – Caelan Budhoo, Cape Breton (4^th year – Winnipeg, Man.)
Midfielder – Marcus Campanile, Cape Breton (4^th year – Edinburgh, Scotland)
Striker – Enrico Rodriguez, Dalhousie (3^rd year – Halifax, N.S.)
Striker – Charlie Waters, Cape Breton (2^nd year – Lancashire, England)
Striker – Tristan Nkoghe, UNB (2^nd year – Sherbrooke, Que.) 

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The 2019 Subway AUS Soccer Championships presented by Keep It Social will be hosted by Cape Breton University in Sydney, N.S. Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.

The championship schedule is as follows:

Thursday, Oct. 31
Women's Quarterfinal #1: UNB (5) vs. Dalhousie (4), 11:30 a.m.
Men's Quarterfinal #1: Saint Mary's (5) vs. Dalhousie (4), 2 p.m.             
Women's Quarterfinal #2: Memorial (6) vs. StFX (3), 4:30 p.m.
Men's Quarterfinal #2: UPEI (6) vs. UNB (3), 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 1
Women's Semifinal #1: Winner QF 1 vs. Acadia (1), 11:30 a.m.
Men's Semifinal #1: Winner QF 1 vs. Cape Breton (1), 2 p.m.
Women's Semifinal #2: Winner QF 2 vs. Cape Breton (2), 4:30 p.m.

Men's Semifinal #2: Winner QF 2 vs. StFX (2), 7 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 3
Women's Championship Final: Winner SF 1 vs. Winner SF 2, 1 p.m.
Men's Championship Final: Winner SF 1 vs. Winner SF 2, 4 p.m.

*Note: All games of the championship will be televised live on Bell Aliant's Fibe TV1 and available via webcast at www.AUStv.ca.

Final AUS men's soccer standings:
http://atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/msoc/2019-20/standings

The AUS conference received two berths this season at the 2019 U SPORTS men's soccer championship being hosted by Université de Montreal in Montreal, Que. Nov. 7 to 10. The berths will be awarded to the AUS championship winner and runner up.

For more information on the national men's soccer championship, please visit the official website at: https://usports.ca/en/championships/soccer/m.