Bakker, McCabe Earn All-America Honors
Franklin Pierce duo first pair to earn NSCAA All-America honors in program history
RINDGE, N.H. (December 16, 2003) - Two members of the Franklin Pierce men's soccer team have been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas All-America team announced today.
Senior back Sean McCabe (Derry City, Northern Ireland) and sophomore forward Lars Bakker (Enschede, The Netherlands) each earned their first All-America selections and became the first pair in program history to be named All-Americans in the same season.
McCabe, selected to the All-America second team, was the Ravens leader on defense in his second year at the College after transferring from Mercyhurst College prior to the 2002 season. He backboned a Franklin Pierce defensive unit that yielded just 1.53 goals per game and posted seven shutouts this fall. McCabe also netted his first career goal in a match with Nova Southeastern University.
McCabe, a first team All-New England and All-Northeast-10 selection for the first time in his career this season, played 33 career matches and totaled four points with a goal and two assists from the back. The Ravens also yielded just 1.47 goals per match over his two-year career. McCabe was an All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) player at Mercyhurst prior to transferring to Franklin Pierce.
Bakker, picked as a first team All-American, made an immediate impact in his first season for Franklin Pierce. He led the team with 37 points (2nd NE-10) and 16 goals (2nd) to go with five assists in 18 matches. Bakker led the team with four match-winning tallies and also recorded a hat trick and one match-tying marker.
Bakker, a first team All-New England and All-NE-10 pick, ranks 22nd on the program's career scoring list after one season and 15th on its career goals list. He earned NE-10 Player of the Week honors on two occasions this fall.
Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 19 in the final NSCAA/adidas Division II poll, posted an 11-6-2 overall record this past fall and earned the program's ninth NCAA Tournament berth before falling in the first round to No. 7 UMass Lowell, 3-0, in New Haven, Conn. The Ravens finished with an 11-2 record in Northeast-10 Conference play, good for second place in the regular season.