Official All-Region Release

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Slippery Rock University men’s soccer standout Jeremy Deighton was named the 2009 Daktronics NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Player of the Year Tuesday. Deighton headlines a region-high six members of Slippery Rock’s team that earned All-Region honors in voting by the region’s sports information directors.

Deighton, who earlier this season was named to his second consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division Player of the Year honor, led Slippery Rock to the 2009 PSAC Championship and the NCAA Division II Regional final.

The senior forward finished the season with 21 goals and seven assists for 49 points, tied for the fourth-most in Slippery Rock school history. He finished his career with 112 points, tying him for fourth all-time as well.

Deighton earned first team All-Region honors at forward and was joined by defenders Thomas Pool and Patrick Conley on the first team.

Pool and Conley anchored a Rock defensive unit this season that allowed just 20 goals in 23 games. They also each scored three goals and had one assist on the season and each of them successfully converted their penalty kicks in a shootout win over Mercyhurst in the PSAC semifinals.

Goalkeeper Greg Blum was joined by midfielders Toby Bowser and Benjamin Lloyd on the second team.

Blum finished the season with a 17-4-1 overall record and eight individual shutouts. He made a career-high 14 saves in a 3-2 win over Mercyhurst in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Blum finished the year with a goals against average of 0.94 and made 97 saves for a save percentage of .829.

Bowser finished the year with a team-high nine assists and climbed into third all-time at Slippery Rock with 28 career assists. He will enter his senior season four assists shy of the school record. Bowser also added two goals to finish the season with 13 points. Lloyd finished third on the team in scoring in his freshman season with four goals and seven assists. He was named to All-Conference honors and was a finalist for PSAC Rookie of the Year honors.

The Rock matched its highest postseason finish this season and posted a school record 18 wins, finishing with an overall record of 18-4-1.

Deighton, Pool and Conley, by way of their first team honor, will all advance to the All-America ballot.

The Daktronics All-Region teams are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at institutions that sponsor men’s soccer in the region. The nomination and voting process is powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM.

The complete All-Region team can be viewed by clicking the link at the top of this release.