MELE NAMED TO NATIONAL SOCCER COACHES ASSOCIATION ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM

Montclair, NJ (12/17/07) – Junior goalkeeper Nick Mele (Delran, NJ / Delran) had the exclamation point put on his outstanding season on Sunday as he was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) Division III All-America Second Team. Mele was one of 38 players named to the All-America squad.

The junior becomes the 14th different player and the first goalkeeper in Montclair State history to garner All-America honors. It is the 20th All-American award for the program overall.

Mele put together perhaps the finest season by any Montclair State goalkeeper. The 6-2 junior helped lead the Red Hawks, who finished the year ranked No. 7 in the nation, to their second straight New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship and the its furthest advancement in the NCAA Division III Championship as MSU reached the Elite 8 of the tournament before falling to three-time defending national champion Messiah College, 1-0. Montclair finished the year with a 19-3-1 record.

Mele, the NJAC Goalkeeper of the Year and First-Team All-NJAC selection, posted a 0.60 goals against average and made 87 saves while posting 12 shutouts. A three-time NJAC Defensive Player of the Week award winner, Mele set the Montclair single-season record for victories and posted the second-highest total for shutouts in a season as he led the conference in both those categories. In addtion, he was second in the league in save percentage (.870) and fourth in total saves.

In the final NCAA Division III statistics, Mele was ranked sixth in save percentage and 18th in goals against average. The Red Hawks were ranked in the Top 20 as a team in goals against average (16th), save percentage (9th) and shutouts per game (9th).

Eleven times this season Mele made four or more saves in a game and posted a streak of 704:34 without allowing a goal as Montclair State blanked its first eight opponents. Included in that streak was a nine-save performance in a scoreless double-overtime tie with Swarthmore and seven saves the following day as MSU topped Skidmore, 1-0. In the NJAC Championship Game at New Jersey City, Mele stopped nine shots as the Red Hawks successfully defended their conference crown with a 1-0 win over the Gothic Knights.

Mele made four saves in Montclair State's 2-1 win over Penn State Behrend in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship added four more as MSU beat New Jersey City in the NCAA Sectional Tournament. He had four saves in the loss to Messiah.

In his two seasons as a starter, Mele has posteda 35-4-2 record with 157 saves and a 0.60 goals against average which tops the Montclair State career list. He also has 36 career wins, three shy of the school record and he is 12th all-time in saves.