Steven Beattie scored 19 goals during the 2009 season.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University's
Steven Beattie was named the Midwest Region Player of the Year for the second consecutive season as four Norse players were named to the Daktronics NCAA Division II Midwest Region men's soccer teams.
Beattie was also named to the first team while seniors
Braden Bishop,
Chris Dobrowolski and
Seth Eckerlin all earned spots on the second team. It marks the third consecutive season that an NKU player has been named Regional Player of the Year.
Beattie, a junior from Skerries, Ireland, led the Norse with 19 goals and is NKU's all-time leading scorer with 51 career goals. Beattie earned the Great Lakes Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year award for the second straight season and last year was honored as the Ron Lenz National Player of the Year.
Bishop, a senior from Centerville, Ohio, had a stellar senior season, netting 11 goals and becoming the second-leading scorer in school history with 46 goals in his four-year career. Bishop was the Regional Player of the Year in 2007, when he also earned All-America honors. He is a four-time All-GLVC honoree in his career.
Dobrowolski, a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, anchored NKU's ball-control offense from the “Norse Wall” defensive unit. The transfer from Mount St. Joseph logged more minutes on the pitch than any other NKU player, working hard to stymie opposing strikers. Dobrowolski was also named to the All-GLVC second team.
Eckerlin, a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of the most tenacious players on the NKU roster this season, though his contributions rarely made their way onto the score sheet. Working to wrestle possession from opponents in the midfield, Eckerlin was the heart and soul of the Norse during the 2009 season. He was also honored as a second-team All-GLVC player.
Beattie is now eligible for the Daktronics NCAA Division II All-America team, to be announced on Dec. 1.
