Malango Named MASCAC Player of the Year, Six Vikings Earn First-Team Honors

SALEM, MASS. - Freshman Mayele Malango (Lowell, Mass.) was named the 2017 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Player and Rookie of the Year and highlights the all-conference team as voted on by the seven coaches from around the league.

Malango headlines six Vikings' players who were named to the all-conference first team, which is the most Salem State players placed on the first team in a single season in program history. Midfielders Nahuel Aligbay (Leominster, Mass.), Grace Dos Santos (Brockton, Mass.), defenders Xavier Polanco (Salem, Mass.), Dominique Panmo (Lynn, Mass.) and keeper Chris Jimenez (Nashua, N.H.) join Malango on the MASCAC First Team.

Additionally, rookie head coach Matt Correia was named the Champion's Choice Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings to an undefeated conference regular season (7-0) and 12-5-1 overall record as Salem State won both the regular and post-season championships to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

Malango led the conference in goals with 16 and totals points with 41 during the regular season. Including his post-season totals, the forward tallied the third most goals (17) and second most points (43) by a freshman in Salem State history. He also registered nine assists, five game-winning goals and had two games this season where he registered five points.

Aligbay led the MASCAC in assists with 13 and along with eight goals posted the second most points for the Viking (29) while Dos Santos added six goals and five assists for the league-champions.

Polanco and Panmo combined for 29 starts and spearheaded Salem State's defense, which allowed a league-best 1.08 goals against average, and contributed to eight shutouts.

Jimenez topped the MASCAC with an 11-3-1 record with a league-best seven shutouts, .0.91 goals against average and .844 save percentage.  

For complete team results, please click here.

2017 MASCAC MEN'S SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

FIRST TEAM
Player/Institution Class Position Hometown
Ken Stahovish, Framingham State Junior Midfield Springfield, Mass.
Grace Dos Santos, Salem State Sophomore Midfield Brockton, Mass.
Adam Crawford, Massachusetts Maritime Sophomore Midfield Kingston, Mass.
Nahuel Aligbay, Salem State Freshman Midfield Leominster, Mass.
Mayele Malango, Salem State Freshman Forward Lowell, Mass.
Isaac De Souza, Framingham State Junior Forward Sao Paulo, Brazil
Matthew Dent, Worcester State Senior Defense Ludlow, Mass.
Mick Rouette, Massachusetts Maritime Senior Defense Three Rivers, Mass.
Xavier Polanco, Salem State Sophomore Defense Salem, Mass.
Dominique Panmo, Salem State Freshman Defense Lynn, Mass.
Chris Jimenez, Salem State Sophomore Goalie Nashua, N.H.


SECOND TEAM
Player/Institution Class Position Hometown
Kane Moran, Bridgewater State Junior Midfield Perth, Australia
Momodou Kabareh, Worcester State Sophomore Midfield Braintree, Mass.
Etjon Rapi, Worcester State Senior Midfield Worcester, Mass.
Oscar Castro, MCLA Senior Midfield Middle Island, N.Y
Bryan Brasil, Worcester State Junior Forward Williamsburg, Mass.
Filipe Gomes, Bridgewater State Junior Forward Fogo, Cape Verde
Johance Liverpool, Framingham State Junior Defense Arima, Trinidad
Ben Paine, Massachusetts Maritime Freshman Defense Dartmouth, Mass.
Eric Amoateng, Framingham State Sophomore Defense Kumasi, Ghana
Ryan Almeida, Worcester State Senior Defense Palmer, Mass.
Nate Morgado, Bridgewater State Sophomore Goalie Dartmouth, Mass.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mayele Malango, Salem State Freshman Forward Lowell, Mass.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Mayele Malango, Salem State Freshman Forward Lowell, Mass.

CHAMPION'S CHOICE COACH OF THE YEAR
Matt Correia, Salem State