Players from the football team and the men's soccer team were recognized as regional All Stars in their respective sports, the Athletic Department announced this month. Four members of the football team were named to the Football Gazette Division III All-East Region teams, while three men's soccer players were placed on the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) All-New England teams.
Senior co-captain and offensive lineman Mike Willey, who was named to the All-East Region first team on offense, led the list of football honorees. Junior running back Keven Kelley was also an offensive selection, garnering second team honors. On defense, sophomore return specialist Mark Tilki was named to the second team, while sophomore defensive tackle Caleb Hudak was placed on the third team. As first and second team selections, Willey, Kelley, and Tilki will all be candidates on a national ballot to choose the Football Gazette All-American teams.
Willey, the only New England player named to the offensive first team, was the keystone of a Jumbo offensive line that produced the top rushing attack in the NESCAC (227.0 yards per game) and 21st best in the country. He was also selected to play for the US Team against the Mexican All Stars at the Aztec Bowl in Santillo, Mexico on Dec. 15.
Kelley benefited the most from the play of Willey and the offensive line, setting a Tufts single season record with 1,079 rushing yards, and becoming the first Jumbo player to rush for over 1,000 yards since Paul Dresens in 1988. He led the NESCAC in rushing, with an average of 134.9 yards per contest and cracked the 100-yard barrier in five out of eight games, including a season high 214-yard outburst in a 9-7 win against Trinity.
Tilki was the Jumbos' top kick returner, averaging 23.2 yards per return with a long of 48 yards. Also starting at cornerback, he led the team with four interceptions, had a long return of 56 yards, blocked two punts, recovered a fumble, and recorded 35 tackles.
Hudak was a defensive force for the second straight year. The sophomore recorded 41 tackles, and led the team with seven tackles for a loss and four sacks. He also intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble, and deflected six passes. Overall, the Tufts defense surrendered an average of just 10.4 points per game.
For the men's soccer team, senior tri-captain and defender Mike Prindiville was named to the NSCAA first team, while junior forward Garrett Dale made the third team, and junior tri-captain and forward Matt MacGregor was selected to the fourth team.
Prindiville was one of just three backs picked for the first team, after anchoring a Jumbo defense that allowed an average of 1.11 goals per outing. He was also a large offensive contributor, racking up three game-winning goals against a trio of NESCAC opponents - Colby, Bowdoin, and Trinity. The 6'2", 190-lb. Prindiville finished fifth on the team in scoring, with three goals and two assists for a total of eight points.
But Prindiville was not the only Jumbo with three game-winners this season. Junior forward Garrett Dale duplicated his teammates' feat in games against NESCAC rival Amherst, and a pair of non-conference opponents, MIT, and Gordon. He also led the Jumbos in scoring and ranked fifth in the NESCAC with 24 points (eight goals, eight assists). Dale has 44 points (17 goals, ten assists) for his career.
Not far behind Dale on the team and conference scoring lists was MacGregor, who racked up 16 points (six goals, four assists), ranking second on the Jumbos and seventh in the NESCAC. He also came up big in conference games, scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory over Wesleyan, and recording key tallies against Colby and Bowdoin. MacGregor is also Tufts' active scoring leader, with 45 points (16 goals, 13 assists), despite having missed half of his freshman season.
