2006 USL First Division Awards Finalists

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2006 USL First Division Awards Finalists announced
Finalists for Defender, Rookie, Coach of the Year & Most Valuable Player unveiled
USL News Release

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

TAMPA, FL -- United Soccer Leagues announced Tuesday the Finalists for the Defender of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Most Valuable Player for the USL First Division 2006 season as voted on by the league’s coaches and general managers. The winners for the honors will be announced at the Championship Teams Banquet next week.

The USL First Division Championship, featuring the winners of this week’s semifinals, is Saturday, September 30 at 7:00 pm ET. The game will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Soccer Channel.

Defender of the Year Finalists
Two-time Defender of the Year Gabriel Gervais of Montreal is a finalist for the award for the fourth consecutive season after previously receiving the award in 2003 and 2004. Geordie Lyall helped lead the Vancouver Whitecaps to the only campaign in the USL First Division in which the defense did not allow three goals in a single game. Mauricio Segovia’s performance helped lead the Puerto Rico Islanders to the first playoff appearance in the club’s history.
- Gabriel Gervais (Montreal Impact)
- Geordie Lyall (Vancouver Whitecaps)
- Mauricio Segovia (Puerto Rico Islanders)

Rookie of the Year Finalists
The leading candidate to take the honor is Cam Weaver after finishing tied for the league lead in goals and points with 1994 World Cup MVP Romario. The striker is joined by a pair of defenders in Rochester’s Kenney Bertz and Portland’s Michael Randolph.
- Kenney Bertz (Rochester Raging Rhinos)
- Michael Randolph (Portland Timbers)
- Cam Weaver (Seattle Sounders)

Coach of the Year Finalists
The coaches from the top three teams in the league this season were voted as finalists by their peers this season with last season’s recipient Nick DeSantis leading his Impact to a second straight regular season title, 2002 PDL Coach of the Year Laurie Calloway guiding the Rhinos to second place finish again and Charleston’s Mike Anhaeuser leading the Battery in a return to the postseason after a two-year absence.
- Mike Anhaeuser (Charleston Battery)
- Laurie Calloway (Rochester Raging Rhinos)
- Nick DeSantis (Montreal Impact)

Most Valuable Player Finalists

Joey Gjertsen (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Gjertsen opened the season with five goals in the team’s first eight games and closed with seven in the last eight to finish third in the league in points (31) and fourth in goals (12), picking up seven assists along the way to finish tied for second in the league for one of the best all-around performances.

Cam Weaver (Seattle Sounders)
A rookie striker, Weaver finished the year tied with the previously mentioned former World Cup MVP for the Scoring and Goal Scoring titles on the year after leading the defending champions to within one point of the playoffs after having lost star forward Maykel Galindo to injury early in the year.

Zinho (Miami FC)
The former Brazilian 1994 World Cup champion finished the season as the Assist Leader with 10 helpers on the year, adding three goals as well to lead the expansion Miami FC to the playoffs in their first year with an 11-11-6 record.

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