Tuesday, September 16, 2003

 

TAMPA, FL - United Soccer Leagues announced today the A-League Defender, Rookie and Coach of the Year honors for the 2003 season as voted on by the clubs' coaches and general managers, honoring Richmond's David Testo and Montreal's Gabe Gervais and Bob Lilley.

Montreal Head Coach Bob Lilley was honored by his peers as the A-League Coach of the Year for the second time after leading the Impact to the regular season Eastern Conference title with a 16-6-6 record. The club finished second overall to the 18-10-0 Milwaukee Wave United for the regular season crown, which was decided on a tiebreaker.

Lilley also received the Coach of the Year honor in 1997 when he led the expansion Hershey Wildcats to a 19-9 record that was also second overall in the league, ironically, behind his current club. Lilley joins former Seattle Sounders coach Alan Hinton as the only two to receive the honor twice in the A-League. Hinton won the award in 1994 and 1995.

Helping Bob Lilley earn the Coach of the Year honor was Gabe Gervais, who was honored as the A-League Defender of the Year. Gervais, one of five Impact players to play over 2,000 minutes this season, was the leader of the best defensive line in the A-League in 2003, with 21 goals allowed in 28 games.

Gervais was one of two players (Seattle's Andrew Gregor) to be named to the All-League Teams for the second straight year last week and was Montreal's Defensive Player of the Year last season. In is his fourth A-League season, his second with the Impact, Gervais tallied a goal and an assist while logging 2,401 minutes over the course of 26 games. He played the 2000 and 2001 seasons with the Rochester Raging Rhinos, winning the A-League championship title both years

Richmond Kickers and US Under-23 National Team midfielder David Testo was honored as the A-League Rookie of the Year. Fresh out of the University of North Carolina, Testo made an immediate impact by scoring the lone goal in a 1-1 tie against DC United in a pre-season exhibition.  He went on to score six goals and two assists for 14 points, good for third on the team.  He scored the game-winning goal in the Kickers final match of the year and was named to the A-League Team of the Week twice during the course of the season.

USL will announce the 2003 A-League Most Valuable Player Wednesday. The A-League Championship, featuring the Minnesota Thunder and the Charleston Battery, is Saturday, September 20 at Charleston's Blackbaud Stadium at 7:00 pm ET. The Game will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports World.