NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Becoming just the third player in Christopher Newport men's soccer history to garner first team D3soccer.com All-America honors, senior defender
Derek Cook hauled in the prestigious honor in an announcement made by the website on Wednesday afternoon. Cook, already a second team United Soccer Coaches All-American, joins Brian Lybert (2011) and Jalon Brown (2014) as the only other players to garner first team D3soccer.com plaudits.
As a team captain and center back for statistically the finest defense in program history, Cook put together a sensational senior season leading the way both offensively and defensively. The Captains set program records for goals-against average and save percentage while allowing just 12 goals in over 2,014 minutes of action. The record 0.54 goals-against average ranked fifth in the nation this season while also ranking fourth nationally in save percentage with a 0.872 mark.
Cook was one of just three defenders selected to the first team D3soccer.com All-American squad, joined by Messiah's Cooper Robbins and Franklin & Marshall's Connor Whitacre. He started all 21 games for the Captains this year and was named the Capital Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. The first team All-CAC pick also collected first team All-State honors by the Virginia Sports Information Directors and first team All-South Atlantic honors from the United Soccer Coaches.
While the Christopher Newport defense piled up 11 shutouts in the 2019 season, including a 1-0 win and 0-0 draw in NCAA Tournament action, Cook was on the field for nearly all of it, playing in 95.6% of the Captains' minutes played this season. He was on the pitch for 1,926 minutes and helped lead Christopher Newport's resurgent success as the team won 14 games, reached the conference championship match, and earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Cook was also a key cog offensively, tying for the team lead in scoring with 18 points. He registered six goals, all from the penalty spot, and added six assists during the year. He tied the single season record for penalty kick goals with six and wrapped up his career a two-time All-Conference selection.
The Yorktown, Va. native joined a select list of just four defenders to earn All-American accolades in his career. He joins Gerard Mosley (1985, 1986), Sean Moriarty (2011), and
Harry Nodwell (2016) as the only other back line All-Americans in program history.
| 2019 MEN'S ALL-AMERICANS |
| FIRST TEAM |
| Pos. |
Player |
Year |
School |
| F |
German Giammattei |
So. |
Amherst |
| F |
Witman Hernandez |
Sr. |
Oneonta State |
| F |
Alexander Garuba |
Sr. |
Centre |
| M |
Hunter Olson |
Sr. |
Calvin |
| M |
Peder Olsen * |
Jr. |
North Park |
| M |
Gavin Tasker * |
Sr. |
Tufts |
| M |
Calvin Aroh |
Jr. |
Tufts |
| D |
Connor Whitacre |
Sr. |
Franklin and Marshall |
| D |
Cooper Robbins |
Sr. |
Messiah |
| D |
Derek Cook |
Sr. |
Christopher Newport |
| GK |
AJ Marcucci * |
Jr. |
Connecticut College |
| SECOND TEAM |
| Pos. |
Player |
Year |
School |
| F |
Cole Schwartz |
So. |
Gustavus Adolphus |
| F |
Ben Keller |
Sr. |
Luther |
| M |
Will Turrittin |
Jr. |
John Carroll |
| M |
Hector Gomez |
So. |
Ohio Wesleyan |
| M |
Gabriel Soriano |
Sr. |
Mary Washington |
| M |
RJ Moore |
Jr. |
Johns Hopkins |
| D |
Ben Rickson |
Sr. |
WPI |
| D |
Matt Nigro |
Sr. |
John Carroll |
| D |
Angel Barriga |
So. |
North Park |
| D |
Halvor Houg |
Jr. |
St. Thomas |
| GK |
Aaron Katsimpalis |
Jr. |
Chicago |
| THIRD TEAM |
| Pos. |
Player |
Year |
School |
| F |
Ian Adams * |
Sr. |
Calvin |
| F |
Joe Braun * |
Sr. |
Tufts |
| F |
Nick Jannelli * |
Sr. |
Haverford |
| M |
Cutler Coleman |
Sr. |
Amherst |
| M |
Matt Gibbons |
Jr. |
Gustavus Adolphus |
| M |
Scott Upton |
So. |
Kenyon |
| D |
Biagio Paoletta |
Jr. |
Tufts |
| D |
William Birchard * |
Jr. |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps |
| D |
Scott Lich |
Jr. |
Chicago |
| D |
Oliver Dolberg |
Sr. |
Washington and Lee |
| GK |
Ryan Grady |
Fr. |
Middlebury |
| * previous D3soccer.com All-America honors |
| 2019 MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR |
| Josh Shapiro, Tufts (20-2-2) - 2019 National Champion |
