The Northern Athletics Conference announced its 2010 men's soccer All-Conference and postseason awards. The Aurora University Spartan men's soccer team placed two players on the NAC First-Team, three players on the NAC Second-Team, two players on the All-Freshman Team, one player on the NAC

All-Sportsmanship Team and Head Coach Pete Watkins was named NAC Co-Coach of the Year.

Watkins was selected by his peers as the NAC Co-Coach of the Year for the second time in his time at AU. He led the Spartans to a second-place finish for the third time in five years of the NAC and earlier this season surpassed 100 wins on his career as the Spartans' head coach.

The Spartans success on the field brought Northern Athletics Conference First-Team All-Conference honors for senior forward Nick Helmer (Geneva, Ill./Geneva HS) and junior midfielder Matt Houghtaylen (Somonauk, Ill./Somonauk HS). 

Helmer led the Spartan offense, with Houghtaylen playing a key midfield role for AU. Helmer had

a team leading 13 goals, five game-winning goals and five assists. Houghtaylen had two goals and three assists.

Joining in the postseason recognition as Second-Team All-Conference selections were three senior's: midfielder Anthony Amedei (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS), forward Bob Gonnella (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North HS) and defender Kyle Haumersen (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph HS). Amedei had a team-leading nine assists, two goals and one game-winning goal, while Gonnella had eight goals, three assists and one game-winning goal. Haumersen

led the AU defense that allowed 1.02 goals per game and had seven shutouts. He had one goal on the season.

Two AU newcomers to the Spartan men's soccer program were honored by the NAC as All-Freshman Team selections. Defenders Christian Casanova (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel HS) and Corey Novotny (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East HS) played important roles in their first collegiate seasons. Both helped anchor the AU defense that allowed 1.02 goals per game and had seven shutouts. Novotny had one goal and one assist, while Casanova added an assist.

Rounding out the conference recognition for the Spartans is junior forward Jim Kelly (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka HS), who was named to the NAC All-Sportsmanship Team. Kelly had eight goals, two assists and two game-winning goals.