Whelan, Haehre highlight MAAC preseason awards for Quinnipiac

Photo+Courtesy%3A+Quinnipiac+Athletics

Photo Courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics

Ryan Flaherty, Men's Soccer Beat Reporter
August 14, 2019

By: Ryan Flaherty

Although the season is over a week away, Quinnipiac’s men’s soccer team is already giving its fans something to cheer about.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference released its annual preseason awards on Wednesday and Quinnipiac earned multiple honors. Senior forward Eamon Whelan was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, along with being selected to the All-MAAC team. Joining Whelan on the All-MAAC team is fellow senior Jeppe Haehre, who anchors Quinnipiac’s back line.

Whelan’s honor should come as no surprise to Bobcat fans as he was the 2018 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year and was selected to the All-MAAC team, leading the conference in points (27), points per game (1.69) and goals per game (0.75) a season ago. His 13 goals in 18 games ranked him 10th in the nation in goals and 14th in points. Whelan’s clutch scoring was a key component in Quinnipiac’s run to the MAAC title game in 2018. Whelan is the first Bobcat to receive preseason player of the year honors since the school joined the conference in 2013.

Haehre earns his honor after a season in which he started all 17 games for the Bobcats and logged 1,481 minutes in the regular season, the third most on the team. He anchored Quinnipiac’s defense which allowed just six goals in conference play last season.

With Whelan and Haehre leading the way, Quinnipiac was picked to finish second in the preseason coaches’ poll, receiving 98 total points and one first place vote. Quinnipiac finished just behind Fairfield who received 107 total points. Rider, the defending-MAAC champions finished third, while Marist and Manhattan round out the top five.

Quinnipiac will start the 2019 season on the road with non-conference matchups against Boston College and UMass Lowell. The Bobcats open up MAAC play Oct. 2 at home as they’ll try to build on last year’s success and get back to the MAAC Championship game.