August 5, 2011
TAMPA- The United Soccer Leagues announced the Premier Development League’s (PDL) top honors at the Final Four banquet on Friday. Though the Michigan Bucks are not participating after last Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Thunder Bay, the team is very much a part of the league’s festivities as they collected three of the top post season awards. Bucks director of coaching Gary Parsons was named PDL Coach of the Year, while Stew Givens received Defender of the Year and Mitch Hildebrandt collected Goalkeeper of the Year. The only major award that avoided the trio was the PDL MVP award that went to Milton Blanco of Fresno, with Hildebrandt finishing second. In addition to having the Bucks in common, the three also share a past connection at Oakland University. Parsons recruited and coached both Givens and Hildebrandt while the head coach at Oakland, located ten minutes from the Bucks home stadium at Ultimate Soccer Arenas.
This year’s individual success is something the Bucks have become accustomed to. Hildebrandt and Givens were named to the All PDL XI, the top eleven players in the 64 team league comprised of nearly two thousand players. The Bucks have had an All PDL player named for a league record eight consecutive years. In addition to All PDL team, Givens and Hildebrandt were joined by another Oakland University product, Tom Catalano on the All Central Conference team.
This year marks the third time in the team’s sixteen year history that the Bucks have placed two players in the league’s top eleven. Nate Jafta and Kenny Uzoigwe earned the honors in 2007 and Jafta and Mike Holody in 2008.
In his third year at the helm, Parsons led the team to the top record in the Central Conference (12-2-2, 38 points) and earned the right to host the playoffs last weekend at Ultimate Soccer Arenas. After defeating the Des Moines Menace in overtime on Friday the team battled hard but could not overtake Thunder Bay the following night. Thunder Bay sent the Bucks home for the second year in a row while they participate in their second consecutive Final Four. Parsons is the third Bucks coach in history to be named Coach of the Year, following Joe Malachino in 2000 and Steve Burns in 1997.
Givens led the defense that only yielded 9 goals in sixteen regular season games this season and did not allow a goal at home until the playoffs. The solid defender was a valuable weapon for the team not only with his savvy, but with his patented long throw ins and penalty kick taking. Givens recorded four goals and four assists on the season, many of those from set pieces or the penalty spot. Stew is the second Bucks player to earn Defender of the Year, joining Kevin Taylor (2005).
Hildebrandt began his career in the PDL five years ago when he played for the Bucks in his first game ever in Cleveland, OH while still in high school. The senior at Oakland registered a PDL high twelve wins and twelve shut outs on the season and made spectacular saves in nearly every match. Hildebrandt is the first Bucks keeper to ever earn Goalkeeper of the Year.
Parsons was pleased with the recognition of his players and humbled by the personal award. “The boys deserve everything they got this year,” said Parsons. “My success as a coach is really a credit to my coaching staff and the commitment the players made all season long. The team we had this year made me look very good because they performed so well day in and day out. I know everyone of the guys would trade the personal awards to be playing this weekend in the PDL Final, but we just didn’t get the job done. I know (Bucks Chairman/ CEO) Dan Duggan is still very disappointed with our result last Saturday, as we all are. He has made an incredible commitment all year long in allowing us to get the players we need to be successful and nobody looks after their team like he does. This is an incredible environment for our coaches and players to be a part of and we all want nothing more than to be the best each and every year.”
Duggan was happy to see the post season accolades roll in for his players and coaching staff. “This is why I do this each year. I promise the kids we will help them get recognition and this is what you are seeing here. We had four players train with the Colorado Rapids this summer and two heading to Columbus to train with the Crew next week. There are three players right now (Catalano, Givens and Sebby Harris) that are looking at either signing with a USL Pro team or possibly heading to Europe for trials. If I were a USL Pro team with playoff aspirations, I would snap these guys up before they head overseas. My job is to give them the opportunity to succeed and to help get them to the next level. Gary Parsons has been extremely instrumental in all of their progression to earn a living playing the game they love,” concluded Duggan.
The Bucks have already started to process to put their squad together for 2012. “It didn’t take long to get the calendar out and map out our recruiting trips this fall. We will be busy starting next week in identifying the top fifty players we want to invite to camp next May,” said Parsons. For more information on the Michigan Bucks, please continue to visit www.buckssoccer.com.
