BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Concord University men's soccer junior midfielder
Andre Nicholson's goal in the Mountain East Conference Tournament Quarterfinals against West Virginia Wesleyan has been selected as the MEC Play of the Year, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon.
Nicholson, a native of St. Catherine, Jamaica, earned MEC Play of the Year honors after netting his second goal of the game versus West Virginia Wesleyan on November 5. The goal came in the 110
th minute, and just 51 seconds before the contest was set to be decided via penalty kicks.
Nicholson's goal garnered more than 50 percent of the fan vote on MountainEast.org with nine other players in contention. Additionally, the goal was viewed approximately 15,000 times on the MEC social media platforms.
This is the second straight year that a Concord athlete and play has been selected for MEC Play of the Year. In June 2022, Nakaila Gray of the CU women's basketball team, with her game-tying three-pointer in the MEC Tournament Quarterfinals versus West Virginia State, was voted MEC Play of the Year. Rob Reed of the Concord men's basketball team took home MEC Play of the Year honors in 2016 for his game-winning three-pointer in the MEC Semifinals against West Liberty.
Concord becomes the first school in the MEC to have three conference play of the year winners, breaking a tie with Fairmont State and Notre Dame.
Previous Winners
2014-15: Fabian Guerra (Fairmont State) one-handed catch
2015-16: Rob Reed (Concord) buzzer-beater at MEC Tournament
2016-17: Michael Anderson (W.Va. Wesleyan) 11-yard TD run
2017-18: Quincy Redmon (Fairmont State) 96-yard fumble return
2018-19: Shemar Hooks (Urbana) one-handed TD catch
2019-20: Zach Pate (W.Va. State) somersault two-point conversion
2020-21: Carlos Almeida (Notre Dame) bicycle volley
2021-22: Devanaire Conliffe (Notre Dame) one-handed catch in coverage
2022-23: Nakaila Gray (Concord) late three to force overtime at MEC Tournament
2023-24:
Andre Nicholson (Concord) overtime goal in MEC quarterfinals
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