USL Soccer:
Toronto's Aristodemo named A-League Rookie of the Year
by Grasshopper
TAMPA,
Fla. (Tuesday, October 02, 2001) – United Soccer Leagues announced Robbie
Aristodemo of the Toronto Lynx Rookie of the Year for the 2001 A-League season
today.
The Toronto Lynx, high off a spectacular 2000 season, got
everything they wanted out of Territorial Round draft choice Robbie Aristodemo
this season. Unfortunately, the midfielder’s outstanding performance was not
enough to keep the Lynx among the elite of the A-League again in 2001.
The 24-year-old from Etobicoke, Ontario saw action in every Lynx game
this season for a total of 2,250 minutes, second highest on the team. He
accounted for a goal and three assists on the season.
The Lynx, however,
finished at 7-16-3 in the tough Northern Conference, where he and the rest of
the squad were just outmatched by the Hershey Wildcats, Rochester Rhinos,
Pittsburgh Riverhounds and surprising Connecticut Wolves.
Prior to
joining the Lynx, Aristodemo helped lead the Malton Bullets under-19s to an
Ontario and national championship. He has played for the Canadian National,
Olympic, Under-20 and Under-17.
Considered one of Canada’s brighter
prospects, the center midfielder played for the University of Tulsa, where he
was a standout. He led the team in assists with 10 in 1996 and six in 1998 and
finished his career with 18, ninth on the school’s all-time career assist table.
He started 52 of 53 games played and set a school record of three straight games
with an assist twice. He finished second on the team in points in 1998 and 2000
and was honored as a three-time all-WAC First Team selection.
The Coach
of the Year will be announced Monday, Oct. 8.
Blair
.
.