Health & Fitness
Lowe Wraps Up Second Honor for Summer Success
PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE RELEASE
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Defender Damion Lowe continued to collect honors on Thursday when he was named to the Premier Development League (PDL) All-League team which honors the top-11 players among the more than 1,200 players in the league. This honor comes just two days after Lowe received All-Conference honors from the PDL.
“Damion continues to show with his performances on the field that he is one of the best defenders in the country,” said head coach Tom Poitras. “He is great to work with because he is always looking to improve. Damion is not a guy who thinks he has arrived already, he is just scratching the surface of his ability.”
The Kingston, Jamaica native joined the PDL's Reading United AC following a successful sophomore season at Hartford as well as a stint with the Jamaican National Team at the 2013 CONCACAF Under-20 Championships. The anchor of Hartford's back line since the start of his collegiate career, he finished third on the team in points with seven in 2012, while his three goals also ranked third on the squad. During his stint with Jamaica, he scored a go-ahead goal in the 61st minute against Puerto Rico.
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Lowe and the Reading United AC finished tied for second in the Eastern Conference's Mid Atlantic Division with 29 points. IN 14 games, Reading United finished with an 8-1-5 overall record, including an undefeated 4-0-3 mark at home. In 10 games, Lowe finished with two points on one goal in 768 total minutes on the pitch.
The Premier Development League is considered the top development men's league in North America with 64 teams within four conferences throughout the United State and Canada. The PDL season consists of 14 regular season matches for each team, seven home and seven away, and provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The PDL has proven to be an important stepping-stone for top professionals now playing throughout the world.
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The PDL All-Conference Teams are selected through a vote of team management. The 2013 PDF All-League Team will be announced on Wednesday and the finalists for Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year and Young (U-21) Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, with the awards presented at Saturday's PDL Championship banquet in Austin, Texas. Goalkeeper of the Year will also be presented at the banquet.
Lowe and his Hawk teammates will return to campus on Monday, August 13 to begin preparations for the 2013 season. The men's soccer team is scheduled to open the regular season on the West Hartford campus on Friday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m. when they welcome the Holy Cross Crusaders to Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium. The Hawks will also play a pair of pre-season scrimmages on the road at Fairfield (August 20, 3:00 p.m.) and at home against Southern New Hampshire (August 24, 7:00 p.m.).