USL News Release
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced Wednesday the Premier Development League Defender of the Year and U19 Player of the Year awards as voted on by the league’s coaches and general managers, honoring Michigan’s Kevin Taylor and Spokane’s Brett Hite, respectively.
The PDL Championship will feature the Central Conference champion Des Moines Menace visiting the Southern Conference champion El Paso Patriots Saturday, August 13. The game will be at Socorro Stadium at 10:30 pm ET and will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Soccer Channel.
The Coach of the Year award will be announced Thursday. The Most Valuable Player will be announced at the Championship media luncheon Friday.
Defender of the Year
Kevin Taylor (Michigan Bucks)
In his third season with the Bucks, Taylor was honored on the All-Conference and All-League teams for the second straight season this year after leading the Bucks to an 11-4-1 record and second place in the Great Lakes Division. Taylor played in 15 games this season and had his best offensive output of three seasons with four goals and two assists, bringing his three-year totals to eight goals and two assists in 38 games. Following the Bucks elimination from the playoffs, Taylor was signed by the Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division. Taylor was previously drafted by the Colorado Rapids in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft.
U19 Player of the Year
Brett Hite (Spokane Shadow)
A former Super Y-League player for the Spokane Shadow, Hite exploded onto the scene last year and has been one of the league’s top scorers, finishing 10th in points this season with 27 on 10 goals and seven assists in 14 games. Hite saw 67 minutes worth of action for the Shadow from 2002-03, but was the team’s leading scorer in 2004 with 14 goals and six assists in 15 games. Hite was the only player from the Western Conference to finish in the league’s top 20 in scoring, ranking 12th in points.
