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The finalists for the 2019 USL League One Awards were announced on Thursday as standout performers in five categories earned nomination after a remarkable inaugural season for the league. The winners will be announced during League One Awards Week between Monday, Oct. 28 and Friday, Nov. 1.
The 2019 USL League One Awards were voted on by team leadership.
2019 Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Monday, Oct. 28
Akira Fitzgerald, Richmond Kickers: Fitzgerald ranked second in the league with 73 saves and tied for second with nine shutouts as he posted a 69.5 save percentage for the Kickers.
Dallas Jaye, Greenville Triumph SC: Jaye led the league with 13 shutouts and a 0.78 goals-against average in the regular season to claim the League One Golden Glove, while recording 47 saves in 27 appearances.
Alex Mangels, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC: Mangels led League One with 85 saves as he played every minute of the regular season, posting six clean sheets and a 69.7 save percentage for the Red Wolves.
2019 Defender of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Tuesday, Oct. 29
Conner Antley, South Georgia Tormenta FC: Antley finished tied for the league-lead among defenders with six goals, led all outfield players with 201 recoveries, ranked third in the league with 208 duels won at a success rate of 56.2 percent and ranked tied for fourth in the league with 49 interceptions.
Christian Diaz, Forward Madison FC: Diaz ranked second in the league with 52 interceptions, won 191 duels at a success rate of 64.5 percent, made 165 recoveries and was only dribbled past by an opponent 28 times as he ranked fourth in the league with 50 tackles.
Tyler Polak, Greenville Triumph SC: Polak led the league with 63 interceptions, ranked first among defenders with 51 tackles, won 155 duels at a success rate of 61.3 percent and recorded three assists and 27 chances created.
2019 Coach of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Wednesday, Oct. 30
John Harkes, Greenville Triumph SC: For a second time, Harkes led a side to the postseason in its inaugural season as Greenville featured the best defense in the league, conceding only 22 goals in 28 games and posting 13 clean sheets.
Nate Miller, Lansing Ignite FC: Miller led Lansing to a second-place finish in the regular season as the club accumulated the longest undefeated streak of the year at 12 games, while sitting second in the league with 49 goals.
Eric Quill, North Texas SC: Quill’s side finished top of the League One standings and recorded a league-best 53 goals in the regular season, while also producing two separate five-game winning streaks to create a 10-point gap to second place in the final standings.
2019 Young Player of the Year Finalists – Winner announced Thursday, Oct. 31
Ronaldo Damus, North Texas SC: Damus recorded the most combined goals and assists in League One with his 16 tallies on 31 shots on goal earning the Haiti international the league’s Golden Boot award.
Ricardo Pepi, North Texas SC: Pepi opened his professional career with League One’s first hat trick on the opening weekend of the regular season, and he finished with nine goals in 12 appearances at a rate of a goal every 114.8 minutes.
Jordan Perruzza, Toronto FC II: Perruzza finished second in League One with 15 goals, accounting for more than one-third of TFC II’s attacking output, while also finishing second in shots on goal with 29 and a scoring rate of a goal every 120.6 minutes.
Arturo Rodriguez, North Texas SC: Rodriguez led the league in assists with 10 and chances created with 72, but also ranked first in the league in tackles won with 61 and was one of only seven players to complete at least 1,150 passes in the regular season.
2019 Most Valuable Player Finalists – Winner announced Friday, Nov. 1
Conner Antley, South Georgia Tormenta FC: Antley’s six goals and six assists highlighted a standout two-way season that also saw him lead the league with 201 recoveries, win 40 of 52 tackles and 208 duels at a success rate of 56.2 percent.
Ronaldo Damus, North Texas SC: Damus recorded a league-leading 16 goals at a rate of a tally every 87 minutes in 20 appearances, led the league in shots on goal with 31 on a shooting accuracy rate of 60.8 percent and finished the regular season with a shot conversion rate of 31.4 percent.
Arturo Rodriguez, North Texas SC: The lone player to appear in every game for North Texas, Rodriguez combined a league-leading 10 assists and 72 chances created with seven goals on a 21.2 percent shot conversion rate to help power League One’s best attack.
FOLLOW THE 2019 USL LEAGUE ONE FINAL
2019 League One Most Valuable Player finalists Ronaldo Damus and Arturo Rodriguez will lead No. 1 seed North Texas SC and the league’s best attack into a clash with Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Dallas Jaye and Defender of the Year finalist Tyler Polak and No. 3 seed Greenville Triumph SC in the 2019 USL League One Final this Saturday night, with all the action from Toyota Stadium available live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.
