Tar Heel Product David Testo Named A-League Rookie of the Year
September 17, 2003 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 17, 2003
RICHMOND, Va. - United Soccer Leagues announced Tuesday that former North Carolina Tar Heel and current Richmond Kickers standout David Testo earned A-League Rookie of the Year honors for the 2003 season as voted on by the clubs' coaches and general managers.
After scoring 24 goals and tallying 26 assists in his career at Carolina,Testo made an immediate impact with Richmond by scoring the lone goal in a 1-1 tie against DC United in a pre-season exhibition. He went on to score six goals and two assists for 14 points, good for third on the team. He scored the game-winning goal in the Kickers final match of the year and was named to the A-League Team of the Week twice during the course of the season.
In May of this year, Testo was called on to play in an international friendly with the U-23 Men's National Team against Mexico in Guadalajara. After entering the game in the 89th minute, he scored a goal on a shot from approximately 80 yards out, to clinch the win for the US. The play was widely televised on ESPN, including being No. 2 on their 'Plays of the Week'.
"David had a very good season, regardless of the fact that he was a rookie," says Kickers Vice President and General Manager Billy Hallock. "He had some opportunities in MLS but chose to sign with us so he could play and not sit the bench all year. This shows that David made a good decision and that he has a bright future ahead of him."
Montreal Head Coach Bob Lilley was honored by his peers as the A-League Coach of the Year for the second time after leading the Impact to the regular season Eastern Conference title with a 16-6-6 record. The club finished second overall to the 18-10-0 Milwaukee Wave United for the regular season crown, which was decided on a tiebreaker.
Helping Bob Lilley earn the Coach of the Year honor was Gabe Gervais, who was honored as the A-League Defender of the Year. Gervais, one of five Impact players to play over 2,000 minutes this season, was the leader of the best defensive line in the A-League in 2003, with 21 goals allowed in 28 games.
The A-League boasts 19 teams from coast-to-coast in the US and Canada, and is the highest level in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) system. For more information please check out our web site at www.RichmondKickers.com.
