Allen Coach of the Year, Men's Tennis Earns Six All-Landmark Nods
TOWSON, Md. - Goucher College men's tennis head coach Clay Allen was named the Landmark Conference Coach of the Year as the conference announced its All-Conference teams Wednesday morning. The Landmark champion Gophers earned a total of six All-Conference selections.
Sophomore Gabe Naftoly earned First Team All-Conference in singles, while senior Angel Cerpa and first year Unai Laguardia Alvarez were each named to the Second Team. Sophomore Tadeo Asprella was named Honorable Mention in singles.
Naftoly and junior Calis Nguyen were selected First Team doubles, with Cerpa and first year Benedikt Rummel being voted to the Second Team.
Allen, in his third season at the helm of the Goucher program, guided the Gophers to a 14-8 overall record, including a perfect 9-0 Landmark Conference mark, and the conference's regular season and tournament titles. Goucher finished unbeaten in conference play for the first time since 2019 and the fourth time in program history. The Gophers won their second Landmark crown in three seasons under Allen, who has compiled a 35-26 record at Goucher entering the NCAA tournament.
Naftoly earns All-Conference honors for the first time in his career and is one of just two players named First Team All-Conference in both singles and doubles this season, joining James Earwood of Catholic. Naftoly finished 7-0 in Landmark singles competition playing primarily at No. 2 and is 12-6 in dual matches this season. In doubles he and Nguyen went 5-3 at No. 1 and 9-12 overall, but carry a four-match win streak into the NCAA tournament later this week.
Nguyen earns Landmark All-Conference honors in doubles for the third time in his career, as he was First Team last season and Second Team in 2021-22.
Cerpa has been an All-Conference selection in singles in each of his four seasons, earning First Team last season and Second Team in 2021 and 2022. Playing at No. 4 for the Gophers, Cerpa went 6-1 in Landmark singles action and is 11-8 overall. Cerpa and Rummel were 7-1 in conference play at No. 2 doubles and 11-8 overall.
Laguardia Alvarez was Goucher's No. 1 singles player and finished 4-4 in conference play and 8-11 overall. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Landmark Championship after clinching Goucher's 5-2 win over Drew with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win over Landmark Player of the Year Jesse Faro.
Asprella earns All-Conference honors for the second time in his career, as he was Second Team doubles in 2022-23. He finished 4-2 in conference play in singles playing primarily in the fourth position.
Goucher opens its sixth NCAA tournament appearance on Friday when it faces No. 45 Stevens at noon in a regional hosted by Washington and Lee University.