Baltimore's Billy Nelson Heads Freshmen Class
May 2, 2002 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2) News Release
(Westport, Conn., May 2, 2002) â Billy Nelson of the Baltimore Blast has been named the 2001-02 Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) Rookie of the Year, the League announced on Thursday. Nelson claims the honor through a vote of MISL team management and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from each of the League's host cities.
Nelson, 22, was also voted to the 2001-02 MISL All-Rookie Team along with Kansas City Comets goalkeeper Brian Bowes, Cleveland defender Marco Reda, Crunch forward Justin Evans, Milwaukee midfielder Johnny Torres, and Harrisburg midfielder Jason Webb.
In MISL Rookie of the Year balloting, voters were asked to list three MISL rookies. A first-place ballot was worth five points, a second-place selection was worth three points, and a third-place vote was worth one point. In Balloting for the MISL All-Rookie Team, which was a separate voting process, each vote was worth one point.
To qualify as an MISL rookie, players must not have played in a World Cup final round and played in fewer than 10 regular season North American professional indoor soccer games (excluding the Eastern Indoor Soccer League) prior to the 2001-02 MISL season.
Nelson accumulated 65 points and nine first-place votes in Rookie of the Year balloting. Reda finished second in the voting with 49 points and six first-place votes. Bowes was third with 32 points and four first-place ballots.
Nelson enjoyed an outstanding freshman campaign in which the Baltimore native posted two 3-point goals, five 2-point scores, four assists, 20 points, and 20 blocks in 42 games played.
The University of Maryland-Baltimore County product posted his first career goal during a December 7 contest vs. Milwaukee while registering a 3-point goal, a 2-point score, and an assist for a career high six points in Baltimore's 22-12 victory at Harrisburg on December 29.
Reda appeared in all 44 games for Cleveland and posted four goals, two assists, 10 points, and 71 blocks. The Toronto native ranked fourth in the MISL in blocks during the 2001-02 campaign. Bowes played in 15 games for Kansas City and registered four wins while notching a 15.87 points against average.
Torres saw action in 16 games for Milwaukee in which the Creighton University product recorded nine goals, four assists, and 23 points. Evans joined the Crunch for the second half of 2001-02 season and appeared in 16 games while posting eight goals, eight assists, and 25 points. Webb played in 40 games for Harrisburg and recorded 10 goals, three assists, and 24 points.
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from May 2, 2002
- Baltimore's Billy Nelson Heads Freshmen Class - MISL 2
- Bowers Named Defender of the Year - MISL 2
- Heat's Webb Named to All-Rookie Team - Harrisburg Heat
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