Chevaughn Walsh wins 2016 PDL MVP award after historic season with Nor'easters

Jamaican becomes second Ocean City player in history to be named the league's top player

For just the second time in club history, an Ocean City Nor'easters player has won the Premier Development League's Most Valuable Player award. After leading the league in scoring with 14 goals and three assists (31 points), the league announced that Chevaughn Walsh (Jefferson College / Spanish Town, Jamaica) edged out the Fresno Fuego's Christian Chaney and Dominic Russo of Calgary Foothills for the honor.



The last Ocean City player to win the MVP was Ruben Mingo in 2004 when he led the club to a rare undefeated regular season (14-0-4).

Walsh broke multiple club records en route to his MVP season. His 14 goals not only made him the first Ocean City player to lead the PDL in a major statistical category (goals, points), but it broke the single-season club record for goals. The previous record of 12 was set by Mingo in his MVP season, but he accomplished his feat in 18 games. Walsh scored his 14 goals in 14 games.

His 31 points (14 goals, 3 assists) tied the single-season club record set in 2005 by Mingo (11 goals 9 assists).

Walsh was named to the All-Eastern Conference Team and became the fourth player in club history to make the All-PDL team. He led the team to a 9-5-0 record and a second place finish in the Mid-Atlantic Division.

Ahead of Saturday's PDL championship game, Walsh's accomplishments over the course of the campaign found him ranked No. 2 on the league's Top Prospects List.

Walsh, who stands at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, has gotten used to scoring goals no matter where he plays. In his last college season at Jefferson College (MO), Walsh scored 25 goals in 20 games while also contributing 14 assists. He continued his fine form straight into the PDL season with the Nor’easters as he helped the club win the 2016 Eastern Conference championship and earn a spot in the PDL Semifinals.

Over the course of the regular season, Walsh didn't miss a single game and tore apart the defense of several teams. One in particular had a forgettable season against him to say the least. Walsh became the first player in Ocean City history to score multiple hat tricks in a season when he scored three goals on two separate occasions on the road against Evergreen FC on May 28 and on June 21.

However, he didn't do all his goalscoring against Evergreen FC. He opened his account on May 22 in a 3-0 road win over the Baltimore Bohemians, but most of his damage came down the stretch when it mattered most. Walsh scored 10 goals and dished out two assists during the final seven games of the campaign. The Nor'easters won five of those matches, including a 3-2 defeat of the Bohemians on the final day of the season to clinch a spot in the PDL playoffs.

While the award is only based on his regular season performance, he continued his run of form into the postseason as well. He scored two goals and dished out two assists while leading the Nor'easters to three wins over three different division champions before falling to Calgary in the PDL final four. Those playoff performances helped him break the Ocean City single-season record for goals (16) and points (37) in all competitions.

PLAYER PROFILE: Chevy Walsh's history-making breakout season for Nor'easters

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For more information on the Ocean City Nor'easters or to "Follow the Storm" on social media, go to www.oceancityfc.com/followthestorm or text "FOLLOWTHESTORM" to 22828 to join the "Storm Watch" e-newsletter.

The Ocean City Nor’easters is a professionally run amateur soccer club with the focus of developing, educating and promoting soccer, health and leadership. Located in Ocean City, New Jersey, “America’s Greatest Family Resort”, the Nor’easters provide quality entertainment to families throughout the Tri-State area and the thousands of visitors every summer.

The Nor’easters organization was established in 1996 and made Carey Stadium, in Ocean City, NJ, its permanent home in 2005. Competing in North America’s top amateur league, the Premier Development League (PDL), the Nor’easters provide the highest level of soccer in Southern New Jersey. The 65-team PDL is the 4th level of soccer in the United States, below the professional leagues; Major League Soccer (MLS), North American Soccer League (NASL) and United Soccer League (USL). As part of the PDL, the Nor’easters’ have the sixth-best overall record since joining the league in 2003 and have upset five professional teams in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, third-most of any amateur team in the country. Ocean City players have the ability to compete during the summer months in a professional environment while maintaining their collegiate eligibility and pursuing their academic goals.

 

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