Tanaka, Kimata and Staff Earn Major Awards as Great Danes Collect 10 Team Selections

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's soccer team earned 10 combined America East All-Conference, All-Rookie, and All-Academic selections, highlighted by junior midfielder Shawn Tanaka being named Defender of the Year and freshman forward Yuta Kimata earning Rookie of the Year honors, the conference announced Friday morning. 

Additionally, head coach Trevor Gorman and assistant coaches Elias Ehlin and Lucas Watt were named the America East Coaching Staff of the Year.

The Great Danes collected three major honors following a historic regular season, claiming the outright America East Regular-Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament with a 10-4-1 overall record and 5-2 mark in conference play. UAlbany placed three players on the All-Conference First Team, two on the Second Team, two on the All-Rookie Team, and three on the All-Academic Team.

For the full list of this year's honorees, click here.

Tanaka earned Defender of the Year honors after anchoring the Great Danes' back line throughout the season. The junior defender started all 13 games in which he appeared, totaling 1,077 minutes while contributing one goal and three assists. His efforts helped UAlbany record nine shutouts across 15 games, allowing just 15 goals and limiting opponents to 1.00 goal per game. In the classroom, Tanaka earned All-Academic recognition with a 3.88 GPA while majoring in Informatics.

Kimata was named Rookie of the Year following an impressive debut campaign. The freshman forward finished the regular season tied for the team lead with six goals, adding three assists for 15 points. His three game-winning goals were tied for the team lead, while he recorded 33 shots and 17 shots on goal across 14 appearances. Kimata also earned First Team All-Conference and All-Rookie Team honors.

Gissurarson earned First Team All-Conference recognition after leading the Great Danes offensively with 18 points on six goals and six assists. The senior recorded three game-winning goals and finished tied with Kimata for the team lead in goals. Gissurarson also earned All-Academic honors with a 3.51 GPA while studying Business Administration.

Hermelo earned Second Team All-Conference recognition after starting all 14 games in which he appeared, totaling 1,204 minutes while contributing one goal. A key presence along the back line, Hermelo helped UAlbany limit opponents to 15 goals throughout the regular season. He also earned All-Academic recognition with a 3.77 GPA while majoring in Business Economics.

Genz earned Second Team All-Conference honors after posting a 9-4-1 individual record in goal. The sophomore goalkeeper finished with a 1.07 goals-against average, .674 save percentage, and eight shutouts. His eight individual clean sheets helped the Great Danes finish with nine team shutouts.

Clausse joined Kimata on the America East All-Rookie Team after making an immediate impact in his first collegiate season. The freshman forward appeared in all 15 games, recording two goals and six assists for 10 points. His six assists tied for the team lead, establishing him as one of UAlbany's top playmakers.

REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS

The Great Danes finished the regular season with a 10-4-1 overall record, including a 5-2 mark in America East play, to claim the program's first America East Regular-Season Championship since 2015. 

UAlbany secured the outright championship and No. 1 seed with a 2-0 road victory over Binghamton on November 3. 

The Great Danes enter the America East Championship as the No. 1 seed and will host the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 4 NJIT and No. 5 New Hampshire in the semifinal round on Wednesday, November 11, at a time to be announced.

Ticket Central: Tickets for the 2026 America East Championship Semifinals are now on sale!

To purchase, click here

Ticket prices are $12 for adults and $6 for youth (ages 14 and under) across all available seating levels. UAlbany students receive free admission by claiming their tickets through the online student portal.

Parking in the Broadview Center lot is available for $10 in advance or $15 on game day.

Social Central: For more information on the UAlbany men's soccer team, follow the squad's official social media accounts on X and Instagram, and UAlbany Soccer on Facebook.