SYRACUSE, N.Y.—The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) named its men's soccer all-conference teams today, and Buffalo State was extremely well-represented, landing eight players on the top two teams with Abdi Salim (Nairobi, Kenya/Hutch Tech) drawing top honors of Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year. 

Joining Salim on the first team was Ali Shawish (Lackawanna/Lackawanna), Theo Pencic (Oslo, Norway) and Andreas Queen (Stone Ridge/Rondout Valley), while Zak Shaibi (Buffalo/McKinley), Saleman Salim (Nairobi, Kenya/Hutch Tech), Nemanja Simic (Grand Island/Grand Island) and Colin O'Keefe (Buffalo/Canisius) were all selected to the second team.
 
Abdi Salim is the second Buffalo State player in as many years to be named the league's Rookie of the Year and is the first Bengal to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors.  He started 18 games and led the Bengals in minutes played this season.  Salim scored his first collegiate goal during a 3-2 win over Fredonia and helped Buffalo State post the second-lowest goal against average in the league at 0.82.
 
Shawish, a senior business major, finished third on the Bengals with nine goals and 22 points overall, and finished second in the SUNYAC with four goals and 10 points in nine league games. He also scored the Bengals first goal in a 2-1 playoff victory over Brockport. Shawish finished his three-year career with the Bengals with 17 goals and 45 points in 56 games.
 
Pencic, a sophomore business major, earned first team honors for the second-straight season after leading the Bengals with 14 goals and 35 points in 18 games played.  Pencic scored three hat tricks and had five multi-goal games.  
 
Queen, a senior history major, closed out his career as an All-SUNYAC pick for the third-straight season.  He played every game but one in goal and led the SUNYAC with nine shutouts while setting the school record with 25 for his career.  He posted a 0.76 goals against average and had a .788 save percentage.
 
Shaibi, a sophomore was second on the Bengals with 10 goals and 24 points, appearing in all 19 games.  He garnered attention early in the season when his dramatic bicycle kick goal against Potsdam with one second remaining in regulation was featured as the No. 4 play on ESPN's Top-10 plays of the day.
 
Saleman Salim, a junior business major, was one of two Bengals midfielders named to the second team, improving on his third team selection last season.  The older Salim brother tallied two goals and seven points and was an integral part of the team's defensive efforts.
 
Simic, a junior mechanical engineering major, was also a key piece of the Bengals transition game in the midfield.  He tallied three goals and nine points, starting 18 games.  Simic scored the game-winning overtime goal in a 2-1 victory over New Paltz.
 
O'Keefe, a senior defender and business major, was second on the team in minutes played, helping anchor the Bengals second-ranked defense.  He also added a goal and an assist.
 
Buffalo State finished 15-4 overall, matching a school record for wins in a season.  The Bengals were 6-3 in SUNYAC play and earned a third-place finish, defeating Brockport in the quarter finals before falling to Plattsburgh in the semis.