Chery is a soccer standout

By Monique Walker


Edens Chery's final season was his best for the men's soccer team at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.
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With seven goals and five assists, the Brockton High product netted a career-high 19 points in Lowell's 12-4-4 campaign.

On Monday, Chery was named to Division 2 All-America second team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He and teammate Matias Pietropinto of Leominster, a first-team selection, became the first players from UMass-Lowell to earn such an honor since 2004.

"As a Massachusetts state university, it is especially satisfying to see two products of Massachusetts Youth Soccer win this award," UMass-Lowell coach Ted Priestly said in a release. "They are two ideal reflections of our program: We believe in Massachusetts and in Massachusetts soccer players, and we look forward to continuing to build a proud, winning tradition with Massachusetts players."

The 5-foot-7, 150-pound midfielder was one of just two seniors on the River Hawks' roster. UML finished with a 10-2-1 Northeast-10 Conference record, second to Franklin Pierce, the eventual national champion.

UMass-Lowell qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five seasons, losing to Franklin Pierce, 3-1, in the regional final.

Priestly said he would not be surprised to see Chery continue playing soccer.

"I look forward to seeing where Edens ends up playing next year," Priestly said. "He will be involved in the Haitian National Team in the coming months, and there have been a number of inquiries about him" from Major League Soccer clubs. "Given his age [21] and his ability, he will make an ideal MLS developmental player."