Reading United, Ocean City Nor’easters collect USL League Two accolades

USL League Two MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors all went to the Ocean City Nor’easters and Reading United this season.

Nor’easters striker Deri Corfe was named league MVP after leading the league with 14 goals in 12 games and adding three assists while Reading United defender Lamine Conte was named Defensive Player of the Year and Reading head coach Alan McCann received Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season.

Reading midfielder Felipe Hideki joined Corfe and Conte on both the Eastern Conference and League Best XIs.

Corfe, a native of Chester, England, spent his second summer in Ocean City after transferring from the University of Rio Grande to Wright State.

“You could see last summer when Deri came to us how skillful he was with the ball and we knew he was an extreme talent,” said Ocean City Nor’easters general manager Giancarlo Granese Jr. in a news release. “After another year at college and returning to us for his second summer, you could really see how much more he developed over one year. This year he was much stronger, faster, better with the ball at his feet, and you saw the results at the end of the season.”

Conte was part of the Philadelphia Union Academy and trained with the Bethlehem Steel FC prior to his college career, which began at the University of Mobile and continued at Louisville last fall. He’s entering his senior season with the Cardinals.

“Lamine is a coach’s dream. The textbook definition of a captain,” said Reading United team administrator Chase Rusden in a news release. ”High soccer IQ, physical, aggressive, dominant in the air. More technical than your average center back. Great communicator. Lamine is a true leader for his teammates on and off the field. His work ethic is second to none and he was a constant source of inspiration and motivation for his teammates.”

McCann, a Dublin, Ireland native is a former Reading United player who returned to the team in 2016 as an assistant. He was named head coach ahead of last season and has compiled an impressive W-D-L record of 28-8-4 in all competitions, losing just one regular season match in two seasons.

“[McCann] is the most passionate and committed coach I have ever seen at any level,” Rusden said. “The amount of time he puts into studying film and preparing for games is second-to-none. He holds all of us - himself, his assistant coaches, his players, team staff, and team ownership - to a very high standard, which is one reason why he is so successful.”