Charlie Rugg, Boston College: Was there a more impactful class of freshman than Boston College’s this season?  Maybe not. Three in particular helped to take the torch and carry on the program’s momentum with stellar play, and chief among the triumvirate was forward Charlie Rugg.

A 2008 NSCAA/adidas All-American and Massachusetts Player of the Year, this homegrown star was a perfect addition to the squad this past year. Rugg led the team in both goals and points while helping the run to the third round of the NCAA tourney.

Rugg combined well with another fresh face …

Kyle Bekker, Boston College: This international midfielder hails from Ontario, Canada, and came in with plenty of experience playing on youth national teams and competing overseas. This served him well from the start and he finished second on the team with 14 points. Not only a good distributor, Bekker was very aggressive this past season firing away 43 shots. His sophomore status should only empower him in 2010.

Justin Luthy, Boston College: While the roamers were about producing the offense, this keeper was pulling off one of the hardest feats in the game in our estimation: starting as a freshman goalkeeper.

Luthy earned the trust of his teammates and became the starter, leading nine shutout efforts. He’ll be a great cornerstone for the team over the next few years.    

Andy Lubahn, Wake Forest: A superb midfielder with good size and technical ability, Lubahn was a hit from the start. He brought tons of U.S. national team experience and starred in the U.S. Development Academy. Ready for the stage, Lubahn started in every game and scored a Wake Forest freshman record 10 goals. Three of those were of the game-winning variety proving the Demon Deacons are future winners for having brought this kid on.

Anthony Arena, Wake Forest: Another great find for the program, Arena helped to sustain the team’s backline. He started in all 24 games and helped the unit post 10 shutouts along the way. Arena was mostly known for his offensive ability while starring for Crossfire Premier and he displayed some of that skill in scoring three goals, all of which were game-winning scores.