New England Soccer Hall of Fame announces 2011 class

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The New England Soccer Hall of Fame, which has recognized the region’s best players, coaches, referees, executives, and builders since 1978, has announced its 2011 class of inductees, all of whom will be honored during the Hall’s 34th Annual Induction Ceremony on Saturday, October 29th at the Johnson & Wales Inn in Seekonk, Mass. The ceremony will start at 6:00pm.

Information for the induction dinner, which is open to the public, is available at nesoccerhall.com or by contacting Chairman of the Board Joseph Sousa at soccerjbsousa@yahoo.com.

Among this year’s honorees are former New England Revolution defender Jay Heaps, Providence College men’s soccer head coach Chaka Daley, former Luso-American Soccer Association league selection John Feeley, Rhode Island Over-30 Men’s League co-founder Joao Luis Ferreira, Soccer Rhode Island founder Larry Fish, Vermont Tech men’s soccer head coach Jamie Hutchins, former University of Rhode Island soccer star Kevin Murphy, and former Quinnipiac University men’s soccer head coach Victor Santos.

Jay Heaps was a first-round pick of the Miami Fusion in the 1999 MLS draft and became synonymous with New England soccer after he was traded to the Revolution in 2001. During nine seasons with the Revs, he appeared in 243 games, played in four MLS Cup championships, and helped the team win the 2007 U.S. Open Cup tournament. In 2009, he earned his first cap with the U.S. Men’s National Team during the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. After his retirement in 2009, Heaps stayed with the Revs as a color analyst for the team’s television broadcasts. He resides in Franklin, MA.

Chaka Daley played at Providence College from 1992-1996, before going to the Rhode Island Sting Rays (1996-97), Boston Bulldogs (1997-99) and Revolution (1999). During his playing career, he also served as the assistant men’s soccer coach at Providence from 1996-1999, before becoming the head coach in 2000. Since then, he has led the Friars to the NCAA Tournament four times (2006-08, 2010), while compiling a record of 61-39-20. In 2005, he was named NSCAA Division 1 New England Coach of the Year. He resides in East Providence, R.I.

John Feeley played collegiately at Bryant College (now Bryant University) from 1973-75, and was a New England All-American Selection in 1975. He went on to become a four-time LASA Selection (1976-78, 1980) while playing for Academica and East Providence. In the late 1970’s, he played for the Rhode Island Oceaneers (1976) Miami Americans (1977), and coached the Bryant men’s soccer team from 1976-79. From there, he went on to coach at Stonehill College and for various travel clubs in the Belmont Soccer Association. He resides in Belmont, MA.

Joao Luis Ferreira moved from his native Portugal to Rhode Island in 1968 and played for P.A.C. of Central Falls from 1970-73 before going on to a sterling refereeing career that has spanned over 30 years. In 1991, he co-founded the R.I. Men’s Over-30 Soccer League, which has expanded from five original clubs to 43 at present. He has been president of the league for 20 years, which currently has over 1,000 registered players. He resides in Central Falls, R.I.

Larry Fish coached in the late 1980’s for South County Youth Soccer (RI) and became a certified referee in 1990. In 1997, he became a founding member of the Rhode Island Rays Premier Soccer Club, and coached the club from 2000 through 2004. In 2000, he was a founding member of Soccer Rhode Island, and served as president until 2008. He remains on the organization’s of the Board of Directors, and resides in Wakefield, R.I.

Jamie Hutchins played at Middlebury College and was a first-team All-American in 1981. He played indoors for six seasons, before moving on to coaching. From 1990-97, he coached at Green Valley School (VT) and led them to a state championship and posted an .840 winning percentage. In 1998, he became head coach of the Vermont Wanderers before moving onto the Vermont Voltage, where he served as owner, general manager, and coach. In 2009, he was named as the head men’s soccer coach at Vermont Tech. He resides in Middlebury, VT.

Kevin Murphy played collegiately at URI from 1978-81, where he was an All-New England selection all four years and first-team All-American in 1981. He stayed in Kingston to coach his former squad in 1982, and played for the Detroit Express (ASL) Chicago Horizon (MISL) in the early-1980s. From 1992-2002, he coached various travel clubs in Wilton, CT. In 1996, he was inducted into the URI Soccer Hall of Fame and earned the Westport Sportsmen Award in 2010. He resides in Wilton, CT.

Victor Santos began his playing career in the Connecticut Soccer League in 1961, and continued through 1982. In 1970, he established and coached the Portuguese Dragons youth soccer team in Hartford, CT. From 1974-94, he coached in the Westerfield Soccer Club, which won 12 state championships under his guidance. In 1993, he took the head coaching reins at Quinnipiac, and was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year in 1997. Currently, he is the owner and head coach of Connecticut FC. He resides in Wethersfield, CT.