DANBURY, Conn. – Head coach Jeff Behrman was named the ECAC Div. III Coach of the Year to lead a program-record eight Union College student-athletes earning 2019 Division III All-ECAC honors, the Eastern College Athletic Conference announced on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Behrman is the second coach in team history to earn ECAC Coach of the Year honors, joining Al Bagnoli, who was recognized after leading the 1983 Union team to the Stagg Bowl. He guided the Dutchmen to the program's fourth 10-0 regular season and its first Liberty League championship since 2005. Union won its first 11 games of the season for just the third time in program history thanks to a 24-21 comeback win over Case Western Reserve University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and finished the regular season ranked 13th and 14th in the D3football.com and AFCA national polls, respectively.
 
Individually, sophomore running back Ike Irabor and senior defensive end Vincenzo DiCaterino were recognized as All-ECAC first-team selections, while six Dutchmen – junior tight end Spencer Crystal, sophomore left tackle Tim Driscoll, junior center Ryan Ehrets, junior defensive lineman Daniel Gioioso, senior punter Will Halpin III and junior linebacker Colin Lama – all earned second-team recognition. The eight players honored are the most ever in a single season for the Dutchmen and are the most of any school this season.
 
Irabor had a breakout sophomore season for the Dutchmen, earning Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year and D3football.com All-Region first-team honors after amassing 1,231 yards on 229 carries (111.91 yards per game) and 16 touchdowns in 11 games. He finished the year eighth all-time in single-season rushing yards and seventh in single-season rushing touchdowns at Union while also ranking in the top-20 nationally in both categories this season.
 
DiCaterino capped his career with another excellent season up front for the Dutchmen, earning D3football.com All-Region third-team recognition after recording 61 tackles, eight sacks, and a team-best 18 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He finished his season ranked 46th in Division III in tackles for loss.
 
Ehrets and Driscoll helped to pave the way for Irabor on the offensive line, with both players starting every game on the offensive line in 2019. Both players were named D3football.com All-Region selections in helping Union finish third in the country in fewest sacks allowed (a program-record seven sacks in 12 games) and average more than 409 yards of offense per game.
 
Lama had another solid season as one of the team's top linebackers, picking up All-Liberty League first-team honors after pacing the Dutchmen with 60 tackles and adding 12 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and an interception. He was joined on the All-Liberty League first team by Gioioso, who led the Dutchmen and ranked 60th in Division III with nine sacks in addition to finishing the season with 15 tackles for loss and 61 total tackles.
 
Crystal was named to the All-Liberty League first team after catching 10 passes for 91 yards and four touchdowns on the season, in addition to his excellence in pass and run blocking as well.
 
Halpin finished his collegiate career with All-Liberty League first-team honors as well. The senior averaged 38.3 yards per punt this year, landing 14 inside the 20-yard line and inducing 17 fair catches. The team's net punting yardage of 34.63 yards ranked 38th in Division III this season.
 
Union is slated to return six of their eight All-ECAC selections and 14 of its 21 All-Liberty League selections in 2020, as the Dutchmen look to make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament.