Austin Berry Wins RoY Award; Pause Wins Fair Play Award

Austin becomes the 3rd Fire player to win a Rookie of the Year award, following Carlos Bocanegra in 2000 and Damani Ralph in 2003. The future is definitely looking bright in Chicago with Austin manning the middle for what will hopefully be a very long time. It's a splendid accomplishment for Austin and the team.

Fire captain Logan Pause garnered the Fair Play Award based off of factors such as fouls committed, cards received, games/minutes played, along with a subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior. Logan always plays hard and plays the game the right way. I can't think of a more deserving player to win the award than Logan.

Below is the official press release from the Fire, along with the voting totals for the RoY award. Again, congratulations Austin and Logan on a job well done. We are proud of you!

Austin Berry and Logan Pause Honored With MLS Year End Awards

Rookie center back named 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year, Fire captain garners 2012 Xbox Individual Fair Play Award honors

CHICAGO, Ill. (Nov. 19, 2012) - The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Monday that rookie defender Austin Berry has been chosen as the 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year and captain Logan Pause has been awarded the 2012 Xbox Individual Fair Play Award. A former Fire PDL player, Berry is the third player in Fire history to be named the MLS Rookie of the Year, previously won by Carlos Bocanegra in 2000 and Damani Ralph in 2003. With three MLS Rookie of the Year award winners, the Fire now hold the most Rookie of the Year honors in MLS history.

The finalists were determined by votes from media, MLS Players and MLS club management based on regular season performance. Berry was joined by D.C. United midfielder, and college teammate at the University of Louisville, Nick DeLeon and Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Darren Mattocks as finalists for the award. Berry garnered more than 50 percent of votes from both media and MLS club management. Below is a breakdown of voting for the top five candidates:

Berry made his professional debut against Chivas USA May 4. With his goal in the 25^th minute of the match, Berry became just the third rookie in Fire history and the first since 1998 to score in a debut MLS appearance.

Since his debut, Berry made 28 consecutive MLS Regular Season starts and played every minute of his 28 games, breaking the record of consecutive starts by a Fire rookie, previously held by Carlos Bocanegra, the 2000 MLS Rookie of the Year.

With three goals to his credit this season, including the game-winning header against Toronto FC Aug. 4, Berry tied with Gonzalo Segares for goals by a Fire defender.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native was an instrumental cog in the Fire defense that held opponents to just 41 goals this season, tied for second best in the Eastern Conference. In 2012, the Men in Red went 17-11-6 and earned 57 points, tied with the 2000 season for the highest point total in club history, and qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the 12^th time in the club's 15-year history.

Berry started and went the full 90 minutes of the Fire's 2-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout match Oct. 31.

Chicago Fire captain Logan Pause was named the 2012 Xbox Individual Fair Play Award winner. Pause was chosen by MLS based on objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games and minutes played, as well as subjective evaluation of sportsmanlike behavior.

In his 10th season for the Fire, Pause appeared in 32 matches, starting 31. In 2,424 minutes played this season, Pause committed just 11 fouls and received no red or yellow cards. Pause missed just two matches this season after suffering two broken ribs and pneumothorax Aug. 12 against the Philadelphia Union.

With just two shots on goal in 2012, Pause scored the equalizing goal in the 27th minute of the Fire's rain-shortened 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo April 15.

This season, Pause also served on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Fire Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club.

The second year Fire captain was joined by Chivas USA defender Ante Jazic and New York Red Bulls defender Heath Pearce as finalists for the award, and is the first Fire player to be honored as the MLS Fair Play Award winner.