Bridgewater, NJ -- In a testament to their regular season prowess, two programs combined to secure all five major year-end Northeast Conference (NEC) men’s soccer individual honors.
 
Two standout players, one a seasoned veteran and the other an impressive newcomer, were the driving forces behind LIU’s explosive offense. An elite veteran and a brilliant newcomer were the driving forces behind LIU’s explosive offense attack. Notably, high scoring senior striker Emil Jaaskelainen (Bolton, England/Bolton School) retained his title as the NEC Player of the Year. Freshman teammate Joshua Saavedra (Miami FL/Florida Virtual School) was awarded NEC Rookie of the Year honors after making a significant impact on the Sharks’ midfield this season.
 
Unbeaten Saint Francis U has locked down opponents all season long, so it comes as no surprise that the centerpiece of its backline, junior defender Tom Schellbach (Freiburg, Germany/Faust Gymnasium), was tabbed NEC Defensive Player of the Year. Sophomore running mate Jordaine Jaeger (Munich, Germany/Gymnasium Neubiberg) joined his teammate on the awards podium with his selection as the NEC Goalkeeper of the Year.
 
NEC Coaching Staff of the Year honors went to Saint Francis U’s Mads Kaiser and his assistants after the Red Flash achieved a number of program and conference milestones on their way to winning the NEC regular season title.
 
Jaaskelainen has built an incredible legacy within the NEC marked by a collection of accolades that adorn his locker since his debut on the NEC pitch in 2020. His remarkable trajectory began with being named 2020-21 NEC Rookie of the Year and followed with his ascension to NEC Player of the Year two years later. By repeating, Jaaskelainen joined an elite group, becoming the eighth player in NEC history to collect back-to-back Player of the Year accolades. He’s the first to do so since RMU’s Neco Brett won three straight from 2013-2015. The Bolton, England native also became LIU’s seventh NEC Player of the Year and a four-time All-NEC first team honoree.
 
Jaaskelainen has produced 41 goals, 12 assists, and 94 points in his career with three straight 10+ goal seasons. This fall, he leads the NEC in several offensive categories, including goals (10), points (24), goals per game (.625) and points per game (1.50). Jaaskelainen received national recognition when Top Drawer Soccer ranked him the No. 5 player in the country and he was recently named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week after becoming the third D1 player to net four goals in a match this season. The senior forward was also named NEC Player of the Week on October 30th following his four goal outburst vs. Le Moyne.
 
In 2021, Jaaskelainen was part of an LIU side that won the regular season and NEC Tournament title, then went on to upset Maryland in the NCAA College Cup.
 
Schellbach was the pillar performer, serving as the anchor of Saint Francis U’s backline, which played a pivotal role in the Red Flash’s first-ever unbeaten regular season. In eight NEC matches, the Red Flash allowed a league-low four goals and topped the league in overall goals conceded, with just 11 in 14 matches. This junior defender hails from Freiburg, Germany became Saint Francis U’s second player to win the NEC Defensive Player of the Year award, joining two-time honoree Francis DeVries (2014 & 2015).
 
Adding to his legacy, Jaeger joined Schellbach in the winner’s circle, becoming the very first NEC Goalkeeper of the Year from SFU since the award’s introduction in 2020-21. After a standout NEC Rookie of the Year campaign last season, the Munich, Germany native leads the conference in four key goalkeeping categories this season: goals against (10), goals against average (.726), save percentage (.808), and shutouts (six). The Munich, Germany native allowed a league-low four goals in eight NEC matches.
 
Saavedra, the ninth player in LIU’s history to win NEC Rookie of the Year, has been an exciting addition to the conference and has made his mark as a dominant midfielder. Hailing from Miami, FL, he’s tied for fifth in the league in goals (five), including two game-winners, and ranks seventh in assists (six) and fifth in points (17). Saavedra earned three NEC Rookie of the Week honors this season to help LIU secure the No. 2 seed in the 2023 NEC Tournament. He was the lone rookie to earn All-NEC first-team honors. LIU has boasted the NEC Rookie of the Year winner four times in the last six years, and with nine overall honorees, the Sharks share the record with FDU for the most in NEC history.
 
In his impressive head coaching debut, Kaiser and his staff guided the Red Flash to their first NEC regular season title since 2014 and second in program history. Under Kaiser’s leadership, SFU achieved the 13th unbeaten conference regular season (5-0-3) in NEC history and enters the postseason as one of just two unbeaten teams nationwide (joining SIUE) with a 7-0-7 overall mark. SFU’s unbeaten regular season is a rare feat, with the last NEC side to do so being UMBC (17-0-1) in 1999. Additionally, it’s only the fourth time this has occurred since the sport’s introduction in the conference back in 1985. The top-seeded Red Flash are now well-positioned to contend for their first-ever NEC Tournament title and will host Sacred Heart in Thursday’s semifinals. Kaiser’s success earned him the distinction of becoming the fourth head coach from SFU to receive NEC Coach/Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
 
AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS
 
LIU sported a league-best five student-athletes on All-Conference first and second teams with FDU right behind with four selections.
 
A 2022 second team All-NEC honoree, Stonehill senior Jacob Woznicki (Bristol, CT/Bristol Eastern) made the jump to the first team after leading his squad offensively, producing nine goals (2nd in the league) and 22 points (third).
 
FDU’s senior midfielder Tony Gomez (Santander, Spain/IES Valle de Piélagos) improved from 2022 second team member to first team honoree after playing a key role in the Knights’ success with five goals - including two game-winners - and three assists. Gomez was the 2021 NEC Rookie of the Year. Spencer King (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada/ILC), the NEC Goalkeeper of the Year and a first team All-NEC honoree a year ago, picked up second team accolades this season. He shares the top rank in the league with six shutouts. The graduate goalkeeper also ranks second in the NEC in saves per game (4.88) and save percentage (0.80), and third in goals against average (1.27) for the Knights.
 
LIU senior Andre Puenté (Chihuahua, Mexico/EDEC) impressively earned his third All-NEC first team selection, once again serving as a leader patrolling the backline for the Sharks.
 
Sacred Heart defender Etienne Murugarren (Ciudad Real, Spain/Colegio Leones) became a three-time All-NEC member. Previously a two-time second teamer in 2021 and 2022, he joined the first team in this his graduate season. Teammate David Garcia Gallego (Leon, Spain/Universidad de Leon) repeated as a second team honoree for the Pios, registering four assists and two game-winning goals.
 
Howard junior forward Bryson Baker (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) collected his second All-NEC honor, reclaiming a spot on the second team after tallying four goals for the Bison.
 
Merrimack graduate midfielder Johan Feilscher (Bad Bramstedt, Germany/Concordia College (NY)) repeated as a second team All-NEC honoree, logging four goals and three assists in the regular season.
 
Taking home his second All-NEC second team accolade was CCSU’s Ivan Farias-Martinez (Los Angeles, CA/Lina Marquez), who was a defensive force for the Blue Devils.
 
In Le Moyne’s debut season in the NEC and as a D1 program, junior defender Jack Goodrich (Kelsall, England/King’s School Chester) landed a spot on the All-Conference first team after playing a versatile role for the Dolphins. He has produced the fourth most assists in the league with six. Goodrich was a third team All-NE10 honoree a year ago.
 
Looking at the up-and-coming talent, FDU was represented with three players on the All-Conference rookie team. Le Moyne and Saint Francis U had two apiece.
  
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 42nd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9), Hartford/New Haven (#33) and Providence (#53). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.