Somerset, NJ -- In a year marked by a number of Northeast Conference (NEC) men’s tennis firsts, the trend continued in this year’s postseason awards program.
 
In Le Moyne’s inaugural season, junior Peter Hatton (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt (Army West Point)) made a seismic impact, garnering NEC Player of the Year honors.
 
After making its first NEC title match appearance since 2017, Saint Francis U took home some well-earned hardware.
 
Red Flash freshman Tyler Nguyen (Fountain Valley, CA/Independence) was selected as NEC Rookie of the Year, while head coach Eric Hovan was named NEC Coach of the Year by his peers.
 
Hatton compiled a 14-7 overall record, including an 11-5 mark at #1 singles. The 11 wins tied for the most in the league at the #1 flight and he also posted a 7-1 record against NEC opponents. Hatton’s non-conference singles wins came against players from the likes of Siena, Lafayette, Bucknell and Colgate. The Syracuse, NY native closed out the year winning six of his last seven matches and led his hometown Dolphins to the NEC semifinals in their first season as a Division I program. Hatton previously earned second team All-NE10 singles honors in 2022-23.
 
Nguyen became the third Red Flash freshman to take home Rookie of the Year honors with his predecessors winning the award in 2017 (Franz Luna) and 2010 (Elahn Pouge). The Fountain Valley, CA product made an instant impression as a rookie for SFU, registering a 17-7 singles mark, including an 11-3 record at #2 singles and a team-best 7-1 record in NEC play. He led the conference in both #2 flight wins and win percentage (.786). Nguyen was named to the NEC All-Tournament Team after SFU advanced to its third-ever title match. Additionally, he received NEC Rookie of the Week honors on April 2.
 
In his third year at the helm of the Red Flash program, Hovan made history, becoming the first SFU coach to garner NEC Coach of the Year honors. Hovan engineered a remarkable turnaround this season. After SFU won a combined two league matches over his first two seasons, the Red Flash finished 7-2 against NEC rivals and advanced to the conference title match for the first time since 2017. Hovan led his squad to a 12-8 overall record that included wins against Sacred Heart and FDU in the NEC Tournament.
 
AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS
 
Players named to the All-NEC and All-Rookie squads are a diverse group representing 16 different countries.
 
Of the 12 All-NEC first and second team singles selections, six were underclassmen.
 
NEC newcomer Binghamton led the way with three All-NEC singles selections. LIU and Saint Francis U each sported two picks, while FDU, Le Moyne, Merrimack, Sacred Heart and Stonehill all landed one honoree apiece.
 
After capturing the NEC Tournament crown in its inaugural season in the league, Binghamton was duly rewarded. Sophomore William Morais Binnie (Porto, Portugal/University of Nebraska Online) earned All-Conference first team distinction after being named to the All-Tournament squad. Binnie picked up a straight set win in the NEC final and finished the year with 15 victories, including seven at the #1 flight. Additionally, Binnie was named to the All-NEC first team doubles squad alongside James McPherson (Auckland, New Zealand/Saint Kentigern College), a fellow All-Tournament team pick. The duo won 13 matches together, including six in conference and 10 in #1 flight dual play.
 
Freshman Filipe Costa (Goiana, Brazil/Colegio Saber) and sophomore Ronin Lotlikar (Bengaluru, India/Gear Innovative) were selected to the All-NEC singles second team for the Bearcats. Lotlikar was a two-time NEC Player of the Week, while Costa earned both NEC Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week awards on March 19. Costa and Lotlikar paced all NEC competitors with 25 singles wins apiece. Costa’s 25 victories were the second-most by an NEC freshman in the last 20 years. He posted an 8-1 mark vs. league rivals and was 8-1 at the #3 flight, while Lotlikar went a combined 10-4 across the #2 and #3 singles spots.
 
In addition to earning NEC Rookie of the Year honors, SFU’s Nguyen was the lone freshman to be named to the All-Conference singles first team. He also paired up with Mathis Tremblay (Montreal, Quebec/Académie les Estacades) to collect first team All-NEC doubles accolades after posting a 13-7 overall record and 7-2 slate vs. NEC opposition. The 2024 NEC Tournament runner-up also landed senior Marc Fuste (Barcelona, Spain/Inmaculada Concepcio) on the All-Conference singles second team. Fuste recorded 10 singles victories with eight of them coming at the #1 spot.
 
LIU junior Philip Hilble (Sydney, Australia/Scecgs Redlands) and sophomore Leon Harder (Hamburg, Germany/Hochrad Gymnasium (SFBK)) added more accolades to their resumes. Hilble, an All-NEC singles first team pick in 2023 and an All-Rookie selection in 2022, won 13 singles matches on his way to being voted to the second team this season. After a successful 2023 freshman campaign at St. Francis Brooklyn that ended with NEC Rookie of the Year honors, Harder picked right up where he left off in his first season at LIU, joining Hilble on the All-NEC second team. He was victorious in 13 singles matches, including a 5-2 NEC mark and 8-4 record at the #2 flight.
 
In addition to taking home NEC Player of the Year honors, Hatton was selected to the All-Conference singles first team. He was also voted a second team doubles all-star with graduate student Luka Stojanovic (Paracin, Serbia/Kosta Cukic (Incarnate Word/Lipscomb)). The pair posted a 15-8 overall record, went 10-3 in #2 doubles action and finished with a 6-1 league ledger. Highlighting the All-NEC doubles first team was the Dolphins’ duo of Leon Grundstroem (Hoganas, Sweden/Filborna Gymnasium (Northwood)) and Alvaro Nunez (Jerez De La Frontera, Spain/IES Padre Luis Coloma (Southwest Baptist)). The Le Moyne tandem won a league-high 21 matches against just four setbacks. Their .840 win percentage was the highest among tandems with at least 10 decisions and they also paced the circuit with 13 wins at the #1 flight.
 
Perennial NEC powerhouse FDU earned its yearly share of All-Conference nods. Senior Arjun Sriram (Bengalore, India/Chrysalis) upgraded to the All-NEC first team following two straight second team singles selections. Sriram finished 12-8 overall and 5-1 in NEC singles play. On the doubles side, the Knights’ pairing of Thomas Linley (Knaresborough, England/Repton) and Joshua Oboniye (Chicago, IL/Edmonton Christian) won a team-best nine doubles matches to land on the All-NEC doubles second team.
 
For the second consecutive season, Sacred Heart’s Lefteri Apostolou (Barquisimeto, Venezuela/Es International School) earned himself a spot on the singles first team. The senior won 14 matches, 10 of which came in the #1 flight. Apostolou and his doubles partner, freshman Enrique Laennec-Baffrey (El Salvador/ES American School), went 10-5 in #1 flight competition and captured 12 matches overall to claim a second team spot.
 
Merrimack’s Aryaan Bhatia (Mumbai, India) was named to the All-NEC singles first team for the second time in as many years. The senior went 11-2 in singles for the Warriors with all his wins coming at the #1 position. Bhatia was named NEC Player of the Week on March 14 and finished 6-1 in conference play.
 
Freshman Jacob Borch-Nielsen (Oslo, Norway) wrapped his rookie campaign leading Stonehill to the quarterfinals in its first NEC Tournament appearance. Borch-Nielsen won 11 matches from the top flight and a team-high 13 matches overall on his way to garnering All-Conference singles second team plaudits. In doing so, he became Stonehill’s first-ever All-NEC honoree. 

In addition to their All-NEC selections, Nguyen, Costa and Borch-Nielsen highlighted the 2024 All-Rookie squad.
 
Rounding out the All-Rookies squad were Merrimack’s Jacob Dubas (Anmore, BC), SFU’s Alan Gonzalez (Mission, TX/Sharyland) and FDU’s Taurus Mickus (Radviliskis, Lithuania/Radviliskis Lizdeika Gymnasium).
 
This marked the sixth year that All-NEC honors were awarded without flight designations.
  
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 43rd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout five 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 (#34) and Syracuse (#85). 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, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports. 
 
2024 NEC Men's Tennis Award Winners                                                                                                                    
NEC Player of the Year
Peter Hatton               Le Moyne                Jr    Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt (Army West Point)

NEC Rookie of the Year

NEC Coach of the Year
Eric Hovan                 Saint Francis U

2024 NEC Men's Tennis First Team All-Conference  

Singles
 
Name                       School                  Yr    Hometown/High School
Lefteri Apostolou          Sacred Heart            Sr    Barquisimeto, Venezuela/Es International School
Aryaan Bhatia              Merrimack               Sr    Mumbai, India
William Morais Binnie      Binghamton              So    Porto, Portugal/University of Nebraska Online
Peter Hatton               Le Moyne                Jr    Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt (Army West Point)
Tyler Nguyen               Saint Francis U         Fr    Fountain Valley, CA/Independence
Arjun Sriram               FDU                     Sr    Bangalore, India/Chrysalis

Doubles
 
Name                       School                  Yr    Hometown/High School

James McPherson            Binghamton              So    Auckland, New Zealand/Saint Kentigern College
William Morais Binnie      Binghamton              So    Porto, Portugal/University of Nebraska Online

Leon Grundstrom            Le Moyne                Gr    Hoganas, Sweden/Filborna Gymnasium (Northwood)
Alvaro Nunez               Le Moyne                Gr    Jerez De La Frontera, Spain/IES Padre Luis Coloma
                                                         (Southwest Baptist)

Tyler Nguyen               Saint Francis U         Fr    Fountain Valley, CA/Independence
Mathis Tremblay            Saint Francis U         R-So  Montreal, Quebec/Académie les Estacades  

 
2024 NEC Men’s Tennis Second Team All-Conference              
 
Singles
 
Name                       School                  Yr    Hometown/High School
Jacob Borch-Nielsen        Stonehill               Fr    Oslo, Norway
Filipe Costa               Binghamton              Fr    Goiania, Brazil/Colegio Saber
Marc Fuste                 Saint Francis U         Sr    Barcelona, Spain/Inmaculada Concepcio
Ronin Lotlikar             Binghamton              So    Bengaluru, India/Gear Innovative    
Leon Harder                LIU                     So    Hamburg, Germany/Hochrad Gymnasium (SFBK)
Philip Hilble              LIU                     Jr    Sydney, Australia/Scecgs Redlands
  
Doubles
 
Name                       School                  Yr    Hometown/High School
Thomas Linley              FDU                     Jr    Knaresborough, England/Repton
Joshua Oboniye             FDU                     So    Chicago, IL/Edmonton Christian

Peter Hatton               Le Moyne                Jr    Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt (Army West Point)
Luke Stojanovic            Le Moyne                Gr    Paracin, Serbia/Kosta Cukic (Incarnate Word/Lipscomb)

Lefteri Apostolou          Sacred Heart            Sr    Barquisimeto, Venezuela/Es International School
Enrique Laennec-Baffrey    Sacred Heart            Fr    El Salvador/ES American School
    
2024 NEC Men’s Tennis All-Rookie Team