NEC Player of the Week: Niklas Thanhofer, LIU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Naim Robinson, HU
Previous NEC Releases: September 15 | September 8 | September 2 | August 25 | NEC Preseason Poll

NEC MEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Niklas Thanhofer, Sr., D, LIU
Obertrum Am See, Austria/SRG Salzburg (UIndy)
Thanhofer put on a show with a hat trick in LIU’s 5-2 win at Quinnipiac last week. The senior defender netted his first goal on a free kick in the 17th minute. Thanhofer rifled the ball from just outside the 18-yard box and over the Bobcat keeper’s head. The Austria native struck again after he won a 50-50 ball in the box following a free kick. Once settled, Thanhofer fired the ball into the top left corner to extend the Sharks’ lead in the 42nd minute. With 10 minutes left in the match, he added his third score of the match off a header on a LIU corner kick. The veteran back's hat trick was the first in the NEC this season and the first for an LIU player since Emil Jaaskelainen scored four times against Le Moyne on October 29, 2023. He leads the NEC in goals (four), points (nine) and points per game (1.29). Ranked fith in the Northeast Region, LIU owns a 3-0-4 record and is unbeaten through its first seven matches of the season for the first time since 1986.

NEC MEN'S SOCCER ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Naim Robinson, R-Fr., M, Howard
Detroit, MI/Blue Valley North HS
In Howard’s 1-0 victory at VMI, Robinson rocketed the game-winning goal in the 24th minute in a memorable sequence.After swiping the ball near midfield, he noticed the Keydet keeper off his line and lofted a perfectly placed long distance strike over his head. It marked the Detroit product’s first goal at the collegiate level. Robinson led the Bison with three shots in the contest. The redshirt freshman has tallied three points on the year, which is a team-best for the Bison and tied for sixth in the NEC. 

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Luk Ayaz, So., M, FDU
Netted the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute of FDU's 1-0 triumph over Columbia. He has posted the second-most goals in the NEC (three). 

Matheus Franca, Jr., GK, FDU
Made three saves in his second clean sheet of the season in the Knights' win against the Lions. 

Naim Robinson, R-Fr., HU
Named NEC Rookie of the Week.

Ireal Wyze-Daly, Jr., GK, HU
Stopped five shots in Howard's 1-0 shutout against VMI. It marked his first shutout of the season. 

Jack Stainrod, Sr., F, LIU
Dished out four assists - the most by an NEC player in nearly four years - LIU's 5-2 victory at Quinnipiac. Leads the NEC in assists (four) and ranks second in points (six). 

Niklas Thanhofer, Sr., D, LIU
Tabbed NEC Player of the Week. 

2025 NEC MEN'S SOCCER WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS

NEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aug. 25: Ryan Kipness, NHVN
Sept. 2: Lukian Lawro, NHVN
Sept. 8: Arnau Rabassa Guillamon, FDU & Shane Fonseca, STO
Sept. 15: Alessandro Bizzini, NHVN
Sept. 22: Niklas Thanhofer, LIU

NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Aug. 25: David Ivascu, FDU
Sept. 2: Guilherme Meira, NHVN
Sept. 8: Andrew Marrotta, LIU
Sept. 15: Santiago Marin Gutierrez, CCSU
Sept. 22: Naim Robinson, HU