Click Here For PDF Release

Somerset, NJ -- Northeast Conference (NEC) men’s soccer regular season champion LIU Brooklyn took home two of the four major postseason individual awards and nine total honors, it was revealed Thursday evening at a banquet on the eve of the 2015 NEC Tournament in Brooklyn, NY. Robert Morris forward Neco Brett (Kingston, Jamaican/Excelsior) earned himself a spot in the recordbook as he became the first three-time NEC Player of the Year, while Saint Francis U junior Francis de Vries (Christchurch, New Zealand/Cashmere) repeated as NEC Defensive Player of the Year.

LIU Brooklyn freshman midfielder Rasmus Hansen (Greve, Denmark/Brondby Gymnasium) paced the Blackbirds in scoring and was named NEC Rookie of the Year.  LIU’s TJ Kostecky was voted NEC Coach of the Year by his peers after guiding the Blackbirds to just the third perfect record (8-0) in league play (joining the LIU ‘85 and Robert Morris ‘95 teams) in the sport’s 30-year history. LIU Brooklyn finished the regular season with 11 wins for the first time since the 2002 season and claimed its first NEC regular season crown since winning a share of the title in 2004.

The pre-tournament banquet was held on the campus of LIU Brooklyn and it brought together all four teams – LIU Brooklyn, Saint Francis U, Robert Morris and St. Francis Brooklyn – participating in the 2015 NEC Men’s Soccer Tournament that begins on Friday with semifinal round play.

Brett’s unprecedented third straight NEC Player of the Year honor came after the Jamaican striker led the conference during the regular season with 12 goals and 29 total points.  The prolific goal scorer ranks among the top 10 nationally in goals, points, points per game (1.71) and game-winning goals (seven). Brett, who this past August was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, was also tabbed to the All-NEC First Team for the third straight year.  Brett has now accumulated 41 goals and 98 points over the last three years, both league-leading totals in that span.

Just the second player to win two NEC Defensive Player of the Year awards, de Vries leads all conference defenders with five goals and 13 points. The two-time All-NEC first team honoree and Hermann Trophy candidate helped anchor a back line that allowed just 16 goals in 18 games played, good for a goals against average of 0.86.  de Vries was a three-time NEC Player of the Week this fall.

Hansen earned NEC Rookie of the Year honors after finishing the regular season ranked third on the circuit with seven goals and 18 points. An NEC Rookie of the Week honoree back in September, the freshman also scored two game-winning goals for the Blackbirds.

Overall, 22 student-athletes were recognized on the All-NEC First and Second Teams.

LIU Brooklyn freshman midfielder Simen Hestnes (Oslo, Norway/Wang Toppidrett) earned All-NEC first team honors in his first season as a Blackbird after finishing the regular season ranked third on the team in points (10) off of three goals and four assists. Joining Hestnes as a first teamer were teammates Rasmus Hansen (Greve, Denmark/Brondby Gymnasium) and Tanner Sica (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North). Hansen, a freshman midfielder, led the Blackbirds in goals (seven) and points (18) during the regular season. Sica collected his third consecutive All-NEC honor, and made his initial first team appearance. The senior defender tallied five points while helping the LIU Brooklyn defense surrender just three goals in seven conference games, tied for first in the NEC.

Robert Morris’ Neco Brett (Kingston, Jamaica/Excelsior) made his third consecutive appearance on the All-NEC first team. The senior forward enters the postseason ranked first in the league in goals (12) and points (29).

For St. Francis Brooklyn, redshirt senior goalkeeper Jack Binks (Darlington, England/Siena) made his second consecutive appearance on the All-NEC First Team. Binks finished the regular season with a league-leading 11 shutouts, and ranked second in the NEC with a 0.38 goals against average and .857 save percentage. He helped the Terriers earn a top-25 national ranking back in September when SFBK yielded just one in its first nine matches. Senior midfielder Vincent Bezecourt (Aire sur I’Adour, France/Lycee Fernand Daguin), sophomore midfielder Harry Odell (Manchester, England/Cardinal Langley RC H.S.) and senior defender Cyril Coisne (Lille, France/Valenciennes Vafc Lycee Privee) joined Binks on the All-NEC first team. Bezecourt currently leads the Terriers with seven goals and 17 points on the season, and recorded three game-winners.  Odell chipped in with a game-winner and three points. Coisne was 3-for-3 on PK’s this season for St. Francis Brooklyn and finished the regular season with seven points and two game-winning goals. He also anchored a backline that permitted just three goals in NEC play.

Rounding out the All-NEC First Team, Saint Francis U freshman striker Mario Mastrangelo (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) led all rookies during the regular season in goals (ten), points (21) and game-winning goals (three). The Venetia, PA native was also a two-time NEC Player of the Week and four-time NEC Rookie of the Week honoree this season. Joining Mastrangelo on the All-NEC first team were teammates Pablo Medina (Monterrey, Mexico/IMG Academies) and Francis de Vries (Christchurch, New Zealand/Cashmere). Medina’s second consecutive first team appearance came after the redshirt senior midfielder posted a league-leading seven assists this fall. De Vries earned his second All-NEC First Team honor in as many seasons.  The 2014 NSCAA All-American currently ranks second on the Red Flash with 13 points.

Bryant senior midfielder Brett Larocque (Ottawa, Ontario/Ecole Jean Vanier) was tabbed to the All-NEC second team after leading the Bulldogs and ranking in the NEC top-10 with six goals and 14 total points during the regular season. This is the second consecutive All-NEC honor for Larocque.

Central Connecticut placed four on the All-NEC second team. Forwards Ryan Taylor (South Windsor, CT/South Windsor) and Louis Beddouri (Bordeaux, France/Lycee Lauga Bayonne) were CCSU’s top point producers this season. Taylor, a sophomore, led the team in with six goals and 15 points, with the freshman Beddouri right behind him with five goals and 11 points. Senior midfielder Zach Zurita (Stratford, CT/Monmouth) and senior defender Ben Knight (Nottingham, UK/Burton Albion Youth Team) were also honored. Zurita made his third consecutive second team appearance after he ranked third on the Blue Devils in goals (four) and points (nine), while Knight provided some offensive punch out the backfield, finishing fourth on CCSU with two goals and eight points.

Fairleigh Dickinson junior midfielder Christian Dietrich (Berlin, Germany/Flatow-Oberschule) picked up his second consecutive All-NEC honor after leading the Knights with three goals, five assists and 11 points.

LIU Brooklyn redshirt junior goalkeeper Logan Keys (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) took home his first All-NEC accolade.  Keys leads the league in goals against average (0.36) and save percentage (.909), ranking second nationally in both categories. Keys also finished the regular season with seven shutouts.

Robert Morris landed three players on the All-NEC second team. Freshman midfielder Lucas Puntillo (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) is currently second on the Colonials in goals (five) and points (16), and leads the team in assists (six), a figure that ranks him second in the league. Sophomore midfielder Keane McIvor (Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Anthony’s College) heads into the postseason tied for third on RMU with four goals and ranks fourth with eight points. Redshirt junior defender Bennett Jull (Toronto, Ontario/Country Day) helped the Colonials defense surrender just 0.67 goals per game in league play.

St. Francis Brooklyn junior defender Paul Galimi (Sydney, Australia/Christian Brothers H.S.) rounded out the All-NEC second team. Galimi scored once during the regular season and was part of a Terrier back line that helped to surrender just seven goals all year.

Ten players made up the inaugural All-NEC Rookie team.

Central Connecticut forward Louis Beddouri (Bordeaux, France/Lycee Lauga Bayonne) finished the regular season ranked fifth in points (11) among all NEC rookies.

For LIU Brooklyn, forward Romario Guscott (Kingston, Jamaica/Evander Child) was one of five freshmen to earn NEC All-Rookie honors. Guscott currently ranks second on the Blackbirds and in the NEC top-10 in goals (six) and points (12). Joining Guscott are midfielders Rasmus Hansen (Greve, Denmark/Brondby Gymnasium) and Simen Hestnes (Oslo, Norway/Wang Toppidrett), along with defenders Filip Nordström (Gothenburg, Sweden/Solna Gymnasium) and Erik Wahlin (Stockholm, Sweden/Bromma Gymnasium). Hansen, the 2015 NEC Rookie of the Year, currently ranks second among all rookies in goals (seven) and points (18) while leading the Blackbirds in both categories. Hestnes, the current NEC Player & Rookie of the Week, heads into the postseason with ten points to rank third on LIU. Nordström and Wahlin are part of an LIU Brooklyn defense that only gave up three goals in seven conference contests and helped the team to a league-best five shutouts in NEC play.

Robert Morris midfielder Lucas Puntillo (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic), a three-time NEC Rookie of the Week honoree, closed out the regular season ranked third among rookies in points (16) while leading all freshman in assists (six).  Freshman forward Zac Sherman (Mechanicsburg, PA/Mechanicsburg) contributed a pair of goals and five points on the year for the Colonials.

St. Francis Brooklyn freshman midfielder Tommy De Andrade (Caracas, Miranda, Venezuela/Instituto Cumbres De Caracas) enters the NEC Tournament with three assists and five points for the Terriers.

Rounding out the All-NEC Rookie Team was Saint Francis U’s Mario Mastrangelo (Venetia, PA/Peters Township). Mastrangelo racked up a conference-high four NEC Rookie of the Week honors and currently leads the Red Flash with 10 goals and 21 points.
 
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 35th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30).  Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary’s, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U 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 Google+, all @NECsports.