2023 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll                  1. FDU (unanimous)                2. LIU                3. Merrimack                4. Sacred Heart                5. Saint Francis U                6. CCSU                7. Howard                8. Stonehill                9. Le Moyne                First place votes in parentheses

Bridgewater, NJ -- Let's call it the "Knight's Watch."

As FDU embarks on its quest to defend its Northeast Conference (NEC) men's soccer crown from all challengers, the Knights emerged as the undisputed favorite in the annual preseason poll administered by the league's head coaches.

LIU took second in the poll and Merrimack rounded out the top-three.
 
Landing fourth on the list was Sacred Heart with Saint Francis U in fifth, followed in order by Central Connecticut, Howard, Stonehill and Le Moyne, the newest member of the NEC.
 
In taking home its second title in the last four years, the Knights elevated the program’s all-time total to nine tournament crowns, tied for the most in NEC history. Piloted by longtime head coach Seth Roland, FDU conceded just one goal in its NEC Tournament run and rallied late for a thrilling 2-1 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn in the title tilt.
 
Looking ahead to his 27th season, the reigning NEC Coach of the Year boasts a deep squad with a host of key returnees from his championship team. Notably, the lineup features NEC Goalkeeper of the Year Spencer King (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada/ILC), who led the conference with nine shutouts and did not allow a single goal against NEC rivals over seven regular season matches. The Knights also bring back a pair of second team all-stars in senior striker Tony Gomez (Santander, Spain/IES Valle de Piélagos) and graduate defender Edoardo Calzola (Perugia, Italy/Central Arkansas). The 2021 NEC Rookie of the Year, Gomez produced five assists last season to tie for third in the league. Calzola started all 19 matches on a back line that compiled a conference-high nine clean sheets. NEC Tournament MVP and All-NEC Rookie team forward Jaime Barbero (Valencia, Spain/IES Fuente San Luis) produced a memorable performance in the final 15 minutes of the NEC final, converting an equalizing penalty kick before tapping home the game-winner on a back-post run in the 84th minute. Barbero led the Knights in scoring and finished seventh on the circuit with five goals on the year. Junior forward Kevin Leonhard (Jefferson, NJ/Jefferson Township) tied for the league lead with six assists and sophomore striker Matt Giraldo (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) made an impression when he scored twice against Maryland in the NCAA Tournament. Sporting a nice blend of youth and experience, the Knights added 14 new faces to the squad.
 
LIU returns the league's most prolific scoring forward who has a knack for finding the back of the net. Three-time All-NEC first-teamer and 2022 NEC Player of the Year Emil Jaaskelainen (Bolton, England/Bolton School) is expected to stand out like a shark among minnows following a season in which he produced a league-leading 25 points and 12 goals. He recorded an eight-match goal scoring streak that coincided with a eight-match midseason unbeaten string. Jaaskelainen ranked seventh in the nation in goals and was named first-team All-Northeast Region by United Soccer Coaches. Senior defender André Puente (Chihuahua, Mexico/EDEC) returns after achieving All-NEC first-team status two straight seasons. Joining Puente in the backline of a team that allowed a league-low 0.82 goals per match is junior defender Robert Winkler (Jena, Thuringia, Germany/Johann Chr. Fr. GutsMuths Sportgymnasium Jena), a second team All-Conference honoree. Winkler's six assists tied for the most in the NEC, while Puente gave the Sharks some offensive punch with four goals. LIU, which won its fourth NEC title in 2021, added 16 newcomers in its mission to regain the NEC championship.
 
In its first season in the NEC back in 2019, Merrimack shocked the league with a perfect 9-0 conference finish. The Warriors demonstrated that their success was far from accidental, securing top-four positions in the conference standings every year since. Their impressive track record included a 5-2-1 showing in NEC play last year, resulting in a second-place finish and a bye into the NEC semifinals during the program's debut postseason appearance. Merrimack enters the 2023 season with full NCAA eligibility and a handful of key returnees for the potential title contender. All-NEC first-team forward Juri Schlingmann (Flensburg, Germany/Fördegymnasium Flensburg/Missouri Valley College) was an offensive force last fall as the Warriors' leading goal scorer and point producer with 10 and 24, respectively, to rank second in the NEC in both categories. Another crucial component to the squad is graduate student midfielder Johan Feilscher (Bad Bramstedt, Germany/Concordia College (NY)), who earned All-NEC first-team recognition with seven goals and four assists. He ranked in the NEC top-five in goals, assists and points (18). All-NEC second-teamer Carlo Romei (Rome, Italy/Liceo Cartesio) returns to the defensive line as a junior after contibuting to the team’s seven shutouts last season. Credited with six of the team's seven clean sheets was All-NEC second-team goalkeeper Alvaro Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain/New England Revolution U19), who ranked first in the conference with a .868 save percentage, while his 0.83 GAA was second-best in the league. The Warriors welcome 13 newcomers to the roster this season.
 
After qualifying for the NEC Tournament last fall for the first time since 2016, Sacred Heart returns a pair of All-NEC second-team honoree: sophomore midfielder David Garcia Gallego (Leon, Spain/Universidad de Leon) and graduate student defender Etienne Murugarren (Ciudad Real, Spain/Colegio Leones). Gallego, who was also named to the All-Rookie squad, scored a pair of goals for the Pios, while Murugarren anchored a defense that produced five shutouts in NEC play.
 
First-year NEC member Le Moyne will make its conference debut on September 24 when the Dolphins host Stonehill.

The NEC Presidents' Council unanimously voted to eliminate access restrictions to NEC championships during an institution's transition to DI. Consequently, current reclassifying institutions Le Moyne and Stonehill are now eligible to compete in the NEC postseason.

Stonehill will become NCAA Tournament in eligible in 2026, followed by Le Moyne in 2027.

All nine league member squads will compete in a round-robin regular season schedule with the top-six finishers earning entry to the NEC Tournament. In the second year under this format, the top two seeds will earn byes into the semifinals. All matches will take place at the home of the higher seed beginning with two first-round playoff games on November 5. The semis are set for November 9 by Championship on November 12.
 
The NEC Tournament champion will receive an automatic berth into the NCAA College Cup championship field.
 
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 official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.