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Somerset, NJ -- On the eve of the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament, the league announced its 2017 major award winners and All-Conference honorees. LIU Brooklyn junior forward Rasmus Hansen (Greve, Denmark/Brondby Gymnasium) was tabbed the NEC Player of the Year and St. Francis Brooklyn sophomore defender Faouzi Taieb (Marseille, France/Ettp Om) was unanimously chosen as NEC Defensive Player of the Year.

NEC regular season champion St. Francis Brooklyn took home two of the four major awards, while Fairleigh Dickinson and LIU Brooklyn each claimed one major accolade, which were announced at the annual pre-tournament banquet hosted by the top-seeded Terriers.

FDU freshman forward Jacob Labovitz (Great Falls, VA/Langley) was named the NEC Rookie of the Year and St. Francis Brooklyn head coach Tom Giovatto and his staff were voted as the Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season.

Hansen, a three-time first team All-NEC honoree, led the Blackbirds in goals (7) and points (18) during a regular season that saw the Blackbirds secure the #2 seed with a 4-2-1 league mark. He ranks third in the league in those two categories heading into the postseason. The Greve, Denmark product and former NEC Rookie of the Year became the second LIU Brooklyn player to win the NEC Player of the Year award in as many years after Simen Hestnes was honored in 2016. Hansen is also the fifth Blackbird to win the award in school history.

Taieb, who hails from Marseille, France, became the second straight St. Francis Brooklyn player to earn NEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades - joining teammate and fellow all-star Collyns Laokandi - and seventh in school annals. An All-Rookie selection a year ago, Taieb helped lead a Terriers defense that surrendered just two goals in seven league games, including five shutouts. The 2016 NEC Rookie of the Year also provided some offensive punch with three goals, including two of the game-winning variety.

With Labovitz’s honor, FDU can now boast of eight NEC Rookie of the Year award winners in its history, the most of any school. The Great Falls, VA native is currently tied for third in the league in goals (7) and ranks seventh in points (15). Labovitz was named NEC Rookie of the Week twice this season and also NEC Player of the Week on October 31st. He was the lone freshman to earn All-NEC recognition with his selection to the second team.

Giovatto is closing out his eleventh year at the helm of the Terriers with his team preparing to host the NEC Tournament after claiming its second consecutive NEC regular season title. The Terriers went unbeaten in conference play for the second consecutive year and are a combined 12-0-2 against league rivals the last two seasons. SFBK, which clinched the regular season title with a 2-1 overtime victory at LIU Brooklyn last Friday, is currently ranked fourth in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Northeast region poll.

AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS

St. Francis Brooklyn led the way with four All-NEC first team selections and six All-NEC honorees overall. Fairleigh Dickinson placed four student-athletes on All-NEC teams, followed by Central Connecticut, LIU Brooklyn and Saint Francis U with three apiece. The Terriers also landed an NEC-high three players on the NEC All-Rookie squad.

St. Francis Brooklyn goalkeeper Roberto Bazzichetto (San Vendemiano, Italy/G. Marchesini), midfielder Dominick Falanga (Brooklyn, NY/New Utrecht) and defender Collyns Laokandi (Paris, France/University of Reimes Champagne Ardenne) made their second-straight All-NEC first team appearances for the Terriers. Bazzichetto leads the NEC with a 0.62 goals against average and ranks second with an .833 save percentage. Falanga is tied for sixth on the circuit with six goals.

LIU Brooklyn redshirt senior midfielder Naeem Charles (Trinidad & Tobago/Westinghouse) earned All-NEC second team honors, a year after collecting first team honors.

One of the NEC’s top goal scoring threats, Robert Morris forward Bayley Winkel (Whitby, Ontario/Henry Street (Drexel)) was recognized with a first team nod. Heading into the NEC Tournament, he leads the Colonials and ranks second in the NEC with 10 goals and 22 points. RMU senior midfielder Keane McIvor (Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago/St. Anthony’s College) made his third-straight appearance on the All-NEC second team. He is the current NEC leader and sits 17th nationally with eight assists on the year.

Saint Francis U placed two players on the All-NEC first team. Junior forward Mario Mastrangelo (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) and senior midfielder Troye Kiernan (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) led a prolific Red Flash offense that ranks first in the NEC and 11th nationally in scoring (2.11). Mastrangelo finished the regular season with an NEC-high 13 goals and 26 points, He currently ranks eighth nationally in goals, 10th in goals per game (0.76) and third in game-winners (5). Kiernan ranks in the NEC top-10 in goals (5), assists (6) and points (16).

CCSU sophomore midfielder Andres Muriel Albino (Sevilla, Spain/I.E.S. Miguel Servet) was named All-NEC for the second consecutive season. He was tabbed to the first team after pacing the Blue Devils in goals (6) and points (16). Teammate Louis Beddouri (Bordeaux, France/Lycee Lauga Bayonne), a junior striker, earned All-NEC second team accolades for the second time in his career.

About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 37th 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 (#22), Baltimore (#26), 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 Snapchat, all @NECsports.