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2017 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll            1. St. Francis Brooklyn (7)            2. Saint Francis U (1)            3. LIU Brooklyn            4. Bryant            5. Fairleigh Dickinson            6. Sacred Heart            7. Central Connecticut            8. Robert Morris             First place votes in parentheses

 
   
Somerset, NJ -- After winning its third Northeast Conference (NEC) men’s soccer championship in the last four seasons, St. Francis Brooklyn was unanimously picked by the league’s head coaches to defend its crown in 2017. Perennial contender Saint Francis U was tabbed second in the preseason poll.

LIU Brooklyn was picked third and Bryant was chosen fourth, while Fairleigh Dickinson was voted fifth. Sacred Heart, Central Connecticut and Robert Morris rounded out the eight-team field.

In the 2016 campaign, the Terriers finished undefeated in league play at 6-0-1 and amassed 12 total victories, the program's fourth-straight season with double-digit wins.

Under reigning NEC Coach of the Year Tom Giovatto, St. Francis Brooklyn returns a number of major winners and All-NEC honorees including 2016 NEC Defensive Player of the Year Collyns Laokandi (Paris, France/University of Reims Champagne Ardenne) and 2016 NEC Rookie of the Year Faouzi Taieb (Marseille, France/Ettp Om). The two lockdown defenders helped the Terriers remarkably hold NEC opponents scoreless in all seven regular season games and two tourney matches en-route to the conference title. Laokandi, a senior and All-NEC first team honoree a year ago, scored twice for the Terriers last year, as did Taieb in his freshman campaign. Senior goalkeeper Roberto Bazzichetto (San Vendemiano, Italy/G. Marchesini) returns in between the pipes. The All-NEC first teamer finished the 2016 campaign with a 0.33 goals against average and four shutouts on the season. Senior Dominick Falanga (Brooklyn, NY/New Utrecht), a first team All-NEC midfielder in 2016, led the Terriers and ranked third in the league last season with six assists.

Saint Francis U has reached the NEC title match in four of the last five years and has posted a winning record in league play in each of the last seven seasons, the longest current streak in the conference. Seeking the program's first-ever conference championship, the Red Flash bring back All-NEC second team honoree Troye Kiernan (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair). Kiernan finished the 2016 season with four markers and 10 points to ranked sixth in the NEC in both goals per game (0.77) and points per game (0.31). All-NEC rookie midfielder Tulio Canineu (Corbin, KY/Corbin) also returns for the Red Flash after finding the net twice in his first year with the Flash. Senior keeper Marcus Rojas (Fremont, CA/Bellarmine College Preparatory) led the conference with 10 shutouts and posted a 0.72 GAA.

LIU Brooklyn won the NEC championship in 2015, the program’s first since the 2004 season, and come off a third place showing a year ago. The high-scoring Blackbirds return five all-league players, including 2015 NEC Rookie of the Year Rasmus Hansen (Greve, Denmark/Brondby Gymnasium). Hansen led the NEC and ranked in the top-20 nationally in goals (11) and points (29) last season. The junior striker is a two-time All-NEC first team selection.

Bryant returns second team All-NEC honoree Charlie Booth (Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle). The junior defender anchored a Bulldog defense that ranked third in conference play with eight goals allowed.

The 2017 NEC Men's Soccer Championship will be contested at the home of the highest seed on November 10 & 12 and will air live on NEC Front Row.
 
NEC-toids
LIU Brooklyn ranked third nationally last season with 2.17 goals per game and finished the year with five of the NEC's top-six scorers.

LIU Brooklyn finished a perfect 6-0 at home a year ago..
 
St. Francis Brooklyn’s stingy defense netted the Terriers a No. 7 national ranking in goals against average (0.60) and shutout percentage (0.55).
 
Saint Francis U has earned a spot in the four-team NEC Tournament in each of the last five years.
 
Sacred Heart qualified for the NEC Tournament last season for the first time since the 2011 campaign.  
 
About The Northeast Conference
Now entering 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 (#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 Snapchat, all @NECsports.