BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The LIU men's soccer team won one major award and had nine team members honored by the Northeast Conference in the post season awards announced Thursday afternoon. The nine Sharks honored was the highest total in the NEC.
 
Senior goalie Demetri Skoumbakis was named the NEC's Goalkeeper of the Year and earned first team All-NEC honors. He was joined on the first team by sophomores Emil Jaaskelainen and Andre Puente. Seniors Fridtjof Andberg and Javier Rehberger were named second team All-NEC, while freshmen Jeremy Guardado, Matthias Heiland, Alan Martinez and Robert Winkler were all named to the All-Rookie team.
 
In its second season since being established, the NEC Goalkeeper of the Year award went to Long Island University's Demetri Skoumbakis. The Sharks and their star keeper, who finished tied atop the NEC regular season standings, will host the four-team conference tournament this week as the No. 1 seed.
 
 
Skoumbakis sports a league-low 0.91 goals-against average after starting 16 matches for the Sharks, including all seven of the team's conference victories. The Greek-born keeper blanked the opposition on five occasions this fall. He was credited with at least one save in all 16 appearances and averaged 3.6 stops per outing.  Skoumbakis did not allow a goal during the Sharks' swing through the Nutmeg State, posting shutout road wins over NEC foes Central Connecticut and Sacred Heart. He also shut out two Atlantic 10 members on the road, including a 1-nil overtime triumph over Saint Joseph's. The 6-foot-1 goalie accounted for a season-high eight saves in a scoreless draw with Ivy League member Columbia on September 18. With its all-NEC keeper leading the effort, LIU has allowed the fewest goals on the circuit.
 
Emil Jaaskelainen, last year's NEC Rookie of the Year, leads both the league and the nation in total goals this season, with 15. He also leads the NEC and ranks in the top ten nationally in goals per game, points per game, shots per game, total points and game-winning goals.
 
Puente, who earned All-NEC honors for the first time in his career, finished the year with three goals and three assists as a defender. Andberg, who earned first team honors last season, was named to the second team as the backbone of LIU's defense, while Rehberger earned his first NEC honor, finishing with six assists, tied for first on the team.
 
 
And the freshman quartet all earned the first All-NEC honors of their careers. Guardado finished the season with three assists, Heiland had two goals and one assist, Winkler finished with three goals and four assists, and Martinez tied for the team lead with six assists as a defender.
 
The Sharks host the 2021 Northeast Conference tournament in Brookville, Friday, November 12. Games are at 10 and 1 p.m. The NEC Championship game will take place Sunday, November 14 at 1 p.m.