BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — Emil Jaaskelainen's hype heading into his junior season continues to grow.
Two hours before the LIU men's soccer team's season opener against Stony Brook on Thursday, the United Soccer Coaches named Jaaskelainen to the watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy — the soccer equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
Jaaskelainen was one of 38 men's Division I student-athletes nationwide to land on the initial list.
A 6-foot-3 forward from Bolton, England, Jaaskelainen also recently was tabbed a United Soccer Coaches Division I Player to Watch.
He will have to sit out Thursday's season opener after picking up a red card in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last Nov. 21 at Saint Louis.
"Emil is one of most cleaver strikers in college soccer, who makes players around him better," LIU coach
Michael Mordocco said. "His high soccer IQ helps keep the standards high every day. He plays with a lot of passion and resilience. His persistent personality on and off the pitch is a joy to be around. We look forward to watching him excel on the pitch."
The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation's highest individual honor. It recognizes the National Player of the Year as determined by the voting of Division I coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches.
Fifteen men's players and 15 women's players become Hermann Trophy semifinalists on Nov. 30. Then, on Dec. 7, the top three players from a final round of voting are the 2021 finalists.
The 2022 winner is revealed on Jan. 6 at a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
A day earlier, Jaaskelainen landed at No. 47 in the nation in Top Drawer Soccer's preseason D-I player rankings. And he was ranked the 13th-best prospect in the entire 114-team USL League Two by the league's scouting network while playing for Texas United FC this summer.
He was a first-team All-NEC and United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Men's All-Northeast Region selection in 2021. He also was named to the NEC All-Tournament Team.
He tallied an NEC-leading 15 goals, including six game-winners, and four assists in 21 matches last season — good for a league-leading 34 points.
Jaaskelainen ranked second in the NCAA in goals, one shy of leader Nick Markanich of Northern Illinois, who had 16.
