BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — LIU forward Emil Jaaskelainen is one of the premier college men's soccer players in the country.

And on the eve of the Sharks' season opener, that was further evident as Top Drawer Soccer rated Jaaskelainen the No. 5 player in the country on its annual top-100 preseason list.

Jaaiskelainen also was named to the Preseason Best XI first team, where he joined Clemson's Alex Meinhard and Penn's Stas Korzeniowski as the forwards.

Jaaskelainen also is a favorite to land on the Hermann Trophy watch list when it is revealed on Thursday at noon.

The Sharks open their season on Thursday night at 6:31 p.m. at Stony Brook.

Jaaskelainen, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior forward from Bolton, England, is the reigning NEC Player of the Year. He led the conference with a dozen goals in 2022.