BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — LIU men's soccer midfielder Joshua Saavedra was named to Top Drawer Soccer's preseason top 100 Division I college players in the country, being listed at number 67. 

Top Drawer's rankings includes players from the top Div. I soccer programs across the country, and Saavedra and Long Island University were the only representative from the Northeast Conference.

The Miami-native had an exceptional 2023 season, being named NEC Rookie of the Year and selected First-Team All-NEC. He earned another accolade fom Top Drawer Soccer last year, being named to their Freshman Best XI First-Team. Saavedra ranked fourth nationally among Div. I freshmen in points with 19 and was critical in the Shark's NEC Tournament win, scoring the game-winning overtime goal against FDU in the conference semifinals.

The sophomore, who changed his number from three (pictured above) to number 10, became the fourth LIU player to win NEC Rookie of the Year in the last six years along with Emil Jaaskelainen (2020-21), Papa Ndoye (2019), and Sam Ilin (2018), displaying Michael Mordocco's coaching staff's ability to cultivate and develop talent that keeps these Sharks as a perennial NEC championship threat.

LIU began their season with a convincing 2-1 victory over Stony Brook and play UAlbany later today with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch their Sharks take on the Great Danes on ESPN +.