KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Senior Nicolas Gonzalez (Santander, Spain), junior Preston Neal (Windham, N.H.), graduate student Rafa Escobedo (Santander, Spain) and sophomore Iago Perez (Oleiros, Spain) of the Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team all claimed United Soccer Coaches All-Region accolades recently.
A United Soccer Coaches East All-Region First Team selection, Gonzalez, who played in all 20 matches this season, including 19 starts, tied for second on the team in both goals (4) and points (9). An NE10 All-Conference Second Team pick last month, he was 18th in the league in goals and 27th in points.
Neal, a Second Team choice, was also an NE10 Second Teamer this season. In 15 starts, Neal went 6-6-3 with six shutouts, a 0.99 goals-against average and a .753 save percentage. He placed second in the conference in shutouts, third in GAA, fourth in wins, fifth in minutes (1370:00), sixth in save percentage and ninth in saves (45).
Escobedo, an NE10 Third Team selection, joined Neal on the Second Team. One of two Penmen to start all 20 contests, Escobedo ranked second on the team with 10 points, while scoring a goal and pacing the squad with eight assists. Escobedo placed second in the league in helpers and 21st in points.
Perez was also received a Second Team nod. He started 15 of the 17 matches he played in and led the squad with 19 points on a team-high eight goals and three assists. An NE10 Second Teamer, Perez ranked fifth in the NE10 in goals and sixth in points.
The Penmen finished 10-6-4, including 4-5-1 in the NE10, as they received the No. 7 seed for the NE10 Championship and became just the second 7-seed in league history to advance to the title match. SNHU played to a 1-1 draw with top-ranked and top-seeded Franklin Pierce University, before falling, 6-5, on penalty kicks. The Penmen earned their 23rd NCAA Championship berth, including their first since 2016, collecting the No. 9 seed in Super Region 1. SNHU dropped a 2-1 decision to eighth-seeded Bloomsburg University to see its season draw to a close.
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