KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Senior Preston Neal (Windham, N.H.) of the Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer team was named a United Soccer Coaches Division II All-America Third Team honoree recently, and was joined on the United Soccer Coaches East All-Region Team by graduate student Liam Evans (Rock Hill, N.Y.), sophomore Martin Zapata (Pamplona, Spain), junior Iago Perez (A Coruña, Spain) and freshman Gabriel Castro (León, Spain). Additionally, the Penmen coaches were chosen as the East Region Staff of the Year.
Neal is the 45th United Soccer Coaches All-American in program history and the first since current assistant coach Alex Satrustegui in 2018.
Neal's 2024 campaign becomes even more impressive, as he adds to a list of accomplishments that includes Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) East All-Region First Team, NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year, NE10 All-Conference First Team, College Sports Communicators Academic All-America First Team and CSC Academic All-District honors. Neal started 17 of the 18 matches he played in, finishing 13-1-3 with eight shutouts. The two-time NE10 Goalkeeper of the Week (Oct. 7, Oct. 14) stopped 59 of the 72 shots he faced over 1564:31 for a 0.75 GAA and .819 save percentage. He ranked second in the league in GAA, save percentage and shutouts. He was 10th, 11th and 13th, nationally, in those respective categories.
Evans was an East All-Region First Team pick, after having been named a D2CCA All-America Second Team, D2CCA East All-Region First Team, NE10 Defensive Player of the Year and NE10 First Team honoree. The only member of the team to start all 19 matches for the Penmen, the five-time NE10 Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 11) anchored a back line that ranked second in the NE10 in goals allowed (16), goals-against average (0.83) and shutouts (9).
Zapata, an East All-Region First Team selection, started 16 of the 17 matches he suited up for, registering 28 points on nine goals and 10 assists. The D2CCA All-America Second Team, D2CCA East All-Region First Team and NE10 First Team honoree, as well as the NE10 Championship Most Outstanding Player, led the league lead in points and assists, while tying for third in goals.
Perez rounded out the East All-Region First Teamers, adding to his 2024 accolades that include D2CCA East All-Region First Team, NE10 Player of the Year and NE10 All-Conference First Team honors. Perez, the Oct. 7 NE10 Player of the Week, started 12 of the 15 matches he played in, scoring nine goals and dishing two assists for 20 points. Despite missing the first four contests of the season due to injury, Perez ranked third in the conference in goals and fifth in points. Perez' four game-winning goals were tied for the league lead, while he was also first in goals per game (0.60) and second in points per game (1.33).
Castro received an East All-Region Second Team nod. The D2CCA East All-Region First Team, NE10 Rookie of the Year, NE10 First Team and NE10 All-Rookie Team selection started all 17 matches he played in, notching three goals and five assists for 11 points. He ranked seventh in the NE10 in assists.
Led by head coach Josh Taylor, assistant coaches Scott Chrysafidis, Satrustegui and Phil Tuttle made up the remainder of the Penmen coaches, who were honored as the East Region Staff of the Year. This marks the second time in program history the honor was bestowed upon an SNHU staff. The team won the award back in 2008 when it was led by Marc Hubbard and featured Taylor as an assistant coach. The 2024 Penmen finished 14-2-3, including 7-0-2 in NE10 play, as the team earned its sixth NE10 regular-season title and the No. 1 seed for the NE10 Championship, before capturing its eighth NE10 title. SNHU received its 24th NCAA Championship berth and the No. 2 seed in Super Region I, but bowed out in the second round when it fell, 7-6, in penalty kicks.
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