Men's Soccer: Brent and Company Named United Soccer Coaches NCAA DII National Staff of the Year
Release by Director of Athletic Communications Luke Tracy
KANSAS CITY, MO. (12/15/2023) – The reigning NCAA DII Champions piled on yet another prestigious award Friday afternoon after United Soccer Coaches named the Franklin Pierce University men's soccer staff as the 2023 NCAA Division II National Staff of the Year. The award is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a Division II coaching staff by United Soccer Coaches.
In the first week of December, the program's staff qualified for the National Award after they were named 2023 East-Region Staff of the Year, marking the fourth consecutive year for FPU.
Throughout the season, the team took it one game at a time focusing on each victory, but the return to their throne at the top of Division II was always the end goal. To make that dream happen, the Ravens knew they'd have to hunt down four separate trophies.
The first came at the close of the regular season, when Franklin Pierce walked away with a perfect 15-0-0 record which crowned them the 2023 Northeast-10 Regular Season Champions.
Through conference playoffs, the team kept fans either on the edge of their seats, or on their feet cheering. The Northeast-10 Quarterfinal went to PKs as did the Championship but like the captain of a ship through a strong storm, Head Coach Travis Brent and his staff backed down to no one.
Knocking on door of the NCAA Playoffs, the Ravens needed to take down three teams to get their third trophy and that they did. Bloomsburg, Post and Gannon University all traveled to Rindge, New Hampshire where the Ravens then tallied a combined seven goals, three shutouts and secured their 3rd trophy also known as the NCAA East Region Championship.
Packing their bags and heading to the final four in Matthews, North Carolina, the team, Head Coach Travis Brent, Assistants JP Navarro and Diego Thielan, Student Manager Riley Brooks and trainer Bre Kender had two more games to win.
In what may have been to close for comfort, the Ravens checked off the first box in a 3-2 victory over Lewis University during the semifinal game on December 7th. Coaches and players alike knew the game wasn't their best effort but used it as a primer for what was to come in the championship game.
On Saturday, December 9th the Ravens matched up against Colorado State-Pueblo; a rematch of the 2022 Championship won by the Ravens.
Halfway through the 2023 season, as Brent and company were mowing down teams, Brent mentioned that he didn't believe his team reached their full potential yet. Though his team was dominating the opposition, he felt the Pierce players hadn't reached their peak performance and predicted it would come later in the season.
To that point, Brent was correct because the Ravens turned on every jet, booster, and after-burner in the second half of the championship game.
At the start of the second half, the scoreboard read zero-zero. At the final whistle, FPU players, coaches and trainers swarmed the field celebrating a 4-0 victory. The win marked the largest margin of victory in NCAA DII Men's soccer history. As the team gathered to cheer and celebrate, players and coaches alike held up their fourth and final trophy.
The NCAA Division II Championship marked the third in program history and second in two years. Looking ahead, the National Award will be presented to the FPU staff on Friday, January 12, 2024, in Anaheim, California.
2023 Season Statistics:
Record:
Overall: 21-0-2
Northeast-10: 10-0-0
Goal differential:
(Goals scored/goals allowed): 73 – 16
NCAA Finals All-Tournament Team
Karl Vernet
Aaron Sanchez
Jeronimo Ferrando Ferri
Younes Addar
Antonio Lampreia Lima
Thomas Espereo
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Thomas Espereo
Most Outstanding Offensive Player: Antonio Lampreia Lima
Team Accolades:
United Soccer Coaches:
All-American: Third Team
Younes Addar Khanoussi
All-East Region: First Team
D Rodrigo Parafita Bestilliero – A Coruna, Spain
M Jeronimo Ferrando Ferri – Valencia, Spain
F Younes Addar Kahnoussi – Castellon, Spain
F Alvaro Rey Mira – Cabanas Spain
Second Team
D Thomas Esperoe – Bremnes, Norway
Conference Commissioners Association (CCA):
Younes Addar Khanoussi – All American First
Team Rodrigo Parafita Bestilliero – All American First Team
Jeronimo Ferrando Ferri – All American Third Team
Conference Commissioners Association East Region(CCA):
Younes Addar Khanoussi -- East Region Player of the Year
CCA East Region All-Conference First Team:
GK – Diego Montoya Casillas
D -- Rodrigo Parafita Bestilliero
MF -- Jeronimo Ferrando Ferri
MF -- Younes Addar Khanoussi
CCA East Region All-Conference Second Team:
D – Aitor Cuenca Retuerto
MF – Aaron Sanchez
Northeast-10 Conference:
Younes Addar Khanoussi Men's Soccer Northeast-10 Player of the Year
Rodrigo Parafita Bestilliero Men's Soccer Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Year
Diego Montoya Casillas Men's Soccer Northeast-10 Goal Keeper of the Year
Northeast-10 All-Conference Awards:
Men's Soccer – First Team:
Younes Addar Khanoussi
Jeronimo Ferrando Ferri
Aaron Sanchez Sanchez
Caleb Williams
Rodrigo Parafita Bestilliero
Aitor Cuenca Retuerto
Men's Soccer – Second Team:
Antonio Lampreia Lima
Thomas Esperoe
Men's Soccer – Third Team:
Alvaro Rey Mira
Martin Carpena
Pierre Spiegel
Men's Soccer – All-Rookie Team:
Joaquin Lauria Calvo
Tiago Barriguinha