FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Seven Different Institutions Represented.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast-10 Conference is proud to recognize excellence in academic and athletic settings, as it announces its seven winners of the Sport Excellence Award from the 2021 fall season.
Among the 90 student-athletes named to the NE10 Academic All-Conference teams last week, the Sport Excellence Award honors one top individual from each of those seven fall sports (men's golf, women's golf and women's tennis are recognized in the spring). Seven different institutions were represented in the announcement on Friday morning.
In one of the Conference's most prestigious awards, Franklin Pierce's Carlos Ferrando Felis (men's soccer) and Saint Rose's Marika Laurendeau (women's soccer) highlight the group of Sport Excellence Award winners. Ferrando Felis was named NE10 Player of the Year, while Laurendeau earned NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year, in their respective sports.
Adelphi's Jackie Brown (field hockey), American International's Jason Beaver (men's cross country), Bentley's Andrew Brazicki (football), New Haven's Jessica Akiona (volleyball) and Stonehill's Rebecca Erhard (women's cross country) round out the list of Sport Excellence honorees.
Each Sport Excellence winner was an All-Conference selection, with six of the seven earning First Team status. Three winners – Brown, Ferrando Felis and Laurendeau – were named First Team All-Americans following the 2021 season.
To be eligible for Academic All-Conference and Sport Excellence honors, a student-athlete must have started at least half or played in two-thirds of all contests while making significant contributions and maintaining a 3.3 grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
For more information on each Sport Excellence honoree, please see below.
FIELD HOCKEY
Name: Jackie Brown
School: Adelphi
GPA: 3.94
Major: Management
Notes: NFHCA All-America First Team…NE10 All-Conference First Team…Tied for fifth in the NE10 in assists (8)…Headline defensive unit that allowed just 26 goals all season, tied for fifth among NE10 programs…Recorded four defensive saves…Three-time selection to the NE10's All-Conference First Team…Three-time pick for NE10 Academic All-Conference…NE10 SAAC Co-Chair.
FOOTBALL
Name: Andrew Brazicki
School: Bentley
GPA: 3.72
Major: MBA (Finance)
Notes: NE10 All-Conference Second Team…CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America…CoSIDA Academic All-Super Region 1…Ranked second in rushing yards per carry and fifth in rushing yards among NE10 players…Led Bentley in rushing for fourth-consecutive season…Finalist for NFF Campbell Trophy for second-straight year…Helped Bentley earn an NCAA playoff berth for first time since 2004…2020-21 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America…Three-time selection for NE10 Academic All-Conference.
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Jason Beaver
School: American International
GPA: 3.82
Major: Biology
Notes: NE10 All-Conference First Team…USTFCCCA All-East Region First Team…Finished seventh at the NE10 Championship and eighth at Regionals…Helped AIC to both NE10 and East Region titles…Named to five-straight NE10 Academic Honor Roll lists…USTFCCCA All-Academic selection.
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Rebecca Erhard
School: Stonehill
GPA: 3.52
Major: Accounting
Notes: NE10 All-Conference First Team…USTFCCCA All-East Region First Team…Finished sixth at the NE10 Championship and fifth at Regionals…Helped Stonehill place second at both the NE10 Championship and Regionals…Two-time NCAA Championship participant…Two-time All-NE10 and USTFCCCA All-East Region performer…Named to NE10 Academic Honor Roll all seven semesters…USTFCCCA All-Academic selection.
MEN'S SOCCER
Name: Carlos Ferrando Felis
School: Franklin Pierce
GPA: 3.61
Major: MBA (Health Administration)
Notes: D2CCA All-America First Team…United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team…NE10 Player of the Year…NE10 All-Conference First Team…CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year…CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team…All-East Region First Team…2020-21 NE10 Elite 24 Award winner.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Name: Marika Laurendeau
School: Saint Rose
GPA: 3.95
Major: MBA
Notes: United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team…D2CCA All-America Third Team…United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America of the Year…CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team…NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team…NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year…NE10 All-Conference First Team…D2CCA All-East Region First Team…Led Division II in minutes played by a goalkeeper…Helped Saint Rose win the NE10 and East Region titles, advancing to the NCAA Division II championship game…Three-time NE10 Academic All-Conference selection.
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Jessica Akiona
School: New Haven
GPA: 3.97
Major: Health Science
Notes: AVCA All-America Honorable Mention…AVCA and D2CCA All-East Region Team…NE10 All-Conference First Team…Registered a team-high 406 kills, second-most among NE10 players…3.20 kills per set and .305 attack percentage were fourth-best in the Conference…Finished 25 matches with double-figure kills…NE10 Elite 24 Award winner for volleyball…NE10 Academic Honor Roll recipient.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.