LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East conference has announced its 2024 Men’s Soccer All-Conference Teams. Each All-Conference team is made up of sixteen student-athletes comprising three forwards, four midfielders, four defensive players, one goalkeeper, and four at-large selections.
Forty-eight individuals earned All-Conference status for their performances during the 2024 season and four major awards have been handed out including Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
Eleven out of the sixteen participating United East schools saw members of their teams awarded All-Conference with Cairn University leading all institutions with nine members on the All-Conference teams, including the Player of the Year. Both Penn State Harrisburg and St. Mary’s College of Maryland each had seven members on the All-Conference teams, respectively, with the Seahawks claiming the Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
Penn State Abington had six members on teams while Penn College saw five members earn All-Conference honors. Rosemont College and Lancaster Bible College each saw four individuals claim All-Conference status. Notre Dame of Maryland University and Saint Elizabeth University each had two individuals while Keystone and Penn State Brandywine saw one student-athlete earn All-Conference awards, respectively.
Major Award Winners
Player of the Year - Jesse Brittain (Cairn University)
Defensive Player of the Year - Jack Nelson (St. Mary’s College of Maryland)
Rookie of the Year - Zach Blaum (St. Mary’s College of Maryland)
Coach of the Year - Alun Oliver (St. Mary’s College of Maryland)
Cairn University’s Jesse Brittain (Sr. / Chester, Pa.) was named the 2024 United East Player of the Year after the senior led the Highlanders to a 7-0-1 conference record and the three-seed in the conference tournament. The senior was a dynamic forward for four years and capped off his senior season by leading the United East with 9 goals and 3 assists in league play. During the season, Brittain tallied 14 goals and 31 points with three game-winning goals. Brittain was named United East Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.
Jack Nelson (Jr. / Ellicott City, Md.) from St. Mary’s College of Maryland is the 2024 United East Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Seahawks to an undefeated league record and a regular season championship. The junior controlled the middle of the field for one of the league’s best defenses, contributing 4 goals and 2 assists to the attack. This is the second All-Conference award for Nelson who earned Second Team in 2023.
Zach Blaum (FY / Richmond, Va.) had a big debut season in the midfield for St. Mary’s College of Maryland as the Seahawks completed an undefeated league season and a regular season conference championship. The first year was named Rookie of the Year after tallying 11 points (4 goals, 3 assists) in league play with 7 goals and 4 assists overall. Blaum was named United East Offensive Player of the Week for October 21, 2024, after scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 road win over Penn State Harrisburg.
Alun Oliver guided the St. Mary’s College of Maryland team to a regular season title, an 8-0 United East record, and a 11-6-3 overall record. The Seahawks averaged 4.25 goals a game while only allowing 1.0 goals in league play; outsourcing league opponents 34-8. Seven individuals earned All-Conference awards as well as the Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
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The United East boasts 17 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Clarks Summit University, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Harrisburg, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.