Men's Lacrosse's Liam Brown Selected As 2023 America East Man of the Year Finalist
NJIT men's lacrosse senior Liam Brown has been named one of three finalists for the America East Conference's 2022-23 Man of the Year award, the league announced Thursday morning.
The America East Man and Woman of the Year awards recognize the conference's senior male and female student-athlete who has best distinguished himself and herself throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
Joining Brown as a Man of the Year finalist are Graydon Hogg of UAlbany Lacrosse and Jake Restivo of Binghamton Track & Field. The Woman of the Year finalists are Courtney Coppersmith of UMBC Softball, Helene Haegerstrand of UAlbany Women's Basketball and Sini Karjalainen of Vermont Ice Hockey.
The three men and three women comprising the finalists represent five different AE schools and five different sports. The 2022-23 Man and Woman of the Year will be unveiled on Wednesday, June 7 at the conference's Year End Awards Banquet.
The America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015.
Brown, a goalkeeper from Cedar Grove, has already garnered College Sports Communicators/CSC Academic All-District and his third consecutive America East All-Academic team selection this season. He has garnered each of this year's honors while earning a 3.85 GPA and majoring in Biomedical Engineering.
Brown played every minute in goal for the Highlanders, posted a 13.01 GAA and .530 save percentage, and made a career-high and America East-leading 192 saves in 2023. His 14.77 saves per game during the regular season led the conference and all of NCAA Division I while his save percentage fell in the top 20 nationally (16th). Brown reached 500 career saves against Merrimack on April 8 and ended the year with 550 career stops, second all-time at NJIT (Nick Marzullo, 579).
Brown made double-digit stops in every game - including a season-best 20 in the opener at Siena - and the 38 saves he made in the first two games of the year were the second-most of his career (40 in 2020; 19 at Delaware on 2/15/20; 21 vs Lehigh on 2/22/20). He posted four of the top 15 save performances in the conference this year (20 at Siena, 18 vs Mount St. Mary's, Lindenwood, and Bryant) and ended the regular season in the top ten nationally among active leaders with his 550 saves (currently ninth).
One man and one woman from the group of finalists will be chosen as the 2023 America East Man and Woman of the Year. The 18 nominees for the America East Man and Woman of the Year awards were announced on May 23.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2023 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2023 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).
One man and one woman from the group of finalists will be chosen as the 2023 America East Man and Woman of the Year. The 18 nominees for the America East Man and Woman of the Year awards were announced on May 23.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2023 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2023 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).