Derrick Naugler of Westford, Mass., Nets NEWMAC Men's Soccer All-Conference Honors

2017 Nov 7

Derrick Naugler earned NEWMAC Men's Soccer All-Conference accolades.

Senior Brendan Nemes and sophomore Paul Beatty were named to the NEWMAC Men's Soccer All-Conference first team as a total of five WPI student-athletes were recognized. The senior captain repeats as a first team selection while it is the first for the sophomore transfer. Seniors Derrick Naugler and Connor Hoeckele, as well as junior Riley Doherty were second team selections.

Nemes was second in the NEWMAC with four goals as he notched back-to-back two goal performances at Wheaton and versus Coast Guard. He began the season with a game-winning goal versus Worcester State and another just over a week later at Mass Maritime. Nemes also provided the crucial goal in a regular season matchup with Coast Guard and the lone goal in the semifinal matchup with the Bears. On Sunday, the captain converted the first penalty kick following a scoreless draw with Springfield en route to the team's first NEWMAC Championship.

Beatty was also second with four goals, as well as tied for third with three game-winning goals and tied for second with nine points during the NEWMAC slate. He provided both goals at Babson and the game-winners at MIT and Wheaton. Beatty also registered a goal versus CCC Champion Endicott.

Naugler and Doherty, the 2015 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, anchored a back line that compiled 11 shutouts, highlighted by a pair of double OT matches with Springfield. The team yielded 14 goals on the year for a GAA of 0.67 to rank third in both categories among the NEWMAC teams. Naugler also chipped in with an assist to help force overtime with then-No. 20 in the D3soccer.com Top 25 Brandeis, who also made the NCAA tournament.

Hoeckele, a team captain and 2015 first teamer, posted a record of 10-5-2 while collecting six clean sheets and a pair of shared shutouts en route to a 0.75 GAA. He made four stops in a 4-0 win at Wheaton before a six-save 110-minute regular season meeting with Springfield. The four-year starter picked up his 20th career shutout with a seven-save effort in the NEWMAC title game before making two huge stops in the shootout. He was rewarded with tournament MOP honors for his efforts.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.