GANSEVOORT, N.Y. - Brenden Valverde and Trent Johnson were rewarded for their solid play this fall by earning all-conference recognition on Oct. 31, as voted on by the North Eastern Athletic Conference men's soccer head coaches.
Valverde was selected to the All-NEAC Second Team, while Johnson nabbed Third Team honors. Both players earn the conference award for the second straight season. Valverde was an All-NEAC First Team selection, as well as Rookie and Player of the Year last season, while Johnson had previously earned third team honors in 2017.
Valverde was the center piece of the Nittany Lions offense during the 2018 season. The sophomore forward recorded a team-high 10 goals, four assists, and 24 total points. He registered three game-winning goals, two coming against NEAC opponents. Valverde had a season-best four goals in a win over St. Elizabeth, while adding two goals against SUNY Poly (2-0 win) and Penn College (4-4 draw). He appeared and started in 16 contests at forward.
Johnson appeared in 16 games and made 11 starts in net this season. The sophomore goalkeeper ranked second in the NEAC with a .780 save percentage, while his 78 saves were the third most. In addition, Johnson combined on three shutouts and sported a 2.04 goals against average. He used his height and great hands to intercept corner kicks and crosses on opposing attacks throughout the season. In NEAC contests, Johnson made 45 saves, for a .776 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average.
The Nittany Lions finished the season 5-10-2 overall and went 3-7-1 in NEAC play.
