Hempstead, NY – Hofstra University senior defender Sean Nealis has been named the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year it was announced today by the league office. The awards were chosen in a vote of the CAA's nine head coaches.

In addition, Nealis was also named to the All-CAA First Team, while teammates Alex Ashton, Luke Brown, and Matthew Vowinkel were selected to the All-CAA Third Team. A pair of freshmen, Jacob Goker and Luca Tausch, were CAA All-Rookie Team selections.

Nealis became the fourth Hofstra Men's Soccer student-athlete to earn top defensive player honors, joining Richard Martinez (2009), Shaun Foster (2010, 2011, 2012), and Harri Hawkins (2016). The Massapequa, New York, native played in 17 games this season and anchored a defense that allowed just 1.06 goals per game and had 10 shutouts. He played a big role in Hofstra's eight-game shutout streak earlier in the season and added a goal and three assists on the season. The postseason nod is Nealis' second as he was an all-rookie selection in 2015.

Ashton earns his first All-CAA accolade after starting 14 games in 2018 and posting a 6-5-3 record, 48 saves, a 0.96 goals against average, and eight shutouts. The Telford, England, native's eight shutouts came consecutively during the Pride's unbeaten streak and are a program record for consecutive clean sheets.

Brown makes his third consecutive appearance on an All-CAA team after earning first team and all-rookie accolades in 2016 and third team honors in 2017. Limited to 12 games in 2018 due to injury, Brown still tallied five goals and two assists to tie for the team lead in scoring with 12 points. Two of the Cambridgeshire, England, native's goals were game-winners.

Vowinkel earns his first CAA postseason honor after recording a team-high six goals and 12 points in 18 games. The New Hyde Park, New York, native had one game-winning goal on the year and recorded his first two-goal game against William & Mary.

Goker was a key member of the Pride defense as a freshman and started 12 of 15 games. The Hurth, Germany, native had one assist as well.

Tausch, a midfielder, started all 17 games in which he played. The Freiburg, Germany, native posted one goal on the season, versus Harvard.

The Pride, seeded third in the CAA, will host Northeastern Saturday night in the quarterfinals of the CAA Championship. Game time at Hofstra Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m.