Men's Soccer | November 11
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Luis Hernandez (Dallas, Texas/Lone Star) and
Jakub Rojek (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben) of the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team were named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team announced on Saturday (Nov. 11).
The tandem helped the Huskies earn a quarterfinal victory on the road at Bowling Green last Sunday (Nov. 5) and take 16th-ranked Western Michigan to overtime in the semifinals on Wednesday (Nov. 8).
Rojek was spectacular between the posts for NIU in both contests, recording 11 saves, including a penalty kick stop on Alberto Anaya, in the quarterfinals against Bowling Green before adding nine more saves in the semifinals against Western Michigan.
The 11-save performance against Bowling Green was the most saves by a Huskie goalkeeper in a 90-minute match since Andrew Glaeser recorded 12 against Creighton on Sept. 22, 2015. Rojek's 19 total saves is the fourth-most by a goalkeeper in a single Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, each of the other performances in the top-five came in three games.
Hernandez was the linchpin in midfield for the Huskies in the tournament. The Dallas, Texas, native played all 200 minutes in the tournament and committed just two fouls in his defensive midfield role. Hernandez's ability to connect the Huskie backline and attack played a key role in helping NIU to its first win at Bowling Green since 2015 and holding Western Michigan, the sixth-best offense in the country, scoreless for over 80 minutes.
The duo is NIU's first conference all-tournament team recipients since 2021 when Anthony Markanich, Nick Markanich, Pepe Martinez and Roque Viegas Jr. were named to the Mid-American Conference All-Tournament Team.
NIU finished the season with a 7-9-1 overall record.
Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team
Jansen Wilson, Belmont
Nathan Masters, Bowling Green
Juan Gutierrez, UIC
Ezau Millan, UIC
Jakub Rojek, NIU
Luis Hernandez, NIU
Nick Stone, Western Michigan
Tyler Caton, Missouri State
Landon Fisher, Western Michigan
Jesus Barea, Missouri State
Noah Janes, Western Michigan
Gijs Hovius, Missouri State
Charlie Sharp, Western Michigan (MVP)
