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The LIU men's soccer team currently owns an overall mark of 6-8 and is in the thick of the Northeast Conference race with a ledger of 3-4. Already with more wins (6) than all of last year (5), the Blackbirds have been led by a trio of newcomers, all of whom are natives of Sweden.

Sophomore Magnus Nilsson has made his presence felt immediately. Already with nine goals on the year, he is the odds-on-favorite to claim NEC Newcomer-of the-Year status. The striker from Malmo, Sweden, was selected LIU Male-Athlete-of-the-Month for the month of September.

Nilsson has been supported by the play of fellow Swedes Kristoffer Engdahl and Martin Akerman. Engdahl has recorded a pair of goals thus far, while Akerman has notched a goal and an assist while anchoring the Blackbirds' midfield defense.

First-year head coach TJ Kostecky has also been given excellent supporting play by junior Juan Diego Chiavarini and sophomore Ignacio Pena. Chiavarini was moved to sweeper this season and has been an integral part of a defense that has allowed only 28 goals this season. Pena is currently the teams' second-leading scorer with four goals and three assists from his central midfield position.

The Blackbirds dropped a pair of games this past weekend at UMBC and Mount St. Mary's, but are still alive in the playoff chase. They may need to win their final three conference games against Sacred Heart (Oct. 20), FDU (Oct. 29) and Monmouth (Oct. 31) to earn a bid. All three games will be played on the Brooklyn Campus.