Rutgers men’s soccer put five players on the 2026 Big Ten All-Conference postseason teams Thursday, a haul that reflected how much of the Scarlet Knights’ season was built on balance, production and a defense that kept showing up in the biggest moments.
Nick Collins headlined the group with All-Big Ten First Team honors. Amer Lukovic and Zach Mastrodimos landed on the All-Big Ten Second Team, while Jeffrey Bryjak and Hector Criado were both named to the All-Freshman Team. Simon Gorczowski also picked up Rutgers’ Sportsmanship Award.
Collins was the steady force at the back all season long. He started all 18 regular-season matches and ranked fourth on the team with 1,475 minutes played.
The 6-foot-4 senior also brought real value going forward, scoring three goals - tied for second on the team - and adding two assists for eight points. His defensive work helped Rutgers post six shutouts, including clean sheets against No.
11 Princeton, No. 2 Indiana and No.
25 UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
Lukovic gave Rutgers its most dangerous punch in the attack. He led the team with five goals, highlighted by braces against Northwestern and No.
8 Michigan State. He also paced the Scarlet Knights with eight assists, including two-assist outings against Sacred Heart and Penn State.
By the end of the regular season, the graduate student had a team-best 18 points, along with team highs in shots (56) and shots on goal (22).
Mastrodimos made an immediate impact in his first season with the Scarlet Knights after transferring in for his sophomore campaign. The Hoboken native started all 18 games and ranked fifth on the team with 1,437 minutes.
All three of his goals came in Big Ten play, and his biggest one came in the regular-season finale, when he scored the game-winner against No. 8 Michigan State.
He finished with six points.
Bryjack and Criado were key pieces in Rutgers’ defensive success as well. Bryjack started four matches, while Criado made 14 starts. Each appeared in 17 games, and both helped the Scarlet Knights record six shutouts, including clean sheets against three top-15 teams.
Gorczowski’s recognition came in the form of Rutgers’ Sportsmanship Award for 2026. The sophomore captain played in all 18 games and made 17 starts, serving as a strong presence in the locker room and on the field while helping Rutgers reach those six shutouts.
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