Hilton, NY—Russell Sage College's men's soccer team had four players recognized by the Empire 8 on Wednesday with the release of the 2021 E8 Men's Soccer All-Conference squads.
Named to the Second Team were senior midfielder Christian Vaalstuen (Lillestrom, Norway/Lambertseter Athletic) and senior forward Jeaneste Pierre (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy). Junior midfielder Jason Breznak (Waterford, NY/Shenendehowa) was named to the Third Team at midfield, while graduate performer Michael Considine (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem) was named to the 2021 Empire 8 Sportsmen Team.
Vaalstuen was the team's leader in points with 12 points on four goals and four assists in 2021. His selection in 2021 marks his third consecutive selection to the E8 Second Team for his outstanding play. The 2021 team co-captain, he started and played in 16 matches. He added the game-winning goal to lift RSC past Wells on 10/12/2021. He wraps his career ranked 14th with his 22 career points and 15th with his 0.39 point per game average. Also ranked 10th with his eight career goals, seventh with four career game-winning goals as well as 13th with six career assists. He played in 56 games over the course of his career with 53 starts, which ranks 11th.
Pierre played in 16 matches with 13 starts. He totaled 11 points on five goals and an assist and added the game-winning goal vs. Albertus Magnus (9/7). He wraps his career seventh among Gators with 41 career points, while ranking ninth in program records with 0.62 points per-game. He tallied 18 career goals, and five game-winning goals, both totals ranked fifth among RSC players. He played in 66 matches over his career and was named to the 2021 Empire 8 Spring Men's Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team after helping the program to the runner-up crown.
Breznak was a starter in 13 of 15 games played in 2021 and added a goal and as assist. He has now played in 26 games at RSC.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the E8 Fall 2021 Men's Soccer Sportsman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen. A newcomer to the Gator program this year, Considine was a starter in 15 of 16 matches played adding two assists.
