Eastern Illinois senior
Yuki Nakamura became the first Panthers player to earn first team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors when he earned that honor on Friday (Nov. 7) afternoon with the league releasing its 2025 post-season awards.
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Nakamura was the lone EIU player selected to the All-OVC team earning both first team honors at midfield and All-OVC Newcomer Team honors.
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A senior transfer into the program this season, Nakamura played all but 20 minutes on the pitch this season anchoring the middle of the Panthers formation. He finished the year with two assists passing them out in a draw with Liberty and in the senior day home win over Western Illinois.
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He joins former Panther
Sam Eccles as EIU players to earn All-OVC honors with Eccles a second team selection in 2023.  EIU's last first team All-Conference selection was Edgar Mesa as a defender in 2019 when EIU played as a member of The Summit League.
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EIU returns to action this Sunday facing Liberty at 3 pm in the quarterfinals of the OVC Men's Soccer Tournament.
Luca Bartoni, Lindenwood
OVC Midfielder of the Year: D'Alessandro Herrera, HCU
OVC Defender of the Year: Leandro Haesler, Lindenwood
OVC Goalkeeper of the Year: Alex Aitken, HCU
OVC Freshman of the Year: Joby Reid, HCU
OVC Coach of the Year: Kris Bertsch, Lindenwood
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
GK - Alex Aitken, HCU
D - Leandro Haesler, Lindenwood
D - Wes Gibson, SIUE
D - Nico Kross, HCU
MF - D'Alessandro Herrera, HCU
MF - Matteo Landais, Lindenwood
MF -
Yuki Nakamura, Eastern Illinois
MF - Carles Zomeño, SIUE
F - Luca Bartoni, Lindenwood
F - Ryan Okerayi, HCU
F - Evan Howard, SIUE
ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
GK - Gavin Roberts, Lindenwood
GK - Alejandro De La Torre, UIW
D - Casey McCarthy, Liberty
D - Nathan Bessinger, Western Illinois
D - Perry Blay, Liberty
MF - Aidan Morrison, Liberty
MF - Ethan Blake, Lindenwood
MF - Ricardo Garcia, HCU
F - Leo Conneh, Liberty
F - Liam Gainey, Western Illinois
F - Zach Lifferth, Liberty
F - David Davila, Southern Indiana
OVC ALL-NEWCOMER
MF -
Yuki Nakamura, Eastern Illinois
F - Joby Reid, HCU
MF - Ben Thirkill, HCU
GK - Tyler Beck, Liberty
MF - Matteo Landais, Lindenwood
D - Leandro Haesler, Lindenwood
MF - Gavin Csiszar, Lindenwood
F - Alander Soares, Lindenwood
F - Evan Howard, SIUE
GK - Noah Scheidweiler, SIUE
MF - Noe Robles, UIW
D - Nathan Bessinger, Western Illinois
There were 12 members on the All-OVC second-team and All-Newcomer Team due to ties in voting.Â
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