D1 Men: Best XI of New England natives

Columbia freshman midfielder Andrew Stevens. (Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin)

Locally, there's inherently more focused placed on players in New England. They're in our backyard, after all.

But that doesn't mean the ranks of New England natives leaving a mark on the college soccer landscape stops there. In fact, many of the the top locals play for teams outside of the region.

That's how New England Soccer Journal has arrived at its 2018 Best XI of local players in Division 1 men's soccer. These are the season's top players from the region's six states, regardless of where their team is located.

The group, expanded upon below, is arranged in a 4-5-1 formation. When applicable, our stories about each player are linked.