D1 Men: Midseason Best XI announced

Jakov Basic of UMass Lowell. (courtesy photo)

At roughly the midway point of the 2018 season, it’s time to take stock of which players have stood out.

New England Soccer Journal has named its midseason Best XI, with consideration for standout performances and overall ability. Our year-end Best XIs will follow suit, but there’s still plenty of soccer to be played. The team is organized in a 3-4-3 formation.

Included within is also our weekly Top 10 rankings, though it wasn’t a good week for New England’s top programs. Many were dealt a setback in league play.

Most surprisingly, UMass Lowell suffered defeats to Holy Cross and Stony Brook. UMass Amherst, Rhode Island and New Hampshire also went winless, leaving Vermont as the only top-five team to be victorious. Meanwhile, Hartford and Bryant both notched their first victories of the year last week.

Let’s get right on into things.