NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – For the third time in his six seasons as head coach of the Christopher Newport men's soccer team Justin Chezem has been named the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Coaching Staff of the Year. He headlines an impressive haul of All-Conference honors released by the league on Wednesday including eight players earning All-C2C recognition.
 
A pair of Captains earned first team All-Conference honors in senior Barry Jones (MF) and sophomore Carson Friedlein (D). They were joined by six second team All-C2C picks in forwards Drew McWhinney, Joe Summerfield, midfielder Asher Kuzemka, defenders Declan Karney, Yazan Yaghmmour, and goalkeeper Hayden Dewey.
 
It marks the third time Jones has been named All-Conference with his first career first team nod. Dewey, Kuzemka, McWhinney, and Yaghmmour all collect the second certificate of their careers while the remaining Captains – Friedlein, Karney, and Summerfield – picked up their first career selection.
 
Leading the way, though, was Justin Chezem in his sixth season with assistant coaches Shawn Trueblood, Ryan Hagerty, Ethan Larson, and Dom Stumpo each being recognized as part of the 2025 C2C Coaching Staff of the Year. With just two first team All-Conference players, the Captains secured the regular season conference crown and the top seed in this week's C2C Championship Tournament. The Captains have been ranked in the top-25 for the majority of the season and posted an overall record of 10-2-5 heading into the postseason.
 
This year, the Captains defense has been one of the best in the country, leading the league and ranking 23^rd in Division III in team goals-against average (0.625). The Captains also rank 13^th nationally in save percentage (.844) and 30^th in shutout percentage (.500), all while deploying three sophomores on the back line. For the second year in a row, the Captains faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation and Chezem has guided CNU into solid positioning for another NCAA Tournament appearance this year. Chezem also was named the C2C Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019 and 2021.
 
Leading the aforementioned defense has been second-year center back Carson Friedlein, who collects his first career All-Conference certificate after playing in all 17 and starting 16 games this year. Friedlein is second on the team in minutes played among field players with over 87 percent of possible on field minutes this year. He has helped lock down opposing attacks while also providing the Captains with a dangerous option on the offensive end. Friedlein has eight points on three goals and two assists this season including a pair of game-winning goals.
 
The other first team All-C2C pick is three-time selection Barry Jones in the midfield. Despite facing an injury that forced Jones out of the lineup entirely for three games and keeping him limited in several more, he continues to provide an offensive spark when he is on the field. Jones has scored three goals this season including one game-winning goal and is one of the most accurate shooters in the league with eight of his 13 attempts finding the frame of the goal.
 
The second team honorees include two more of the starting defenders in Declan Karney and Yazan Yaghmmour. Karney leads the team in minutes at center back with 1,414 this season, playing over 92 percent of possible minutes. He started 16 and played in all 17 games this season and chipped in a pair of assists offensively. Yaghmmour also has been an asset offensively, with two goals and two assists for six points, but the CNU defense has been a suffocating unit that recorded eight shutouts in 17 games this year.
 
On the other end of the field, forwards Drew McWhinney and Joe Summerfield each scored four goals this year. Summerfield added a pair of assists to edge McWhinney for the scoring lead with 10 points, but McWhinney's eight points are not far behind. The dangerous duo have provided the Captains 21 shots on-goal in 44 attempts combined and lead the offensive efforts in 2025.
 
Finally, 2024 All-Region defender Asher Kuzemka moved back into the midfield this season and earned second team All-Conference honors. In addition to helping lock down the defense, Kuzemka has provided a cool, veteran presence in the midfield for nearly 60 minutes a match. He has scored one goal, a gamewinner, and added two assists for the Captains in his senior campaign.
 
The nationally-ranked Captains closed the regular season with a 10-2-5 overall record and, as regular season champions, will be the top seed in this week's Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. CNU will serve as the host of the postseason event which begins on Thursday with the quarterfinal round. The Captains will first play on Friday in the semifinal round against either #4 UC Santa Cruz or #5 Johnson & Wales – Charlotte. Kickoff on Friday is set for 4:00 p.m.
 
2025 C2C Offensive Player of the Year: Sammy Amorose, Mary Washington
2025 C2C Defensive Player of the Year: Tristan Kickbush, Mary Washington
2025 C2C Rookie of the Year: David Brunetti, Salisbury
2025 C2C Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Nathan Macek, Mary Washington
2025 C2C Coaching Staff of the Year: Justin Chezem, Christopher Newport
 

2025 All-C2C Men's Soccer First Team
NAME	YR.	POS.	TEAM	HOMETOWN
Sammy Amorose	Sr.	F	Mary Washington	Jacksonville, N.C.
David Brunetti	Fr.	F	Salisbury	Essex, Md.
Soren Groessl	Jr.	F	UC Santa Cruz	Encinitas, Calif.
Yann-Olivier Kamga	Jr.	F	Regent	Woodbridge, Va.
Niklas Seguin	Jr.	F	JWU Charlotte	Mooresville, NC
Moises Argueta-Garcia	Fr.	M	Mary Washington	Leesburg, Va.
Jackson Chandler	Sr.	M	UC Santa Cruz	Agoura Hills, Calif.
Barry Jones	Sr.	M	Christopher Newport	Richmond, Va.
Jack Sturman	Jr.	M	Mary Washington	Ashburn, Va.
Michael Braun	Jr.	D	UC Santa Cruz	San Diego, Calif.
Carson Friedlein	So.	D	Christopher Newport	Midlothian, Va.
Nathan Macek	Sr.	D	Mary Washington	Laurel, Md.
Tristan Kickbush	Sr.	GK	Mary Washington	Arlington, Va.
2025 All-C2C Men's Soccer Second Team
NAME	YR.	POS.	TEAM	HOMETOWN
Drew McWhinney	Jr.	F	Christopher Newport	Arlington, Va.
Steve Moodie	Fr.	F	Warren Wilson	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Joe Summerfield	Jr.	F	Christopher Newport	Hampton, Va.
Dale Gordon	Jr.	M	Salisbury	Ellicott City, Md.
Asher Kuzemka	Sr.	M	Christopher Newport	Clifton, Va.
Gavin Miller	Sr.	M	Salisbury	Salisbury, Md.
Carter Bonini	Jr.	D	JWU Charlotte	Hickory, NC
Nicolas Chinchilla	Fr.	D	Salisbury	Brooklyn, Md.
Blake Hoskins	Sr.	D	Mary Washington	Glen Burnie, Md.
Declan Karney	So.	D	Christopher Newport	Severna Park, Md.
Jack Schwarz	Jr.	D	Salisbury	Richmond, Va.
Yazan Yaghmmour	Jr.	D	Christopher Newport	Haymarket, Va.
Hayden Dewey	Sr.	GK	Christopher Newport	Richmond, Va.