Complete List of All-Region Selections

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Matching the most All-Region selections since 2017, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team featured three Captains earning 2025 honors from the United Soccer Coaches announced on Tuesday. Sophomore defender Carson Friedlein hauled in second team All-Region honors for his first career recognition while senior midfielders Barry Jones (3rd team) and Asher Kuzemka (4th team) each punctuated his career with a second career All-Region pick. 

It marks the 25th time in the last 26 seasons that Christopher Newport has been recognized with at least one All-Region selection. Jones and Kuzemka become the latest to earn the honor more than once in his career, joining Kyle Stenzel, Will Collins, Jimmy Grace, and Stephen Durbin in the last ten years. In program history, 26 players have garnered All-Region recognition multiple times including head coach Justin Chezem (2003, 2004). 

This season, Carson Friedlein led one of the nation's top defenses, ranking 29th nationally in goals-against average (.750) and 34th in save percentage (.817) and shutout percentage (.476). A first team All-Conference selection in his sophomore season, Friedlein started 20 games and played in all 21 on the back line for the Captains. While anchoring the defense at center back, Friedlein helped CNU register a top-ten single season defensively with the eighth-best GAA in program history.

He also made an impact on the offensive end, scoring 10 points on four goals and two assists. Friedlein led the Captains with three game-winning goals including the clinching tally against nationally-ranked Trinity (Texas) on September 19. Over the course of the season, he took 11 shots and put seven on target for a .636 shots-on-goal percentage. 

In the midfield, Barry Jones hauled in his second career All-Region certificate after earning third team honors in 2023. His senior year was impacted by an injury that limited him to just 15 games played and 12 starts, but Jones still helped lead the way for the Captains offensively. Jones scored three goals, including the first goal of the season against the United States Merchant Marine Academy and the game-winning goal against Salisbury on October 18. In total, he took 15 shots this season with nine on frame. He earned first team All-Conference honors and is a three-time All-C2C pick. 

Also playing in the midfield this season was Asher Kuzemka, who collected fourth team All-Region honors in his junior season. This year, he earned another fourth team pick after helping organize the Captains offensively through the middle of the pitch. He scored two goals and added two assists for six points while also creating countless opportunities moving forward for Christopher Newport. Defensively, he challenged the opponents top attacking players and was a pivotal factor in eliminating chances. Kuzemka was a second tem All-Conference pick in 2025 and earned first team All-C2C honors in 2024. 

The Captains concluded the 2025 season with a 13-3-5 overall record and captured the 2025 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Championship. CNU returned to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in six seasons and advanced to the second round of the championship.