As the Seton Hall Pirates capped off a 7-3-7 season, senior defender Agustin Resch was named the 2025 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday—making him just the second Pirate ever to receive the award since SHU Athletics Hall of Famer George Nazario did so in 1990.
The Pirates were also able to land three All-BIG EAST Team honors, with Resch also named to the ALL-BIG EAST First Team, and sophomores Til Kauschke and Mikkel Lejbowicz named to the second.
This season, Resch anchored a defense that ranked 31st nationally and allowed just 0.824 goals per game. The Argentinian defender used his size and athleticism to disrupt and slow down some of the conference's top players.
Not only does Resch let his presence be felt on defense, but also on offense. Resch scored two goals, three assists, and seven points—all of which were career highs for him. His stellar defense earned him the honors of Defensive Player of the Year, but it is his versatility that got him a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team.
Resch was joined by two of his teammates, Kauschke and Lejbowicz, who both earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team. Kauschke played a crucial role in just his second year as a Pirate, scoring four goals and 12 points, while facilitating the offense with a team-high 4assists on the season.
In his first season as a Pirate after transferring from the University of Maryland, Lejbowicz dominated the offensive side of the ball, picking up seven goals and 15 points while also leading the team in shots. He was ranked in the top five in both points and shots per game in the conference this season as well.
With the Pirates tallying up three All-BIG EAST selections this year, this marks the third time Coach Andreas Lindberg has led a team with this number of selections. Coach Lindberg has a promising young international squad looking to make a leap in the coming years.
These three selections highlight the Pirates’ balanced squad throughout the season. The experienced senior spearheaded the Pirates’ defensive presence, while two up-and-coming sophomores made an impact throughout the conference.
As the Pirates’ season comes to an end, the 2025 BIG EAST honors serve as recognition of the program’s continuous excellence under Coach Lindberg. Lindberg continues to show just how far the program has come since the start of his tenure.
This season was the perfect combination of experienced seniors and rising underclassmen to continue to build the culture here in South Orange. Although the team did not make the conference's postseason, they still have a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament, with the selection show on Monday.
Correction: An earlier version of this article falsely stated that the team did not make the postseason. That is only partially true, as they did not make the BIG EAST Tournament, but they still have a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.
Jayden Brackett is a writer for The Setonian’s Sports Section. He can be reached at jayden.brackett@student.shu.edu.
