EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After waiting over two weeks following the conclusion of the College Cup, University of Evansville sophomore men's soccer player Faik Hajderovic officially became the NCAA Division I statistical national champion for both assists and assists per game Friday morning.
 
Hajderovic registered 20 points during the 2013 season, as he scored three goals and tallied 14 assists, tying Graham Merryweather for the third-most assists in a single season by an Evansville player.  The sophomore midfielder accumulated his 14 assists over a span of 19 matches to lead the county with a 0.74 assists per game average and tied Bradley's Wojciech Wojcik for the most total assists in the nation this season.  Iona's finished just behind Hajderovic in both categories with 13 assists over 19 matches for a  0.64 assists per game average.
 
"Faik is a dynamic playmaker that creates scoring chances for himself and others," head coach Mike Jacobs said.  "Being the nation's leader in assists stands as a testament for how well he excelled in that area among his peers nationally this season.  It is also outstanding recognition for the University of Evansville and our soccer program, and we are always proud to see members of this program recognized for their achievements on and off the field."
 
Hajderovic recorded all of his assists in six contests, including four multiple-assist efforts.  The St. Louis native turned in three-assist performances in wins over Georgia State and Loyola, and was part of all five goals for the Purple Aces in their win over Eastern Illinois to claim the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic title.  In the 5-4 victory over the Panthers, he dished out four assists and scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds of the match to claim Offensive MVP honors.
 
Earlier this month, Hajderovic was named to the NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Midwest Region First Team, becoming the first UE player to earn the honor since Robby Lynch in 2010.