TAMPA, Fla. – USL League One announced today the finalists for the 2025 USL League One Awards, with the leading performers in five categories earning nominations after outstanding 2025 regular season campaigns. The award winners will be announced between Tuesday, November 11 and Friday, November 14. 

Nine awards finalists will feature in the Semifinals of the 2025 USL League One Playoffs this weekend, with One Knoxville SC’s Sean Lewis, Jordan Skelton and Head Coach Ian Fuller, FC Naples’ Karsen Henderlong and Head Coach Matt Poland, Spokane Velocity FC’s Carlos Merancio and David Garcia and Portland Hearts of Pine’s Nathan Messer and Head Coach Bobby Murphy in line to participate. 

No. 1 seed One Knoxville SC faces No. 4 seed FC Naples on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) at Covenant Health Park while No. 3 seed Spokane Velocity FC hosts No. 7 seed Portland Hearts of Pine on Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+) in the Semifinals of the 2025 USL League One Playoffs presented by Terminix. 

The 2025 USL League One Awards were voted on by team management following the conclusion of the 2025 League One regular season. 

2025 USL League One Awards 

Goalkeeper of the Year – Winner Announced Tuesday, Nov. 11

Sean Lewis, One Knoxville SC – Lewis starred as One Knoxville claimed the USL League One Players’ Shield for the first time, earning his third consecutive nomination for Goalkeeper of the Year. The 33-year-old posted the highest save percentage of Golden Glove-eligible goalkeepers at 73.4 percent on 59 saves while recording 10 shutouts. Lewis also produced solid underlying numbers, posting a -0.59 Goals Prevented mark in the regular season, while recording a 0.88 goals-against average to tie for the league-lead. 

Carlos Merancio, Spokane Velocity FC – Merancio produced a stellar campaign as Velocity took a third-place finish in the regular season, ranking second in League One with 77 saves while posting a save percentage of 72 percent, ranking second among Golden Glove-eligible goalkeepers. The 27-year-old also led the league with a 68.6 save percentage on shots inside the penalty area, helping him record a -3.36 Goals prevented mark while recording 10 shutouts, tied for second in the league. 

Jason Smith, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC – The first-year pro starred as the Red Wolves surged up the standings and claimed the league’s Golden Glove as his league-leading shutouts served as the tiebreaker over One Knox’s Sean Lewis as the duo ended the season tied on a 0.88 goals-against average. Smith recorded 43 saves at a 67.2 percent success rate and ranked second in the league with 27 catches and 15 punched clearances. 

USL League One Defender of the Year – Winner Announced Tuesday, Nov. 11 

David Garcia, Spokane Velocity FC – Garcia earned his first selection to the All-League First Team this season having led Velocity and ranked fifth in the league with 192 clearances while also winning 18 tackles at an 81.8 percent success rate. A new arrival in Spokane this season, the 25-year-old also ranked fifth among defenders with 88 aerial duels won at a 66.7 percent success rate in the regular season, playing a key role in the club’s progression this season. 

Nathan Messer, Portland Hearts of Pine – Messer was one of the breakout performers for first-year Hearts of Pine as he played through a second consecutive expansion season after previously competing for Rhode Island FC. The 24-year-old was a two-way standout with six goals and four assists in the attacking third while also recording 119 clearances and 29 interceptions defensively. He also won 32 tackles at a 78 percent success rate, ranking third among full backs in the league with a +5.31 Goals Added mark. 

Jordan Skelton, One Knoxville SC – Skelton has established himself as one of the top defenders in League One over the past three seasons, and earned his third consecutive nomination for Defender of the Year after a season in which he recorded 206 clearances, led the league with 34 blocked shots, and rank second in the league with 114 aerial duels won at a 77 percent success rate. The 28-year-old also logged 72 recoveries and 19 interceptions while grading second among defenders with a +6.90 Goals Added mark, helping One Knox claim its first silverware in the USL League One Players’ Shield. 

2025 USL League One Coach of the Year – Winner Announced Wednesday, Nov. 12 

Ian Fuller, One Knoxville SC – Appointed last offseason, Fuller led One Knox to its first silverware in club history in claiming the League One Players’ Shield as the club set single-season highs in wins (16), points (57), goals (43) and shooting accuracy (44.3%). The first-year Head Coach also saw his side lead the league with only 26 goals conceded in 30 games while posting a +12.25 Expected Goal Differential over the regular season.  

Scott Mackenzie, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC – In his second full season at the helm, Mackenzie propelled the Red Wolves to its best season in club history, earning a second-place finish with 15 wins and 55 points. The side recorded a 1.02 points-per-game improvement year-on-year, going from a 0.81ppg mark in 2024 to a 1.83ppg mark this season as the club’s direct style kept it consistently on the front foot. The Red Wolves recorded a +9.05 Expected Goal Differential, while leading the league with a 29.72xGA mark. 

Bobby Murphy, Portland Hearts of Pine – Leading the first-year side, Murphy produced an entertaining, attacking squad that ranked third in the league with 48 goals as it came into its own over the second half of the regular season to earn a playoff berth. Hearts of Pine posted a +9.84 Expected Goal Differential in the regular season and recorded three victories against USL Championship opposition across the campaign, defeating Hartford Athletic in the U.S. Open Cup and Detroit City FC and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the USL Jägermeister Cup.  

Matt Poland, FC Naples – Poland led a historic campaign for first-year FC Naples as its consistency throughout the season saw it become the first expansion side to host a playoff game in the USL League One Playoffs, earning a top-four finish behind a strong start and middle to the regular season. Naples’ success was built on a strong defensive foundation that saw the side rank second in the league with a 32.29 Expected Goals Against mark, while the side posted a 10-game undefeated streak in the middle of the campaign that proved key to its final position. 

2025 USL League One Young Player of the Year – Winner Announced Thursday, Nov. 13

Mark Bronnik, Union Omaha – Bronnik had a breakout season as he recorded six goals at a strike rate of a goal every 156.3 minutes, helping power Omaha’s second-half surge into the postseason. The 18-year-old recorded 43 shots and posted a shooting accuracy rate of 44.4 percent and a shot conversion rate of 16.7 percent while completing 15 dribbles at a 50 percent success rate. 

Rafael Jauregui, Charlotte Independence – A new arrival with the Independence this season, Jauregui had a successful first campaign with one goal and three assists while notching a league-high 23 assists among U-22 players. The Sacramento Republic FC product also showed his versatility, shifting between attacking and defensive roles while logging 23 tackles at a 63.2 percent success rate while recording 39 shots and 19 completed dribbles. 

Jackson Kasanzu, South Georgia Tormenta FC – Kasanzu put together a strong season in Tormenta’s back line, ranking second among U-22 players with 109 clearances and winning 17 tackles at a 70.6 percent success rate while also logging 22 interceptions and 84 recoveries. The Tanzanian 22-year-old also scored once and posted an 83.4 passing accuracy rate.  

Eric Kinzner, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC – Kinzner helped fuel the Red Wolves’ defensive improvement, ranking sixth in the league with 183 clearances while also leading the team’s direct style with 758 passes. The 22-year-old Seattle Sounders FC product also won 26 tackles at a 65.4 percent success rate and won 89 duels at a 56.7 percent success rate and made 68 recoveries as Chattanooga led the league with a 29.72 Expected Goals Against mark. 

2025 USL League One Player of the Year – Winner Announced Friday, Nov. 14

Karsen Henderlong, FC Naples – The second-year pro notched a standout campaign for first-year Naples, ranking second in the league with 14 goals while also notching four assists on 32 chances created. Arriving from the USL Championship’s Indy Eleven ahead of the club’s inaugural season, Henderlong recorded a 52.2 percent shooting accuracy rate while ranking fourth in the league among outfield players with a +7.49 Goals Added mark as he accounted for 35 percent of his side’s regular season goals. 

Juan Carlos Obregón Jr., Westchester SC – The Honduran international sparkled in Westchester’s inaugural campaign, earning the League One Golden Boot with 17 goals while posting a 50.6 percent shooting accuracy rate and 19.5 percent shot conversion rate. Obregón recorded 42.5 percent of Westchester’s goals in the regular season, also notched two assists on 23 chances created, earning a league-leading +9.49 Goals Added mark as he moved into the top five in the league’s goalscorers all-time. 

Niall Reid-Stephen, South Georgia Tormenta FC – The Barbados international helped power Tormenta into the postseason as his 13 goals and seven assists led League One in goal contributions in the regular season. Reid-Stephen helped power Tormenta into the postseason with a string of eight consecutive games with a goal contribution from August 30 to October 18, during which time the side posted a 7-0-1 record, while ending the season with a +6.71 Goals Added mark.