WALTHAM, Mass. – Salvatore Lupoli Jr. wasn't just the best defensive player in the Northeast-10 this season. He was the best player.

NE10 coaches selected Lupoli as the conference's Most Valuable Player, the NE10 announced Thursday.

The gradate student linebacker from Chelmsford, Mass. led all of NCAA D-II in tackles per game this fall (12.3). Lupoli tied Bentley's single-season record for tackles with 123 in 2023, matchMatt Zahoruiko's mark from 2009.

Lupoli's 13 tackles-for-a-loss paced the NE10 this year, and his six sacks were 0.5 shy of tying the conference lead.

Lupoli also became Bentley's all-time leading tackler, amassing 337 tackles for his decorated collegiate career. Lupoli broke Bryan Hardy's career record of 332 tackles (2013-16) during the NE10 championship game at New Haven (Nov. 11).

Lupoli recorded a career-high 23 tackles in a game at St. Anselm (Oct. 7) – the most by a Falcon in at least 30 years. For his efforts that week, Lupoli was named the NE10 Defensive Player of the Week, D2football.com Defensive Player of the Week, and he received the Gold Helmet Award for best D-II/D-III player in New England that week.

Lupoli is Bentley's first NE10 MVP since Bryant Johnson in 2010. Marc Eddy earned the honor in consecutive seasons, 2003-04. Mark DeBrito was co-MVP in 1999.

Lupoli is also the first defensive player since 2000 to be named NE10 MVP (William Yarocki, C.W. Post).