There will be plenty of new faces donning blue kits for the Hofstra Pride next season. The program announced 12 incoming members for the 2020 season Monday morning.
Forwards Ryan Carmichael and Sam Eccles and midfielder Roc Carles Puig will make up the incoming attacking force. Daniel Domicolo, Max Gonera, Pierce Infuso, Timothy Kane, Holger Maaloe, Aman Manghi and Jack O’Malley will provide the team with new defensive assets. Wessel Speel and Archie Watts will provide the Pride with flexibility in between the goal posts.
“I am happy and excited to announce our incoming class,” head coach Richard Nuttall said in a press release. “It is a large group of very skilled student-athletes and I look forward to welcoming them to campus in a few months as we prepare for the 2020 season.
It was more likely Carmichael would continue playing Gaelic Football rather than soccer in college. After all, he did not play organized soccer until reaching 13 years old. The forward played both sports at St. Patrick’s Academy in Northern Ireland.
It did not take long for Eccles to earn accolades in Wales High School in England, winning Footballer of the Year as a freshman. He was a three-time Athlete of the Year after earning championships in track and and field and tennis events. The forward helped lead his team to four Rotherham Schools football titles.
Soccer called Carles-Puig to the pitch at a young age. The midfielder has played soccer since five years old and competed in club soccer in the Federacio Catalana De Futbol in Spain.
The third time may be the charm for Domicolo. The senior joins Hofstra with collegiate experience playing for St. John’s and Valparaiso. His godfather, Mike Sorber, was a member of the 1994 U.S. National Team and is the Director of Soccer Operations for Los Angeles FC.
It is only a 20 minute car ride from home to Hofstra Stadium for Bayside-resident Max Gonera. The defender was named the Team Rookie of the Year and Most Improved as a sophomore in high school. He was also a team captain in his final two seasons.
Infuso will join Gonera as the other local product entering the Pride. The defender earned All-Nassau County Selection and the Team MVP at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, NY. He chose Hofstra over Binghamton, Brown, Fordham, Lehigh and Massachusetts.
It is tough to label what position Kane excelled in most at Monsignor Farrell High School. He recorded 21 goals and 26 assists in two years of action and was a two-time All-Catholic High School Athletic Association member for his offensive and defensive ability.
Maaloe brings international experience to the Pride. The defender played for the Silkeborge U-19 and IF Youth team in Denmark. He also played club football for Silkeborg KFUM.
A representative from the State of Maharashtra in India will look to add to his accolades. Manghi was one of 40 members invited to the Star Sports Young Heroes All-India Camp. He was also a captain of his varsity team and played club soccer across three teams.
Another O’Malley will be looking to lead the Pride as the incoming Jack joins his brother, and team captain, George. Jack played at St. Joan of Arc in England and was a member of the 2016 district championship team.
At 16 years old, Speel was regularly training and competing against 22 year olds. He played against the U-23 Qatar team, most notably, and conceded the least goals in league play for FC Utrecht.
Watts also joins the Pride with an impressive goalkeeping record. The goalkeeper averaged 0.57 goals allowed and was undefeated in ECFA matches as a junior at SGS College in England. He helped lead the team to a double national championship for the first time in league history.
The Pride went 10-6-3 last season and 5-2-1 in conference action. Hofstra advanced to the CAA Semifinals but fell to James Madison 4-3 in penalty kicks.
