The Transfer Portal Continues To Provide A means To Address Specific Voids With Experienced Players.
Nick Dang – Defender – Junior – Virginia – Dang transfers to Virginia from Lipscomb where he was the 2022 ASUN Freshman of the Year and an All-ASUN First Team selection and a United Soccer Coaches Association First Team All-Region selection in 2023. Dang is a rock-solid center back who played every minute of every game last year for Lipscomb. Dang should be in the hunt to help fill the void that exists due to the departure of Cavalier center back Aidan O’Connor.
Colin Welsh – Goalkeeper – Senior – Western Michigan –Welsh transfers to Western Michigan from the University of Memphis where he played in 36 contests over three seasons and was the starter in goal for three seasons. He was a 2022 All-AAC Second Team member and a Third Team All-East Region selection and was named to the 2021 AAC All-Rookie Team. Welsh is an experienced netminder who could help fill the big void that exists in goal due to the loss of graduate goalkeeper Ethan Brandt who was the 2023 MVC Goalkeeper of the Year. Western Michigan is coming off a banner season during which they won the MVC regular season and tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
Maximus Barboto – Junior – Midfielder – Akron – Barboto transfers to Akron from NJIT were he started 33 games over two seasons with a goal and 13 assists including nine assists during the 2023 seasons. He was a 2023 America East First-Team selection and the America East Conference Rookie of the Year in 2022. Barboto is a playmaker who looks to be a positive addition for an Akron team that is coming off a 9-2-7 overall record with a 2-1-5 mark in their first season as a member of the Big East Conference.
Justin Weiss – Graduate Student – Forward – Indiana – Weiss joins the Indiana soccer team after three productive seasons as a starter for fellow Big Ten member Northwestern. He is coming off a 2023 season during which he had seven goals and seven assists. Weiss was a United Soccer Coaches 2023 All-North Region First Team selection and an All-Big Ten First Team selection in 2021 and 2023. He will add additional punch to an Indiana team that is coming off a 15-4-5 overall record and advanced to the Elite Eight.
Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos – Senior – Marshall – Rodrigues dos Santos comes to Marshall from Memphis. He is among several transfers who can make an impact for the Thundering Herd. He was a three-year starter at Memphis where he was a key ingredient for a Tiger team that earned back-to-back berths in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and secured the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win in 2023. Rodrigues dos Santos scored a team leading 14 goals with seven assists in 2023 and was a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American becoming the first Memphis soccer player to do so since the 2013. He will join a highly successful Marshall program that has a gap to fill on the offensive side of the ball due to the departure of forward Matthew Bell, a 2024 first round pick in the MLS SuperDraft and First Team All-American, who scored a total of 20 goals and contributed 16 assists during two extremely productive seasons in Huntington.
Gunnar Studenhofft – Senior – Forward – South Florida –Studenhofft transfers to South Florida from Manhattan College where he was an All-MAAC Second Team selection as a sophomore in 2022 with five goals and five assists and an All-MAAC First Team member in 2023 with seven goals and two assists. Studenhofft also honed his skills as a member of the Cayman Islands Senior National Team. He should help fill the gap that exists on the offensive side of the ball due to the departure of 2023 All-AAC First Team members forward Jalen Anderson (7g, 2a) and midfielder Ajmeer Spengler (4g, 6a).
CJ Coppola – Junior – Forward – Virginia Tech –Coppola takes his game from Saint Louis to Virginia Tech. As a freshman for the Billikens he scored six goals and contributed one assist and was named to the A-10 Conference All-Rookie Team. As a sophomore in 2023 he scored seven goals including five game-winners and added one helper. Coppola is a goal scorer with the ability to add additional punch to a Virginia Tech team that will enter the 2024 season eager to improve on their 4-9-4 overall record in 2023.
Joey Maher – Graduate Student – Defender – Saint Louis –Maher, a stalwart four-year starter and team captain who was a 2023 All-Big Ten First Team selection and First Team All-North Region, departs Indiana to return to his hometown to play for Saint Louis during his final year of eligibility in 2024 where he will pursue a master’s degree. Maher is a very positive addition for a Saint Louis defense that will enter the 2024 season without the services of center back Diego Konincks who was the 2023 A-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Maher and his Billiken teammates will seek to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2024 after not earning a berth in 2023 with an 8-4-5 overall record and early exit from the A-10 Conference Tournament.
Wessel Speel – Fifth Year Senior – Goalkeeper – Duke – Speel, a four-year starter with an overall goals against average of 0.97, transfers from Hofstra to Duke University. He was a three-time All-CAA selection and a three-time All-Atlantic Region honoree while at Hofstra . The Pride won the CAA Tournament Title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2021, 2022 and 2023 during his tenure between the pipes. Speel is a battle tested and composed shot stopper who could prove to be just what the doctor ordered for the Blue Devils who need to fill the void that exists due to the decision of 2023 freshman starter Julian Eyestone to forgo the remainder of his collegiate eligibility to pursue a professional career.
Max Rogers – Midfielder – Senior – Maryland – Rogers transfers from Yale to Maryland. He was a two-year starter at Yale where he was an All-Ivy League and All-Northeast Region First Team selection in 2023 with four goals and seven assists. Rogers was a key ingredient for a Yale team that won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament title in 2023 and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. He was a starter as a freshman at Fordham in 2021 with seven assists and three goals before transferring to Yale in 2022. Rogers is a playmaker and effective distributor with the potential to help the Terps bounce back from an uncharacteristic 4-8-3 overall record in 2023 which halted their string of 22 consecutive berths in the NCAA Tournament.
