The Rutgers men’s soccer team had a historic 2022 season, winning its first-ever Big Ten Tournament Championship and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Heading into the upcoming season, the Scarlet Knights return many key pieces but also lose key starters like Thomas DeVizio, Hugo Le Guennec and MD Myers.
To help combat these losses, head coach Jim McElderry has put together a strong 2023 class that consists of four recruits and two transfers.
INCOMING TRANSFERS....
Rising-junior midfielder Curt Calov and rising-sophomore defender Sawyer Koza will be transferring to play on the Banks for the 2023 season.
Calov, who has played for Syracuse for the last two years, might be McElderry’s biggest get of the offseason. The Morristown, New Jersey native was a consistent figure in the Orange’s rotation over the last two years.
As a freshman, Calov was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Top 100 Freshman list. As a sophomore, Calov was a crucial piece for the Syracuse team that won the national title. He scored a goal in the NCAA Championship Quarterfinals, provided an assist in the NCAA Championship Semifinals and scored a goal and converted a penalty kick in the NCAA National Championship game. Calov finished the 2022 season with 23 appearances, four goals and seven assists.
Calov is a versatile midfielder that is dynamic on the ball with space. Calov joins an already strong midfield for Rutgers, which could give Calov more space to join the attack.
Koza, who played his freshman season at Temple, is a five-foot-eight defender that will most likely play on the wings. Koza made 10 starts as a freshman for the Owls. He is a strong one-on-one defender and he can also join the attack from the wings. He scored three goals and provided two assists during his freshman season.
Look for Koza to join the defensive rotation in the 2023 season and with three years of eligibility remaining, Koza could become a stalwart on defense for the Knights.
HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS....
McElderry’s freshman class consists of two defenders, one midfielder and one forward. All four players hail from New Jersey.
CB NICK COLLINS -- GILL ST. BERNARDS (NJ)
Nick Collins is a center-back that played high school soccer at Gill St.Bernard’s and the Players Development Academy. Collins was extremely accomplished in the New Jersey soccer scene, becoming a three-time New Jersey State Champion and being named the 2022 Somerset County and Skyland Conference Player of the Year. At six-foot-four, 192 pounds, Collins is the perfect size for a Big Ten center-back.
MF DEVON STOPEK -- YSC ACADEMY (PA)
Devon Stopek is the other defender in the 2023 recruiting class. Stopek played his high school soccer for YSC Academy and was also part of the Philadelphia Union’s academy. Stopek has deep Rutgers roots, as both his parents met at Rutgers. While I would not expect Stopek to immediately join the defensive rotation, he is an exciting prospect for the future.
MF FRANCESCO DI PONZIO -- INDIAN HILLS (NY)
Francesco Di Ponzio is the lone midfielder in the 2023 recruiting class. Di Ponzio played his high school soccer for Indian Hills high school and the New York City Football Club Academy. Di Ponzio projects to be a box-to-box midfielder with considerable speed. In a crowded and talented midfield, Di Ponzio may not get a lot of minutes but can be an intriguing prospect in the coming seasons.
F LUCIANO SANCHEZ -- YSC ACADEMY (PA)
Luciano Sanchez is the only forward in the 2023 class. Sanchez is an exciting prospect that played his high school soccer at YSC Academy and for the Philadelphia Union’s Academy. He won a U17 MLS NEXT National Championship in 2022. Sanchez is strong with the ball at his feet, has great field positioning, and is a crafty finisher. Sanchez can make an immediate impact in the forward rotation for the Knights and help replace the loss of Myers and his 13 goals.
While not all of these freshmen are guaranteed to get game minutes, McElderry has assembled a strong roster for the 2023 season that could see Rutgers competing for another Big Ten regular season and tournament championship.
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