ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop head men's soccer coach
Daniel Ridenhour announced the addition of seventeen newcomers as part of the 2023 recruiting class.
The class includes players from across the globe and is nearly split in half between freshman and transfers.
Ridenhour's Thoughts –
"The 2023 class ended up being a really big group overall. We were able to address many needs with this group with regards to guys who can make an impact right away as well as with players who can continue to grow and develop over the next four years. Ten transfers with college minutes and seven freshman are becoming Eagles. This might be one of the deepest classes in many years.
Zane Barnes deserves a tremendous amount of credit for helping to assemble this group over the past eight to ten months. We targeted some different areas and Zane was able to help put his stamp on the program with our incoming class which will have a positive impact on our game model. Each of these student-athletes will be positive ambassadors for Winthrop University and most importantly are good people with leadership skills, a drive to succeed, and a desire to grow. They all exemplify being EAGLES and our staff looks forward to seeing all their progress as we move into the 2023 season."
Caleb Bennett
Freshman MF Durham, North Carolina
Voyager Academy Wake FC
"Caleb attended a few of our ID camps and could tell he has many of the intangibles to be able to play at this level. He has a very good engine and technically good on the ball. He will be coming in to compete and really make us a better team now and in the years to come."
Diego Candia
Junior D Santiago, Chile
Ottero Junior College
"A very intelligent and tactically advanced player. Diego does all the little things defensively. He organizes and can lead a backline. Very comfortable playing out of the back and a player we believe will have an impact on improving our backline."
Emory Crichlow
Freshman D Durham, North Carolina
Voyager Academy Triangle FC
"Emory is an athletic young man who can really cover ground. He is very aggressive in wanting to get into the attack and can help to create chances from behind the ball. He is coming from playing in MLS NEXT which has enabled him to really be challenged the past year as a youth player."
Ricardo Ferreira
Junior F Espinho, Portugal
Mid-American Christian University C.D. Feirense
"Ricardo is a high level attacking player who has two years of college experience. He can score and create goals in a variety of ways. Really is a guy who likes to be in the box and scoring goals. He will enhance our attacking game but also help defend from the front. Mature young man who will also give us some needed leadership."
Rodrigo Ferreira
Junior MF Espinho, Portugal
Mid-American Christian University C.D. Feirense
"Rodrigo is a true footballer. Excellent technical ability combined with an ability to dictate a game from the middle of the park. He is going to be a guy we lean heavily on to help us implement our game model. He provides leadership along with a very good ability to be an extension on the coaching staff on the field."
Connor Jackson
Sophomore D Blythewood, South Carolina
Wofford College Charlotte Independence Soccer Club
"Connor joined us this past spring and made a positive impression. He is a flexible defender who can play on either side and has the ability to cover lots of ground. He is a good 1v1 defender and can also create in the final phase of play. Most importantly Connor is a high character young man."
Jack Kilstrom
Freshman GK Bettendorf, Iowa
Pleasant Valley HS Sporting Iowa
"We were fortunate to see Jack playing in an ECNL national event. He really stood out as a goalkeeper with lots of potential to grow and develop into professional prospect. He has the size and athleticism to stand out immediately. Very good shot stopper and dealing with balls on crosses. His command of his box and ability to play with his feet will only improve as he a dedicated and hard worker at being his best."
Ethan Marks
Freshman F Auckland, New Zealand
The Community School of Naples ETURE Sports/ CD Betera
"Ethan is coming from spending a year with the ETURE program in Valencia. He has been able to get tons of experience at a higher level with daily training in Spain. He is a dynamic attacking player who is most comfortable playing out wide but can also play through the middle. His year in Spain allowed him to really grow and we are eager to see him continue to develop."
Andres Manzano Garcia
Junior GK Barcelona, Spain
Georgian Court University UE Cornella
"Andres is no stranger to Rock Hill. He spent a few summers here with his father and ISL Agency hosting camps. We are excited for him to join the Eagle family. He is a keeper with high technical ability with his feet and a very good shot stopper. He is a great addition to the GK union."
Boris Nguelle
Junior D Cretiel, France
Northern Oklahoma
"Boris is a dynamic attacking outside back who can also play in a variety of positions. He is comfortable on the ball in the build out and really good in his defensive responsibilities. His soccer IQ is high and someone we see making a big impact on the playing model for our group this season."
Sam Pidegon
Junior F London, England
Northeast Texas CC Littlehampton FC
"Sam is very much an old school center back. Good 1v1 defender and very good defensively in the air. Be hard pressed to not see him score some on the attacking end as well. He is good as a ball playing center-back and comfortable centrally or on the left. He is an experienced player and will bring some added leadership into the group."
Peter Pridgen
Freshman D Dalton, Georgia
Christian Heritage School North Georgia Soccer Academy
"Peter is a great young man with a remarkable story. He has been coached in his youth club by Coach Kerem Daser. Coach K was the first guy to give me a job in college soccer. He speaks highly of Peter's ability to play and be a positive impact on our community. Having spent some time around Peter we are getting a first class young man who has a very strong family connection to the local area. "
Bruno Riveron
Sophomore F Toluca, Mexico
Universidad Del Valle De Mexico Deportiva Toluca FC
"An attacking threat from the start. Bruno can create and score and will be an excellent addition to the attacking group of players we have on the roster. He loves to take players on and be creative in the final phase. He has a great personality and has been in a challenging environment in Toluca. Bruno is an exciting player to bring into the program."
Joshua Sczech
Junior MF Fischer, Texas
Northeast Texas CC Capital City
"Josh is a swiss army knife type player. He can fill multiple positions and has two years of starting experience at Northeast Texas. As a youth player he spent time with Portland Timbers of the MLS so he knows what is needed to compete and play at this level. We are eager to see him make an impact at Eagle Field."
Logan Story
Freshman MF Charlotte, North Carolina
HS Charlotte Soccer Academy
"Logan is coming off a stellar year with Charlotte Soccer Academy. He was just recently named First XI Mid-Atlantic with the ECNL. A well-deserved honor. Rob Dalton and Phil Hindson really recommend him and we were able to spend time at ID camp a few times with Logan. He is an intelligent player who has all the intangibles to have a very good career."
Vicente Villazon Rettig
Freshman GK Mexico City, Mexico
Prepanet Ted de Monterrey Atlanta United
"Vicente is a well-traveled and very mature young man. He has been around the game his entire life and seen the professional level daily. He is a student of the game and a very strong goalkeeper with lots of personality. We are very happy to have him join us here in Rock Hill and be a part of our GK union. "
Lindo Zimba
Junior MF Johannesburg, South Africa
St. Charles CC
"Lindo is coming to us after spending two important years in Missouri at St. Charles. He is a versatile defensive midfield type player who can also provide cover along the backline. He is a powerful and has a very keen tactical soccer brain. He is a leader and someone we will rely on to provide some veteran wisdom to the group."
