Bronx, N.Y. – (June 12, 2019) – Fordham men’s soccer head coach Carlo Acquista announced the addition of eight players for the upcoming 2019 season, which includes three graduate students and five incoming freshmen.

 

The Rams have added graduate students Filippo Ricupati (Milan, Italy/Regina Mundi (St. John’s)), Tomer Zloczower (Ness-Ziona, Israel/David Ben-Gurion (Green Bay), and Konstantin Weis (Karlsruhe, Germany/Kant-Gymnasium (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)) as well as transfers Luca Fava (Scarsdale, N.Y./Eastchester (Iona)) and Kristian Shkreli (Bedford, N.Y./Fox Lane (Westchester CC)).  They will be joined by freshmen Savvas Christoforou (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber), Conrado Duhour (Miami, Fla./Immaculata La Salle), Roee Maor (Demarest, N.J./Northern Valley Regional), Nicolino Primavera (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade), Aaron Stafford (Oak Ridge, Tenn./Darlington School), and Adrian Valentine (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Academy).

 

“We are excited to announce our inaugural recruiting class for the 2019 roster. Each player will bring their own unique profile to the squad,” said head coach Carlo Acquista.  “One key element to this team will be more competition and depth for each position. Our expectation is to build on Fordham's continued and recent success.”

 

Ricupati, a 6-1 forward, missed his final season in 2018 at St. John’s due to injury.  Over his prior three seasons, he appeared in 50 games, making 16 starts for the Red Storm.  He netted 13 goals and three assists in those 50 games, which included a career-high six goals and three game-winning goals in 2016 during his sophomore season.  Ricupati was a two-time member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team (2017-18) and named to St. John’s Dean’s List (2018).  Before St. John’s, he played club soccer for Lombardia Juniores, serving as team captain, as well as for the U17 Nazionale Italiana Dilettani.

 

Zloczower, a 5-7 forward, played the past three seasons at Wisconsin Green Bay, appearing in 47 games overall.  He totaled 13 goals and nine assists for the Phoenix and was a two-time First Team All-Horzion League selection.  In 2018, he was the team leader in goals (6), points (12), and game-winning goals (5), while being named to the United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Third Team.  He was also a Second Team United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American in 2018.  In 2017, he helped the Phoenix win the Horizon League Regular Season Championship.  Academically, Zloczower was a three-time selection to the Dean’s List at Wisconsin Green Bay.

 

Weis, a 6-4 goalkeeper, is a graduate of Kant-Gymnasium in Karlsruhe, Germany, where he was the salutatorian, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in 2019.  He currently plays for SV Waldhof Mannheim, having previously played for Karlsruhe SC Youth and SV Sanhausen Youth.  He was a multiple-time selection to the Under 17 All-State Team.

Lavas, a 5-10 defender, is a transfer from Iona College after spending two seasons with the Gaels.  After not appearing in a game as a freshman, he played in nine contests as a sophomore, making two starts.  He then was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team in 2018 and was a member of the Dean’s List.  Before Iona, he played varsity soccer at Eastchester High School, earning All-League and All-Section honors and was team captain.  He played club for Golden Touch United and was the leading scorer at the 2016 IMG Cup and 2015 Disney Showcase.

 

Shkreli, a midfielder, is a graduate of Fox Lane High School in Bedford, N.Y. and comes from Westchester Community College.  He was a signee with Clemson and was a three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer.com.  He played club for Everton FC Westchester Academy and was the U16 scoring leader, while being the U18 team captain.  Shkreli was one of 18 kids in the Northeast chosen by U.S. Soccer to play against the Ecuador U20 National Team in New Jersey.

 

Christoforou, a 5-7 midfielder, played three seasons of varsity soccer at Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, New York.  A two-year captain and two-time MVP, he was a 2018 All-State selection, helping Schreiber to the Nassau and Long Island Championships.  He also earned All-County honorable mention twice in 2016 and 2017.  Christoforou played club soccer for the Levittown Gunners, which won the EDP Showcase in 2017.  Away from the pitch, he is a member of the National, Spanish, and Science Honor Societies, a NYS Schlolar Athlete in 2018, and a member of the Principal’s Honor Roll.

 

Duhour, a 6-1 defender, was a four-year soccer player of Immaculata La Salle High School in Miami, where he was a two-year captain, a two-time All-Dade County selection, and the 2018 Scholar Athlete of the Year.  He played club soccer for both Toros FC (2014-17) and Strikers FC (2017-18).  Away from the field, Duhour is a member of the National, French, and English Honor Societies.

 

Maor, a 6-0 midfielder/forward, was a three-year member of the varsity soccer squad at Northern Valley Regional High School in New Jersey, where he was a two-year captain.  He led the team in scoring three times (2016-18) and was named the team MVP in each of those seasons.   A two-time First Team All-League performer, he received the League MVP award in 2018 and was also selected First Team All-County and to the SCANJ All-State Team. Maor played club soccer for TSF Academy 2001, which held a #14 national ranking, winning the Potomac Tournament Championship and finishing as a semifinalist in the NPL Nationals and the 2019 Dallas Cup.  A team captain and top scorer, he served as the U16 Maccabi USA captain and won a gold medal at the 2017 World Maccabiah Games.  Away from the field, he served as Class Vice President at Northern Valley Regional and named to the High Honor Roll.

 

Primavera, a 5-11 defender/midfielder, was a part of the varsity soccer team at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York.  A 2018 team captain and All-League performer in 2017, he led Chaminade to two New York State Championships in 2017 and 2018, and four NSCHSAA League Championships (2015-18).  He played club soccer for the Hota Bavarian U19 team.  In the classroom, Primavera was a member of the National Honor Society and the Honor Roll, while receiving the Excellence in Character Award.

 

A 6-0 goalkeeper, Stafford was a graduate of the Darling School in Rome, Georgia, playing three years for the Darling Soccer Academy.  He helped the U19 team rank #1 in Georgia in 2019, winning the U19 Jefferson Cup Championship and the U19 Indianapolis Showcase Championship, while being a Disney Showcase U19 finalist.  He has trained with the U.S. Men’s National Team in the Virgin Islands in 2018.  Away from the pitch, Stafford was a member of the National Math Honor Society and earned Academic Honors on the Director’s List.

 

Valentine, a 5-9 player, who can play at a variety of positions, was a four-year varsity soccer player at the Seattle Academy in Washington.  A team captain in 2018, he was a First Team All-State performer, leading the team with 28 goals.  A two-time Emerald City First Team selection in 2017 and 2018, he helped Seattle Academy to a Washington State Championship in 2016, the State quarterfinals in 2017, and the State semifinals in 2018.  Valentine played club soccer for Seattle United B00 Copa, serving as team captain from 2014-19.  He was a five-time State champion with Seattle United (2014-17, 2019), a six-time Far West Regional Champion (2014-19), and a six-time RCL Division Champion (2014-19).  In the classroom, he is a four-year member of the honor roll.