STORRS, Conn. – The UConn men’s soccer program announced the addition of transfer Ziyad Fekri to the program for the 2019 season. Fekri spent the past two seasons as defender for Louisville, and will come to Storrs with two years of eligibility remaining.

“Replacing Dylan Greenberg, who graduated this past December, was a definite challenge,” said associate head coach Mike Miller. “For us, that position is critical to our style of play.”

Miller added, “Ziyad is a great fit and exactly what we were looking for. He’s great with the ball and a top level 1v1 defender. At Louisville, he’s been a proven winner, as he’s played in 36 collegiate games and won the ACC Tournament. We’re thrilled to have him join our team at UConn.”

In two seasons with the Cardinals, Fekri registered a goal and four assists for six points. As a sophomore, the Rabat, Morocco native started all 19 matches on the back line for the Cardinals and served as a key member of a defense that registered eight shutouts en route to the ACC Championship. Additionally, Fekri’s play earned the sophomore a nod to the ACC Championship All-Tournament team.

During his freshman campaign, he appeared in 17 matches overall, including starts in the final 15 matches of the season for the No. 7 Cardinals. Fekri was an instrumental part of the Louisville backline that recorded 12 shutouts overall.

Prior to his collegiate career, Ziyad played club soccer for FUS of Rabat from 2016-17 and Academie Royale Mohammed VI from 2012-16. Additionally, he was a member of the Moroccan U19 National Team and finished second in the 2016 TIDA event in the Ivory Coast. Ziyad also played in three national championships, winning the 2017 (U19) championship while posting a second place finish in the U21 national championship and a third place finish in the 2015 U17 national championship.

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