Editor’s Note: This article has been updated due to a spelling error
After a 7-9-2 2024 that finished with a 3-1 semifinals loss to eventual champions Iona, Marist men’s soccer has finalized its 2025 roster.
Two notable players are in the transfer portal: sophomore defenders Nick Sanchez and Joseph Daher. Daher has already committed to St. John’s University in Queens, New York. Daher, out of Canada, started 28 games over two years and logged over 2300 minutes. Sanchez has yet to choose his next destination. Both proved to be core players the past two seasons and quickly provided strong performances on a consistent basis.
Five other Red Foxes graduated, including attacker Richard Morel, who had a dominant 2024, and midfielder Andrea Nguionza, who featured multiple times off the bench.
Morel started 52 of the 56 games he appeared in at Marist, scoring 16 goals and assisting eight. He logged over 3500 minutes in a Marist shirt and proved to be a vital part of the Red Foxes’ 2024 season, scoring eight goals.
Nguionza transferred to Marist after playing at VCU in his freshman year and ended up playing in 42 games, starting 18. The defensive midfielder from Canada put together a lot of good games sitting above the defense, supporting Marist’s back line.
Albion Bacaj, Jurgen Thue Kristiansen, and Stephen Betz round out Marist’s graduating class.
Bacaj started his career at Sacred Heart but stayed in the MAAC, transferring to Marist. The center-back appeared in 15 games as a junior but logged just 14 minutes in 2024.
Betz, a captain in 2024, decided to come to Marist for his grad year after winning a national championship at Syracuse. Over 250 minutes, Betz dealt out a single assist, but ultimately, his impact came off the field as a veteran voice.
Kristiansen suffered a gruesome knee injury in his fourth game of the season, ending his senior season. He joined Marist from UCF two years ago and made decent contributions in his junior campaign. The Norwegian made 18 starts and 19 appearances for the Red Foxes over his shortened career.
The 2025 roster features two graduate students, one transfer and one returner. Goalie Jamie Lowell, a massive part of Marist’s 2024, returns for a second graduate year. Liam Evans, brother of midfielder Kyle, joins from Southern New Hampshire University, where he was a stalwart in the center of their backline.
Eight freshmen make up the rest of the Red Foxes’ class of 2029. Four incoming players come from the PDA Academy in New Jersey: wing/mid Ronan Hogg, center-mid Benjamin Mills, wing/forward Eric Moroz and defender William Salivonchik.
PDA captured three straight MLS Next League Championships from 2022-2024 and won their MLS Next Flex Group Championship in 2023.
Defender/midfielder Christian Dewsbury and wing/midfielder Adriano Iannello hail from Canada, with head coach Matt Viggiano recruiting multiple players from Vaughan SC. Dewsbury and Iannello were both multiple-time league winners for Vaughan, and Iannello appeared for Toronto FC in the MLS Next league.
Noah Mellen, a striker from Poughkeepsie, is one of three New York/New Jersey recruits. Midfielder Brady Boulanger comes from River Vale, New Jersey and the Red Bulls Academy. Viggiano continues his link with the New York Red Bulls, with other players like Kyle Evans and Evan Marques from RBNY. Mellen made the Poughkeepsie Journal First Team after scoring seven goals and six assists in 2024.
Leo Khang, a midfielder from Scarsdale, New York, finishes the class. Marist’s roster sits at 26 total players as the Red Foxes look to push for a MAAC title. At Scarsdale, Khang won two state titles, 43 straight games and finished with his team ranked second in the nation in 2022.
The following is a projected depth chart for 2025
Strikers – Chris Verheul, Jason Zulauf, Noah Mellen, Eric Moroz
Wingers – Jonathan Salguero, Arion Ulaj, Evan Vilaboy, Adriano Iannello, Ronan Hogg
Attacking Midfielders – Kyle Evans, Caio Cavaletti, Leo Khang, Benjamin Mills
Defensive Midfielders – Skyler Cunha, Christian Dewsbury, Brady Boulanger
Outside Defenders – Ethan Ortiz, Evan Marques, Aidan Arber, Shay Daly
Center Defenders – Gijs Verheul, Liam Evans, William Salivonchik
Goalkeepers – Jamie Lowell, Dreni Idrizi, Alex Murania
Edited by Marley Pope
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore; Photos from Marist Athletics
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Bluesky. Sign up to receive daily alerts here.