Men's Soccer Announces 2024 Signee Class

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville men's soccer program is delighted to announce the addition of seven student-athletes to the program ahead of the Fall 2024 season. These seven join the program from three different states and three different countries.

"We are extremely excited to announce this group for August," said head coach Mick Giordano. "Our program took a massive step forward in the 2023 season. The true challenge ahead is with finding the consistency to stay at the level we reached. We believe Conrad, Lucca, Sam, Owen, Tyler, Jack, and Logan bring the correct blend of experience, energy and determination to help sustain our program as a contender in the Big South. Most importantly, they are all terrific humans."

"Our staff knew this group must be impactful right away. As good as the 2023 season was, it is officially behind us with an even more difficult 2024 slate ahead. The Big South Conference continues to raise the bar and this Fall will be one of the most challenging conference slates in the last 10 seasons. With knowing that, we had to identify individuals that fit specifically to our identity as a program. All seven signees come from vast experiences while also possessing the work rate, commitment and honesty we ask to be present daily from our student-athletes.

"A massive thank you and shoutout to the staff for all the work they have done to identify and sign this recruiting class. As we have seen in recent seasons, Joe LaCasto has been the anchor for us ensuring the level of the program continues to move forward. This recruiting class possess diversity spanning the globe and a drive for excellence which continues to better all of us at UNC Asheville men's soccer. Joe's dedication and efforts are unmatched as he continues to mold himself into one of the best recruiting coordinators in the college game."

Lucca Barros | Goalkeeper | Freshman | Charlotte Soccer Academy ECNL National | Mint Hill, NC
• Played for Charlottowne Hops FC in the NPSL Summer 2024
• Played two years for Charlotte FC – 2021-2023
• 2021 ECNL Mid-Atlantic All-Conference, 2021 ECNL National Runners-up
• 2019 GPS National Team
• Born in Argentina

From Coach LaCasto: "Lucca is a player we are very excited about. He brings a wealth of youth soccer experience at many different levels and has been an integral part of many successful teams. He is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and has the ability to pull off some wonderful saves. As a staff we are very excited to integrate him into our strong goalkeeping group."

Sam Howe | Forward | Freshman | Charlotte Eagles Academy/Independence High School | Charlotte, NC
• 2023 United Soccer Coaches Mid-Atlantic All-Region
• 2023 HighSchoolOT First Team All-State
• 2023 NCHSAA All-State, 2023 Region Player of the Year, 2023 Southwestern AAAA Conference Player of the Year, 2023 Southwestern AAAA All-Conference
• 2023 Independence High – 18 goals, 16 assists
• Selected to the Clash of the Carolinas - 2024
• Two-time NC Club Team of the Year
• 2022 Southwestern AAAA All-Conference
• Played with Mint Hill FC (2023) & CSA (2024) in the UPSL
• 2021 US Club National Champions – Charlotte Eagles Academy

From Coach LaCasto: "Sam is an extremely creative, attack minded midfielder. His ability to break teams down both with his passing and dribbling really excite us. He can play in a variety of roles but excels in the attacking third. We are delighted about getting him on campus and seeing the impact he can have within our program."

Owen Lagerwey | Midfielder | Freshman | Beach FC (CA) ECNL | Manhattan Beach, CA
• 2023 First Team All-Bay League
• 2023 MVP South Tournament
• 2022 NPL National Finalists
• Finished top 4 in Southern California D1 high schools out of 550 teams

From Coach LaCasto: "Owen is a dynamic midfielder who can play in a variety of roles. His ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball really stood out to our staff. In possession he is very tidy while also being able to break lines going forward. Defensively he covers a lot of ground and is not afraid of a strong challenge. We are really excited about Owen joining the program this Fall."

Tyler Leonard | Defender | Freshman | Minnesota United Academy | Prior Lake, MN
• Five-year member of MLS Minnesota United Academy
• 2022 Generation Adidas Cup Round of 16
• 2022 ECNL Midwest Conference First Team All-Conference
• 2020 US National Futsal Team
• Board Scholar Award – four years in a row

From Coach Giordano: "Tyler is an aggressive and hard-nosed defender. His athletic ability allows him to be comfortable in multiple positions off the left. The calmness he brings on the ball fits our attacking ideas. His personality and work ethic really stood out to us in the recruiting process. We are excited to have him join us in August as his experiences within the academy and 2s will help impact our program immediately."

Jack Kenyon | Midfielder | Freshman | East Grinstead Town | London, United Kingdom
• Played for East Grinstead Town First Team in 2023 preseason
• Played for nationally-known school team, Harris Crystal Palace
• Two-year scholar at Colchester United FC

From Coach LaCasto: "Jack is a dynamic midfielder who can play both centrally and out wide. He has a good ability to unlock oppositions with his vision and passing. Along with his quality on the ball his work rate and mentality are top notch and really excite our staff. We are excited to have Jack joining the program in August."

Logan Smith | Defender | Freshman | North Carolina FC Academy | Raleigh, NC
• Three-time member of North Carolina FC Academy, top 10 club in the country
• Two-time ECNL Playoffs
• Freshman Varsity Letter in only year of high school

From Coach Giordano: "Logan is a player we have been fortunate enough to see over the last two years. He comes from one of the best youth academies in the country allowing him to gain exposure to higher intensities at a younger age. His growth and dedication to be the best version of himself are things that really resonated with our staff. He is an aggressive 1v1 footballer with a cultured left foot. Our staff is excited to have Logan joining the program this Fall."

Conrad Ryu Eriksson | Defender | Junior | WVU Tech | Tokyo, Japan
• Transferred from West Virginia University Tech
• 3,100 minutes, 39 games played, 35 starts, three assists – in two seasons at WVU Tech
• 2023 Captain of WVU Tech
• 2023 River State Conference First Team All-Conference
• 2023 River State Conference Regular Season Champions
• 2023 River State Conference Tournament Champions
• 2022 River State Conference Regular Season Champions

From Coach Giordano: "Conrad is a student-athlete we are extremely excited to work with. It was an immediate no-brainer for our staff to add someone of his quality and experience on the field. Conrad has known nothing but success in his first two years, while contributing heavily to his team's accomplishments. Being named captain as a sophomore speaks volumes about who he is as a leader and person. He is a fantastic student and will be a tremendous addition for our program in all facets.

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

Men's Soccer Announces 2024 Signee Class

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