Fordham men's soccer head coach
Jim McElderry announced the additions of five more players to this year's recruiting class,
Jacob Bohm (Berlin, Germany/Paul-Naturp Gymnasium),
Liam Dougherty Howard (Largo, Fla./St. Petersburg Catholic) ,
Andron Kagramanyan (Thornhill, Ontario/Vaughan Secondary),
Luke McNamara (South Huntington, N.Y./Fordham Prep), and
Ross Willox (Hawkes Bay, New Zealand/Napier).
They join a recruiting class that includes
Nolan Cloney (Wall, N.J./Wall),
Brandon Golden (Morganville, N.J./YSC Academy),
Chris Pensuwan (Montville, N.J./Montville Township), and
Lachlan Woolsey (New York, N.Y./The Calverton School (Md.)).
"We are happy to announce these additions to our 2017 class. All of them have strengths we look for in players," said McElderry.
Bohm, a 5-8 defender, attended Paul-Naturp Gymnasium in Berlin, Germany for six years. He played club soccer for Hertha BSC Berlin, helping Hertha to the German U19 Cup Championship, after earning runner-up at the U17 German Championship. He received the Silver Badge of Honor for most games played for the Berlin State Selection in the 1996 year group.
McElderry on Bohm: "Jacob can play multiple positions. He has been unlucky with injury at Hertha Berlin. But now healthy I know he will eventually be a strong leader who can help us in multiple positions."
Dougherty Howard, a 6-0 midfielder, is one of two recruits with Fordham soccer ties. A three-year captain at St. Petersburg Catholic High School in Florida, he was a 2016 NSCAA All-Region selection and was named to the
Tampa Bay Times All-Tampa Bay Soccer Team twice (2015-16). He set the single season school record in assists as a junior, and was a 2016 Scholar Athlete Award winner. Dougherty Howard played club soccer for the Tampa Bay United Rowdies, which won the IMG Cup and the
adidas Columbus Day Classic, and competed in the U19 Final Four State Cup. The valedictorian at St. Petersburg Catholic, he was a member of six honor societies in high school (National, National Science, Math, English, Latin, and Rho Kappa), and received the President's Award for Educational Excellence, as well as Academic Excellence Awards in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, English, and U.S. History.
Doughtery Howard's soccer ties stretch to both of his older sisters, Kelsey and Meggie, who both played Division I college soccer. Kelsey was a four-year starter for the Fordham women's soccer team and graduated in 2014, while Meggie was a four-year starter at the University of Florida, earning NSCAA All-American honors and went on to play professionally for the Washington Spirit of the NWSL.
McElderry on Dougherty Howard: "Liam is a central midfielder with good vision and ability to cover
ground. He is very familiar with Fordham as his sister, Kelsey played on the Fordham women's team, graduating in 2014."
Kagramanyan, a 5-8 midfielder, played four years of soccer at Vaughan Secondary School on Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. He was the 2016-17 team captain and four-time team MVP, leading the team in goals three times. He also competed also for the Canadian Men's U15 National Team in 2014. Kagramanyan also played two seasons of club soccer for Toronto FC Academy (2015-16), where he represented the team at the MLS U16 All-Star Games in Los Angeles (2015) and participated in the Generation adidas Cup International Stage (2016). In 2017, he moved to Vaughan SC, helping the squad to the Ontario Youth Soccer League U18 Championship.
McElderry on Kagramanyan: "Andron has played with Toronto FC Academy and Vaughn in Canada. He is central midfielder with sharp technical ability. He will help us control the tempo of games."
McNamara, a 6-1 midfielder, was a three-year varsity soccer player at Fordham Prep in the Bronx. He was team captain as a senior and a Two-time All-City selection (2015 & 2016). He played club soccer for the Massapequa Aces and was a member of the National Honor Society. Like Dougherty Howard, McNamara also has Fordham soccer ties, as both of his older brothers, Mike (2011-14) and Greg (2012-15), were four-year members of the Fordham men's soccer team, as was his father, Peter (1980-83).
McElderry on McNamara: "Luke also has big connections to Fordham. His father, Pete, played here
at Fordham and is a very successful soccer coach at Fordham Prep, while both of his brothers, Mike and Greg, also played at Fordham helping the team win the 2014 Atlantic 10 Championship. Luke is a good all-around player with technical ability. I expect him to play a role for us during his four years at Rose Hill.
Willox, a 6-0 midfielder, attended Napier Boys High School in New Zealand for one year after four years at Hastings Boys High School. He helped Napier soccer to a #5 ranking in New Zealand in 2017. Prior to that, he served as team captain of the Hastings boys' team in 2015. Willox played club soccer for Hawkes Bay United, which finished fourth in the country and qualified for a playoff berth in 2017.
McElderry on Willox: "Ross is a box-to-box midfielder, who we first saw at our ID camp in 2016. He has played at a high level in New Zealand. I expect Ross to make a quick transition to college soccer."
The Fordham men's soccer team begins defense of their Atlantic 10 Championship on August 25
th against Elon at the John Rennie Nike Invitational, hosted by Duke University.
