BRONX, N.Y. – With the start of the 2024 season less than one month away, Fordham Men's Soccer Head Coach Carlo Acquista has announced a number roster additions to round out his team for the upcoming campaign.
In addition to the six newcomers that joined the Rams for the 2024 spring semester, 11 players will suit up for Fordham for the first time this fall.
The Rams' contingent of fall newcomers is a mix of youth and experience featuring five graduate students and six freshmen. The graduate students are Ryan Foley, Thomas Gray, Lukas Hackaa, Luca Bernoth and Luke Pompliano. The freshman cohort consists of Cosimo Tristani, Emile Kisse, Ryan Mattison, Daniel Lang, Luca Giannola and Fabio Sebastian Sanchez.
Ryan Foley/ GK/ Grad/ Malverne, N.Y./ St. John's
Foley comes to Fordham after spending four years in Queens, where he appeared in eight games and made three starts for St. John's. The 6-foot-4 netminder posted a career goals against average of 1.38 to go along with a .682 save percentage. He logged one solo clean sheet during his tenure with the Red Storm, making a career-high six saves in a scoreless draw with Xavier on Oct. 5, 2022.
Thomas Gray/ D/ Grad/ Kinross, Scotland/ Loyola Maryland
Gray arrives in the Bronx after two seasons at Loyola Maryland, where he started 28 of his 34 appearances for the Greyhounds. As a senior in 2023, he anchored a backline that registered a 0.83 goals against average and a 6-2-1 effort in Patriot League play. Offensively, he also added two goals and two assists this past fall. A Scotland native, Gray began his collegiate career at William Carey University, an NAIA school in Hattiesburg, Miss. In two seasons, William Carey allowed just six goals and recorded 17 clean sheets with Gray on the pitch.
Lukas Hackaa/ M/ Grad/ Stockholm, Sweden/ IUPUI
The 2023 Horizon League Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-Horizon League pick at IUPUI, Hackaa joins the Rams following two stellar seasons in Indianapolis. A Second Team All-Region honoree in 2023 after scoring seven goals and dishing out five assists, the midfielder also took home Horizon League Fall Scholar Athlete of the Season accolades. As a junior in 2022, Hackaa posted eight goals and nine assists, good enough for fourth and first, respectively in the conference. His nine helpers were the second most in school history and the most by an IUPUI player since 1991. Hackaa, who began his college career at Division II Notre Dame College, scored five game-winners across his two seasons at IUPUI.
Luca Bernoth/ M/ Grad/ Gelsenkirchen, Germany/ Florida Southern
A transfer from Florida Southern College, Bernoth earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators this past season and a three-time member of the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll. A winner of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award in 2021, Bernoth appeared in 36 career games with Florida Southern, 34 of which were starts. He tallied three goals and five assists over that span.
Luke Pompliano/ F/ Grad/ Princeton, N.J./ Villanova
Pompliano comes to Fordham from Villanova, where he capped in 38 matches and made five starts during his three seasons with the Wildcats before missing 2023 with injury. His most productive campaign came as a sophomore in 2021, when he tallied two goals and an assist for a Villanova team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He scored the game-winner in a 2-1 road triumph over Creighton in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament, all but securing an at-large bid for the Wildcats. As a junior in 2022, he started four of his 16 appearances.
Cosimo Tristani/D/Fr./Closter, N.J./Bergen Catholic
Tristani comes to Fordham following a standout high school career at Bergen Catholic, where he was both an all-league and all-county selection for the Crusaders and was named All-Non-Public Second Team by NJ.com. A standout on the club circuit for Cedar Stars Academy, Tristani is the son of former Fordham star Anthony Tristani, who tallied 13 goals and nine assists during 53 career games with the Rams from 1995-98, highlighted by the 1996 Atlantic 10 Championship.
Emile Kisse/F/Fr./Etobicoke, Ontario/Saint-Frere-Andre
An explosive offensive talent, Kisse begins his collegiate career following a stint in the academy system of Toronto FC. The no. 24 prospect in all of Canada for his class according to FTF Soccer, Kisse excelled with North Toronto Nitros before joining Toronto FC.
Ryan Mattison/F/Fr./Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury
Mattison impressed in his one year of high school soccer, earning All-Class AAA and All-Section 9 honors for Monroe-Woodbury. On the club circuit, Mattison played with Cedar Stars Academy.
Daniel Lang/ D/ Fr./ Pulheim, Germany/ Landrat Lucas Gymnasium
Lang looks to become the latest in a long line of Fordham stars from Germany, coming to the Bronx after three years in the academy system of Bayer Leverkusen. Prior to that, he spent three seasons with Fortuna Köln and five years with 1.FC Köln.
Luca Giannola/ D/ Fr./ Glen Head, N.Y./Chaminade
The younger brother of Fordham teammate Joey Giannola, Luca arrives at Rose Hill following a standout high school career at Chaminade. An All-Long Island Second Team selection by Newsday in 2023, Giannola earned both all-league and all-state honors with the Flyers, who finished as the NSCHSAA runners-up in 2023. On the club circuit, Giannola played with NY Hota Bavarian.
Fabio Sebastian Sanchez/ M/ Fr./ New Hyde Park, N.Y./ Chaminade
A teammate of Giannola at Chaminade, Sanchez proved instrumental in leading Chaminade to a NSCHSAA title game appearance in his one year with the Flyers. On the club circuit, Sanchez starred for BW Gottschee beginning in 2022 after spending four years with Met Oval Academy.
