Newcomers Add Talent, Depth to Cardinals for 2017

Saturday, August 12

LOUISVILLE, KY

7:30 PM

University of Louisville

LIPSCOMB (EX)

Louisville v Syracuse | Ken Lolla, John Michael Hayden

Head coach Ken Lolla added 14 newcomers to Louisville's roster for the 2017 season.

August 11, 2017 | Men's Soccer

Louisville added 14 newcomers to its 2017 men's soccer roster, including a trio of transfers

By: Garett Wall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville men's soccer team will play the first of its three preseason matches on Saturday night and when the Cardinals kick off their exhibition slate against Lipscomb, fans at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium will see numerous familiar faces among the group of returning players as well as a deep class of talented newcomers on the 2017 roster.

The Cardinals, ranked No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, are anchored by the return of a trio of standout seniors in All-American defender Tim Kubel, All-ACC forward Mohamed Thiaw and All-ACC midfielder Geoffrey Dee, who played key roles in 2016 when Louisville advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championship for the fourth time in seven years. UofL also lost some key contributors to that squad, including four players selected in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft in midfielder Daniel Johnson, goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland, defender Michael DeGraffenreidt and midfielder Romilio Hernandez.

The 2017 roster includes numerous returnees from last year's squad who have positioned themselves with an opportunity to compete for significant playing time. Along with those veteran players, head coach Ken Lolla and his coaching staff have added 14 newcomers to the program with a mix of experienced Division I transfers and talented freshmen to build an impressive roster of potential impact players this season.

Louisville added a trio of transfers in senior midfielder Walker Andriot (Xavier), senior defender Campbell Weyland (Lafayette) and junior midfielder Adam Wilson (Cincinnati). Andriot, who is a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky and the son of UofL men's soccer alumnus BJ Andriot, made 50 starts and played in 59 matches in three seasons at Xavier. Weyland is a graduate of St. Xavier High School in Louisville and made 36 starts with 38 total appearances in three seasons at Lafayette. Wilson joins the Cardinals after two seasons at Cincinnati, where he was the 2016 American Conference Midfielder of the Year and made 31 starts with 36 appearances during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.

The Cardinals also added 11 freshmen newcomers for 2017 as midfielder Elijah Amo (Lothian, Md.), midfielder Chaz Andriot (Shelbyville, Ky.), midfielder JP Armbruster (Nashville, Tenn.), defender Chris DeMartino (Potomac, Md.), midfielder Hamam El-Fitouri (Manchester, England), defender Ziyad Fekri (Rabat, Morocco), goalkeeper William Howard (Chester, Va.), forward Izaiah Jennings (Barrington, R.I.), goalkeeper Trey Miller (Monson, Mass.), midfielder Alec-Michael Petrizzi (Wellington, Fla.) and midfielder Cameron Wheeler (Louisville, Ky.) officially reported to campus on Monday. The talented class of first year players provides the Cardinals with great depth as well as a strong foundation for the future.

Following the preseason opener against Lipscomb on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., ET, Louisville will continue its exhibition slate against Indiana on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., in Westfield, Ind., before closing the trio of preseason matches against Oakland on Aug. 19 at Lynn Stadium. The Cardinals will open the regular season against UC Irvine on Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m., ET at Lynn Stadium.

Fans can follow Louisville men's soccer on Twitter (@UofLmenssoccer) at http://twitter.com/uoflmenssoccer and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/UofLmenssoccer.

2017 LOUISVILLE SOCCER SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets for the 2017 University of Louisville soccer season are on sale now and can be purchased online here, by phone at 502-GO-CARDS or in person at the Louisville Cardinals Ticket Office at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Fans can also renew their season tickets from last season by logging in to the My Cardinal Account or by calling 502-GO-CARDS.

Season ticket holders will receive tickets for all men's and women's matches while sitting in the same seats for every match. Season ticket pricing at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium remains the same in 2017 as it has been since the facility opened in 2014. Season tickets in the reserved seating areas are as low as $3 per match, while general admission/berm/bleacher tickets are as low as $2.25 per game with the family plan.

Unique on field and game day group experiences are also available and more information is available at GoCards.com/soccer-fep. For more information on Louisville soccer season tickets, call 502-GO-CARDS or email tickets@gocards.com.