RALEIGH, N.C. (June 14) - The Shaw University Men's Soccer Program is pleased to announce 22 roster additions for the 2023 season. The players hail from more than 10 different countries and several U.S. states, including Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and North Carolina.

"We have put in the work to grow our men's soccer program," Head Coach Dr. Randy McClure said. "And this group will not only provide us with some outstanding depth but continue to raise our level."

Below is a brief bio on each recruit. The Bears open the 2023 season on the road against Emory & Henry on Aug. 31 in Emory, Va., at 7:30 p.m. Their first home contest is Sept. 5 against Carlow University at 1 p.m.
 
Michael Aguirre and Tre Wright are incoming freshmen from the Dallas, Tex., area. Aguirre, from Dallas, and Wright, from Lewisville, Tex., learned the game in one of the strongest regions of the country for youth soccer. Aguirre is a natural forward who tallied 26 goals for North Dallas High School in 2022, earning him District MVP honors. Wright is an experienced defender who represented Founders Classic Academy and FC Dallas Youth. McClure notes, "Players we have had in the program from the Dallas area have done quite well for us. The level of play there is quite high, and I see both Michael and Tre as guys who can come in and compete right away. Michael has a true nose for the goal, and Tre has really good size who moves well. He reads the game well and is just a ball-winner."

Xavier Alvarado is a transfer midfielder from Villa Maria College. A Cuenca, Ecuador, native, Alvarado had a solid year for Villa, starting every game he played, often playing the full 90 minutes. After a successful school career in his country, Alvarado was invited to play for Deportivo Cuenca, the top club in the region, before opting to pursue opportunities in the U.S. "Xavier is your typical blue-collar midfielder, who simply puts in the work but he's also more than that," notes McClure. "He has a good eye for going forward and will be a guy that racks up assists here at Shaw."

Jonathan Ardila is a transfer forward from Tompkins Cortland Community College. From Bucaramanga, Columbia, Ardila was a team captain and mainstay in the lineup for Tompkins, where he recorded 20 starts over his two-year career and helped Tompkins to the NJCAA Region 3 playoffs in 2021. "Jhonny is a natural leader and a total team player," Coach McClure said. "We were looking for experienced attacking players who could help our current young group mature in the game. We thought Jhonny would be a perfect fit for us."

Tyrique Belle is a transfer forward from Western Texas College. From Bridgetown, Barbados, Belle enjoyed a successful career at Western playing in 16 games and helping his team to the Mid-South District Championship game in 2022. Coach McClure says of him, "Tyrique is a dynamic attacking player who has a knack for putting pressure on an opponent's back line. He will present problems for other teams through his ability to break down defenses."

Jalen Borneo-John is an incoming freshman from Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago. Borneo-John is a versatile player who can play anywhere in the midfield and back line. Elise competed for Trinity College, Moka, a prestigious secondary school where he earned most valuable player honors. "Jalen has a tremendous skill set that is complemented by a physical presence on the field. He is incredibly hard-working and competitive and has a very high ceiling in the game," McClure notes.

Dominique Bush is a transfer forward from Meridian Community College. A Starkville, Miss., native, Bush had a tremendous career at Meridian where he earned MVP honors in both 2021 and 2022, playing in 19 games and scoring 9 goals over his career. McClure says of him, "Dominique is a humble young man with an incredible work ethic. He just competes and wants to win. His experience and success at Meridian should propel him to great things here at Shaw."

Noah Casanova and Daniel Guridy come to Shaw as teammates from Northeast Texas Community College. Casanova is a defender from Whitehouse, Tex., and Guridy is a midfielder from Vinaros, Spain. Together, Casanova and Guridy appeared in close to 30 games for Northeast, with Casanova making 13 starts on the Northwest back line in 2022. McClure notes of the duo, "One of our goals going into this recruiting cycle was to add experience to the roster, and we think Noah and Dani give us just this. We expect them to bring their experience and synergy on the field to our young group."

Jalmaro Calvin is an incoming freshman from Ottos, Antigua, where he was a regular participant in his country's national team program, playing most recently as a midfielder and winger in the highly respected CONCACAF U20 tournament. "I had the pleasure of watching Jalmaro compete against some of the top players in the Caribbean, and he stood out right away." McClure said. "He is dynamic going forward and breaks down opponents easily in 1v1 situations. He also puts in the work off the ball. I'm excited to have him here at Shaw."

Simeon Charles is a transfer midfielder from Southwestern Oregon Community College. A native of Sangre Grande, Trinidad and Tobago, Charles had a solid career at Southwestern, where in 2022 he earned team MVP honors and helped his team to an impressive 9-3-2 record. McClure comments, "Simeon is a physical specimen. He is incredibly strong and an absolute presence on the field. His individual defending and willingness to give everything for his team jumped out at me right away."

Alvaro Hernandez is an incoming freshman from Durham, N.C. A midfielder, Hernandez captained the team at Riverside High School in 2022, where he also earned team MVP honors and was named to the All-Conference team. "Alvaro was recommended to us by one of our current players, and in watching him play we saw first-hand what a natural competitor he is. He takes charge and responsibility on the field and puts in the work in the middle of the field. His work ethic is what we want in our incoming players," notes McClure.

Hoslerson Joseph is an incoming freshman from Lumberton, N.C. Referred to as Son by his coaches and teammates, he starred as a forward at Lumberton High School where he earned several accolades including team MVP in 2021 and 2022, Robeson Cup MVP in 2021, and First-Team All-Conference in 2022. "I'm really intrigued by this player," says McClure. "He's a local kid who had an incredible high school career. I believe he scored close to 50 goals last year. That's ridiculous. He may be the find in this year's recruiting class."

Safari Kashindi is a transfer from University of South Carolina Salkehatchie. A native of Atlanta, Ga., Kashindi had a strong career at USC Salk. He appeared as a forward in close to 20 games and notched 10 goals, including a four-goal game against top regional opponent Spartanburg Methodist. "What impressed us the most with Safari was his ability to move off the ball and get behind opponent's back lines," notes McClure. "He possesses good pace with a nose for the goal. He gives us yet another dangerous option up top."

Ryan Louis is a transfer forward from William Penn University. Originally from Marigot, Saint Martin, Louis has represented his national team and participated in the CONCACAF Nations League, one of the highest levels of competition available. McClure says, "I can't wait to work with Ryan. He has the size and strength that we look for in a forward. I expect him to do great things here at Shaw."

Jeremiah McLean is an incoming freshman from Hamlet, N.C. McLean starred as a defender for Richmond Early College High School where he also excelled in the classroom. "I've been talking to Jeremiah since his junior year, and I've seen him develop a ton over the past two years," McClure says. "He has good size, reads the game well, and is a great teammate. We needed to add depth on our back line, and I expect Jeremiah to be an important part of our program during his career at Shaw."

Michael Melvin is an incoming freshman from Mora, Sweden. Melvin is currently competing in the Swedish 4^th division where he is his team's top goalkeeper. McClure notes, "Mikey is a great communicator and acts as a leader from the back. Standing 6'1", he is a dominant shot stopper with natural instincts and quick reactions. He is also comfortable with the ball at his feet and understands the role of distribution in building the attack. I expect him to push for the top spot here at Shaw."

Timothy Navez is an incoming freshman from Butner, N.C. Navez starred as a midfielder at Granville Central High School where he earned multiple honors including being named to the All-Conference team four years in a row and the All-District team in 2022. He was also his team's MVP and top goal scorer in 2022. "Timothy is another one of our freshmen who might surprise us this year," says McClure. "He has the kind of skill set that I think will transition well to the college game. He just gets it."

David Poku is an incoming freshman from Atlanta, Ga. Poku had an outstanding career as a midfielder and winger for Lovejoy High School, where he was named to the All-State team four years in a row. Poku also competed for his club team in MLS Next and Elite 64, two of the top youth levels in the U.S. "David is silky smooth on the ball. He is incredibly creative and comfortable in tight spaces, and he always seems to find a way to get his teammates on the ball. I'm super excited about him," notes McClure.

Gerardo Quintanilla is an incoming freshman from San Diego, Calif. Quintanilla played in the midfield for Steele Canyon High School, where he helped his team to a CIF Championship in 2021. He also played club ball for Sporting San Diego, one of the top clubs in Southern California. McClure adds, "What we noticed right away about Gerardo was his incredible comfort on the ball and his positional awareness. He clearly has a high soccer IQ as he reads the game very well for a younger player. We're excited to see what he can do here at Shaw."

Jaedyn Saunders is a transfer defender from Heartland Community College. A native of Brampton, Ontario, Saunders enjoyed a successful career at Heartland, where in 2022 he started all 18 games and earned athlete of the week honors several times for his play in NJCAA Region 24. McClure comments, "What we liked about Jaedyn right away is his ability to play both attacking and defending roles. He is a stout defender but also comfortable going forward, which shows in the six goals he scored last year. We expect Jaedyn to have an immediate impact for us."

Benjamin Turner is an incoming freshman from Waxhaw, N.C. He was a four-year starter and two-year captain in the goal for Cuthbertson High School. "We thought right away that Benjamin was a perfect fit for our program. In addition to being an outstanding student, he is committed to his development and shows a true passion for the game. We expect him to provide us with one of the deepest goalkeeping groups in the region," says McClure.