EMMITSBURG, Md. (August 2, 2023) – Mount St. Mary's Head Men's Soccer Coach Bryan Cunningham and staff have brought in 13 new student-athletes to compete for the team this fall.
 
The 2023 recruiting class features mostly true freshman, with eight of the 13 comprising that distinction. Alongside them are three graduate transfers, a senior junior college transfer and an international sophomore student.
 
Jesse Boonstoppel, So., 5-9, Defense, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Hervormd Lyceum Zuid
 
Arriving from the Netherlands, Boonstoppel comes to Emmitsburg as a rising sophomore, following completion of freshman year credits at home. Most soccer experience comes from the AFC Amsterdam youth program, competing since 2010 in various age groups. Participating at the nationwide level, Boonstoppel was a member of the 11^th ranked U18 team in 2021, and an unbeaten championship team in 2012-13.
 
Caleb Collins, Fr., 5-7, Midfield, Harrisburg, Pa., Bishop McDevitt
 
Coming down Route 15, Collins adds to the strong contingent of South Pennsylvanian players. Alongside playing for the Crusaders, he was a member of PA Classics, playing on the MLS Next team. His club team made a trip to the playoffs in Frisco, Texas during the 2021-22 season.
 
Maksmilian Czyz, Fr., 6-1, Defense, Alesund, Norway, Ålesund Videgårende Skole
 
Known as "Maks", Czyz becomes the second player from his nation to be a member of the team, joining senior Markus Nilsen. He received high accolades as an athlete of Lechia Gdansj and Sif/Hessa, winning two Player of the Year honors (2019, 2022) and two team captaincy votes. Twice more his teams reached the top four in the league, and Czyz comes to Maryland logging over 70 caps at the senior level.
 
Anthony Fanelli, Fr., 6-0, Forward, Morrisville, Pa., Holy Ghost Prep
 
Fanelli also comes to the Mount as a member of the Keystone State pipeline, playing his interscholastic games at Holy Ghost Prep in Bucks County. The Firebirds made the District One finals in 2019, and Fanelli was a captain in his senior year. As a club member he competed on both the Philadelphia Ukrainian National Elite 64 and FC Bucks, where he also captained. He comes to the Mount earning academic and community service honors from Holy Ghost Prep.
 
Luc Holden, Gr., 5-9, Defense, Aldershot, U.K., Seton Hill
 
The first of two graduate students, Holden joins the team following two seasons at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. In two seasons with the Griffins, Holden played in 26 contests and made 10 starts. He picked up four assists in last year's campaign, including two against the University of the District of Columbia last August. Holden is a four-time Dean's List recipient at Seton Hill.
 
Kris Kolar Leban, Fr., 6-0., Defense, Ljubljana, Slovenia, SSTS SCPET
 
Rounding out the European recruits is the lone player representing the eastern half of the continent. Kolar Leban comes to the Mount after an impressive youth career in his native Slovenia. Among his credentials are several deep postseason runs – a U17 Slovenian national championship in 2020, a UEFA Youth League Round of 32 appearance in 2021, and a quarterfinal Slovenian Soccer Cup run this past year. He also served as captain for NK Olimpija Ljubljana in his hometown during the 2021-22 campaign.
 
Junee Lee, Fr., 6-3, Midfield, Daejeon, Korea, GVCS
 
Traveling halfway around the world, Lee brings a slew of athletic, academic, and extracurricular accomplishments to Emmitsburg. Soccer-wise, he is a three-time champion, winning in the ChungBuk League (2019), the National Middle School Dream Festival (2019) and the GyeoungBuk League (2020), along with numerous silver and bronze medals. Lee won the Best Player Award in both Daejeon City (2016) and Korea U-15 (2019). In the classroom, he brings several academic achievement excellencies and participated in several administrative, retreats and councils.
 
Jacob MacDonald, Fr., 6-1, Goalkeeper, Gaithersburg, Md., Quince Orchard
 
A honor roll graduate of Quince Orchard with a 4.1 GPA, MacDonald prepared for collegiate soccer at nearby Bethesda Academy and with MLS Next. Logging over 100 games played with 50 starts, some of his achievements include allowing the fewest number of goals at the U17 MLS Next Fest in 2021, keeping the most clean sheets in the Mid-Atlantic Conference for the fall of that same year with a playoff berth as a result, and twice qualifying for MLS Next Flex in 2022 and 2023.
 
Joel Morrison, Fr., 6-0, Midfield/Forward, Sanford, Maine, Sanford H.S.
 
Morrison, like MacDonald, also gained experience with MLS Next, working under the direction of Alex Ryan and Peter Decker with Seacoast United. For his high school career, he earned 21 goals and six assists in one season with the Sanford Spartans, before graduating with honors. He also rose to the rank of captain and received MVP among the Maine Senior All-Stars.
 
Raimondo Partito, Gr., 5-9, Defense, Philadelphia, Pa., Rutgers-Camden
 
Logging over 3,000 minutes with 45 caps at Rutgers-Camden, Partito joins the Mountaineers as a graduate transfer. During his time with the Scarlet Raptors, he added a goal in his junior season and three assists throughout four years. Athletic honors include a New Jersey Athletic Conference Second Team selection (2021) with two honorable mentions. In the classroom, Partito earned placements on the school's Athletic Director Honor Roll and Dean's List along with NJAC Academic Honorable Mentions.
 
Gavin Pennell, Sr., 5-11, Goalkeeper, Port Charlotte, Fla., Frederick Community College
 
Pennell enters his senior year after two seasons at Frederick Community College and a third at Goucher outside Baltimore. In two seasons with the Cougars, he started 18 contests with a 1.17 goals against average and a save percentage of .792, winning 11 of 16 games. For the 2021 season Pennell ranked fifth nationwide in save percentage, garnering a Second Team All-Conference nod. At the high school level, he was named the 2020 Florida 6A Player of the Year and a two-time All-State player.
 
Mackie Sacarellos, Gr., 5-9, Defense, York, Pa., UMBC
 
Sacarellos arrives from UMBC as a graduate transfer, with 25 caps for the Retrievers across three seasons. He recorded 10 starts and 19 games as a junior, totaling 897 minutes and an assist versus UMass Lowell. Slated to start as a senior, injuries cut his opportunity short. Outside of UMBC, Sacarellos was named to the America East Fall Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2019, and played club soccer for PA Classics and for Dallastown High at the Interscholastic level.
 
Jayson Salvador, Fr., 6-0, Defense, Silver Spring, Md., Wheaton
 
Traveling up the I-270 corridor from the Washington, D.C. metro, Salvador competed for the Knights' varsity soccer team, captaining the squad twice under the direction of Oscar Amaguana. In addition to his play on the field, Salvador received spots on the honor roll all four years he attended Wheaton.
 
The Mount opens the season at home August 24^th, with a 7 p.m. match against Bucknell.