TEANECK, N.J. – Head coach Seth Roland and the Fairleigh Dickinson men's soccer program announced the 10 members of the 2018 recruiting class Wednesday afternoon.
 
The six student-athletes that are incoming freshmen include Valentino Ambrosio, Noah Chia, Joshua Ferreira, Tristan Paine, Ideal Shefqeti and Serigne Fallou Tounkara. The six freshmen join previously announced freshman Anthony Herbert, who arrived in January for the spring semester, to form the class of 2022.
 
In addition to the incoming freshmen, four transfers – D'shon DeGannes, Gabriele Lanzani, Michael Mejia and Steven Ortiz – complete the roster of talent added to the Knights for the 2018 season.
 
"I'm looking forward to working with this group of newcomers," said Coach Roland.  "They come from a variety of backgrounds and soccer experiences which should help us succeed on and off the field.  Integrating them into the team should be a fun and exciting challenge."
   
Valentino Ambrosio, an attacking midfielder from Cranford, N.J., competed for Cranford High School his junior and senior year after playing his first two years for Roselle Park. He was also selected as one of 17 players for the ID2 National Selection International Tour that competed in Italy in 2014. He played club soccer for the New York Red Bulls Academy team U15/16 before moving to Cedar Stars Academy-Monmouth for the past two years, where he was a team captain. He scored 10 goals in 13 matches for Cedar Stars this past season to lead the team.
 
"Valentino is a technical and creative attacking player who is comfortable with the ball, can beat defenders one-on-one, can combine with teammates and is confident in his ability to score goals," said Coach Roland.
 
Noah Chia, a midfielder/defender from Sydney, Australia, captained St. Aloysius College to the school's first ever Premiership title this past fall, scoring 12 goals and recording 16 assists in 15 matches. He was also recognized with New South Wales state tournament MVP honors as well as All-CAS conference honors for his second straight year. As a junior, he was named to the All-Australian Jesuit Schools team. He competed in club for Sutherland Sharks FC in the NPL, where he led them to a NPL championship and the U15 Manchester United Cup Pacific Grand finals. Academically, he was one of the top students in his graduating class, earning NSW Premiers Honours in three subjects.
 
"Noah can play anywhere on the left side of the pitch," said Coach Roland. "He's a good one-on-one defender with very good range and can join the attack with speed. Additionally, his crossing ability and ability to pass out of pressure are equally impressive."
 
D'shon DeGannes, a midfielder from Teaneck, N.J., transfers to FDU after spending his freshman season at the University of Albany, who won the America East Conference last season. DeGannes played for nearby Teaneck High School, leading his team to a county championship while earning second team all-county honors as a freshman. DeGannes played club soccer for Somerset – Professional Development Academy (PDA) and for World Class SC. Academically, he was inducted as a member of the National High School Honor Society.
 
"D'Shon is a smooth, athletic and strong player who is capable of competing for a spot almost anywhere on the field," said Coach Roland.
 
Joshua Ferreira, a forward from Georgetown, Guyana, has earned six international caps for the Guyana U17 National team and is a current captain of the national team. Ferreira has two goals and three assists combined in his six appearances in the 2016 CONCACAF Qualifiers and the 2017 Paul Chilean Tournament. He moved from Guyana to New York City for school, where he graduated from Teachers Preparatory High School. Ferreira led his NYCSL U19 D2 team, Progressive Youths, to win the league title in 2016, scoring 10 goals and assisting five more that season. Academically, he was an honor roll student, graduated as valedictorian and earned honors in science, social studies and visual arts.
 
"Josh has scored goals at every level throughout his soccer career," said Coach Roland. "He is a physical and athletic forward who has a great work ethic, the ability to create danger in the attacking third, and can finish with both feet."
 
Gabriele Lanzani, a defender from Rome, Italy, transfers to FDU after playing each of the past two seasons for Erskine College. He scored three goals in 11 matches as a sophomore for the Flying Fleet, finishing fourth on the team in points. Lanzani scored one goal in 14 matches as a freshman at Erskine.
 
"Lele is an experienced and clever wide player, playing primarily as a right or left back, but can also play an attacking role as a wide midfielder," said Coach Roland.
 
Michael Mejia, a goalkeeper from North Bergen, N.J., transfers to FDU from Marywood University, where he earned first team All-CSAC honors as a freshman. Mejia started all 16 games for the Pacers, making 88 saves for a .815 save percentage and a 0.99 goals against average. He earned ECAC Rookie of the Week and CSAC Defensive Player of the Week honors as well. Before Marywood, Mejia earned all-state honors three times and all-county honors four times at North Bergen, including first team all-state and all-county recognition as a senior.
 
"Michael is an extremely highly-motivated goalkeeper who we expect to come in and compete hard," said Coach Roland. "His commitment to the game, natural athleticism and innate competitiveness makes him one to keep an eye on for sure."
 
Steven Ortiz, a goalkeeper from Linden, N.J., transfers to FDU from Kean University. He played in five games as a freshman for the Cougars, making 16 saves in 381 minutes in net. Before arriving at Kean, Ortiz played for Linden High School and played club soccer for TSF Academy. He was the 2014 winner of the National "Sueño MLS" contest, which led to him playing with the New York Red Bull Academy for one year as well. Academically, Ortiz made honor roll all four years of high school and was inducted into the Italian National Honor Society.
 
"Steven came known to us very late in the recruiting process," said Coach Roland.  "He has some good tools and experiences to draw upon, and we expect that he will come in and push hard in his development."
 
Tristan Paine, a defender from Secaucus, N.J., earned all-division first team honors as a senior at Secaucus High School. As team captain, he finished his senior season with 12 goals and 11 assists, the most by a defensive player in the school's history, leading his team to the state sectional finals. Paine also played for Cedar Stars Academy-Newark as his club team, helping the team to a regional championship in 2017.
 
"A right back who is always prepared to join the attack, Tristan can find teammates in the box with early crosses, and can recover quickly in transition," said Coach Roland.
 
Ideal Shefqeti, a midfielder from Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, graduated from ITG Marinoni School in Udine. Last season, he played in all 30 matches for his team, scoring four goals and racking up nine assists.
 
"Ideal is a relentless box-to-box midfielder who has an engine that drives him to break up plays defensively, and then to initiate play in attack," said Coach Roland.
 
Serigne Fallou Tounkara, a midfielder from Bronx, N.Y., earned All-NYC honorable mention honors as a standout for Monroe Campus. He was the top goal scorer and assist man for Monroe his senior year, leading the team to a first-place finish in the PSAL Bronx A II standings. As a sophomore, Tounkara helped guide Monroe to the PSAL B Division championship, leading his team in assists that season. He was also selected as a senior to play in the NYC All-Star Game. Academically, Tounkara graduated from High School of World Cultures with awards in art, science, English and physical education.
 
"Fallou has the skill and savvy to become an impactful midfielder at the Division I level," said Coach Roland. "He is fun to watch, as well as being strong both on the ball and defensively."