2024 had its ups and downs for West Virginia Soccer. The team saw a No. 1 ranking along with a Sun Belt Conference double as the Mountaineers brought home both the SBC regular season and tournament crown. But the season also ended in heartbreak and disappointment as WVU fell 2-1 to Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Read more: Mountaineers Men’s Soccer Roster Mixes Familiar Faces with New Ones for 2025
But the past is the past. In both starts and minutes played, WVU will have to replace six of the top 11 players from the 2025 squad, but with enough returning experience to calm fears about a 2025 slump.
Goalies
Marc Bonnaire
Starting in net, head coach Dan Stratford retains his starting goalkeeper, Marc Bonnaire. The fifth-year senior out of Warrenton, Va. played all but 106 minutes in 2024, missing one match against Coastal Carolina.
Bonnaire made eight shutouts while saving 63.5% of shots and allowing 1.09 goals per game. The highlight of the season for Bonnaire came in the Sun Belt Championship game. His save in penalty kicks gave the Mountaineers their first Sun Belt tournament title. These performances earned Bonnaire second team spots on both the All-Sun Belt and United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region teams, and Stratford will surely be happy to have him back in Morgantown.
Related: Marcus Caldeira Names to United Soccer Coaches’ Watch List
Toby Mawer and Chase Collins
Backing up Bonnaire are a pair of redshirt freshmen, Toby Mawer of Bath, England and Chase Collins of Harrisburg, Pa. Mawer played for the Reading FC youth academy and played for the Wales U16 team, while Collins played in the 2022 MLS Next Playoffs with PA Classics.
The Defense
A massive return at the heart of the WVU defense is Carlos Hernando. The West Virginia defensive leader who’s made 38 starts in the past two seasons Hernando is joined by three returning Mountaineers in defense.
Dante Huckaby returns for his third season at WVU, as the Morgantown native came back to his hometown after spending 2021 and 2022 at Louisville. Huckaby brings 46 career appearances and 22 starts worth of experience back for 2025, as he started 12 of 22 games in 2024, playing 1223 minutes as West Virginia completed the Sun Belt double, starting or playing the majority of minutes in all postseason games. Huckaby also brings versatility to the table, being able to play right back in a back four or right center back in a back three.
The similarly versatile Tristan Pusztahegyi returns after making 13 starts in 20 appearances as a freshman. The Canadian defender played 1044 minutes at right back and center back. He’s joined by another rising sophomore, as Akseli Ekqvist returns after making seven appearances at center back, while also having the ability to play on the outside.Â
New Faces on Defense
In total six defenders join the Mountaineers, four transfers and two high school recruits. Oscar Trujillo joins for his sophomore campaign after the left back was named to the All-Big West First Team at UC Riverside.
Three-year USF starter Nicolas Scargle missed his senior season but now makes his way to Morgantown as a grad student.
Thijs Veldhorst makes the jump to Division I, as the Dutch center back comes to WVU after spending his first two seasons at Washington Adventist then Montgomery College, where he was named team MVP.
Another grad transfer is the versatile Bryce Swinehart, a three-year starter at Liberty who earned All-OVC First-Team honors and can play anywhere across the backline. Headed to Morgantown for their freshman years are Pennsylvania All-State center back Steel Bayer and former Orlando City academy left back Tyler Bush.
Also returning is redshirt freshman Sebastian Burke, a former Bayern Munich/Chelsea academy member who is listed at both defender and midfield, with versatility to play right back as well as central midfield, right winger and left back.Â
The Midfield
Four midfielders make their way back to Morgantown for 2025, giving Stratford some reliable options in the middle of the park.
Isaac Scheer comes back after a solid freshman campaign where he started 13 of 22 games, scoring three goals and assisting five more in 1255 minutes while playing on both wings and as a No. 10/attacking midfielder.
Another player who can play all three positions is Felix Ewald, as the former All-AAC Second Team member at Temple started eight of 22 games scoring twice and assisting thrice.
Constantinos Christou is primed for a breakout year. The Cypriot native has played 1776 minutes across 44 appearances (17 starts) in his first two seasons. He played a key bench role down the stretch for WVU at central midfield and attacking midfield.
Ethan Dekel Daks will hope to have a healthier season than his first in Morgantown. The former First Team All-Sun Belt central midfielder at South Carolina had his junior season cut short by injury, highlighted by a game-winner at Old Dominion.
The Freshmen Midfielders
They’ll be joined by five freshman midfielders:
- Tyler Londono Zapata, a defensive midfielder from Toronto FC’s academy;
- Brayden Macomber, a left winger who can also play center mid and fullback out of Virginia;
- Thomas Bowe, another Orlando City academy player who primarily plays as an attacking midfielder;
- Ignacio Martinez, an Argentinian central midfielder who played in the Estudiantes academy; and
- Juan Alvarez, a former Seattle Sounders academy central midfielder.
On the Attack
Up front, a familiar face returns for a fourth year with the Mountaineers. Scorer of 28 goals in three seasons including 23 in the last two, Marcus Caldeira returns to Morgantown for a final hurrah.
The Canadian striker tied for the team lead in goals as a freshman (5) and as a sophomore (13), and scored 11 as a junior. Drafted 20th overall in the first round by Minnesota United in 2024, Caldeira has started 57 of 63 games for West Virginia and is set to lead their attack once again in 2025.
The Freshmen Attackers
Joining Caldeira in the attack are three transfers and a freshman.
Pablo Pozos at 6’0 joins from Division II Wingate. The former Atletico Madrid youth academy player scored nine times in 15 outings in his sophomore year. Fellow D2 six-footer Antonio Lima will play his senior year in Morgantown, following a seven goal, five assist junior year. Lima also had a 2023 season where he scored 10 times en route to being named the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player as the Ravens won the National Championship.
5’10 winger Braedon Smith joins WVU after his freshman year at Syracus. The New England Revolution academy product scored once and assisted two times, starting six of 17 games. Rounding out the group is 6’4 freshman Sammie Walker of Baltimore, who also possesses the ability to play in the midfield.
