Harvard University adds eight first-years ahead of 2022 men’s soccer season

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University will welcome eight first-years to the program for the start of the 2022 season as part of the Class of 2026, announced Josh Shapiro, The Virginia B. and James O. Welch, Jr. ’52 Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Soccer.

“This is a very exciting group who are incredibly eager to represent Harvard as student athletes,” Shapiro said. “Throughout the process of recruiting these student-athletes their abilities on the field stood out as players that can come in and continue to drive our program’s talent level higher.”

The class provides balance across the field with three forwards, one midfielder, two defenders, and two goalkeepers. The group includes five domestic student-athletes – with two from Massachusetts and one each from Connecticut, Michigan, and California – alongside three international players from Finland, Norway, and Slovakia. The incoming group has competed at some of the highest levels in their respective domestic soccer leagues and on the international stage.

“More importantly, these eight student-athletes’ personalities stood out as players we believe will come in and continue to add to our programs culture,” Shapiro said. “All eight are talented, driven, and ready to make an impact once they get on campus in the fall. Coach Ciuffetelli and Coach Harkin did a fantastic job in recruiting this class, and we are very excited to get to work with them in August.”

The Harvard men’s soccer Class of 2026 includes goalkeeper Cullen MacNeil (Rochester, Mich.), forward Nicholas Nyquist (Asken, Norway), forward Juho Ojanen (Espoo, Finland), midfielder Marcos Ojea Quintana (Riverside, Conn.), defender Zachary Sardi-Santos (Newton, Mass.), defender Ethan Veghte (Menlo Park, Calif.), forward Matus Vician (Bratislava, Slovakia), and goalkeeper Lucian Wood (Cambridge, Mass.).

The group joins a Crimson side that closed the 2021 season on a three-game Ivy League winning streak, finishing the year in fourth place in the conference standings and above .500 for the first time since 2016. Harvard went 4-1-1 in its last six contests of 2021.

Cullen MacNeil

Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Rochester, Mich.
High School: Rochester Adams
Before Harvard: Ranked as a four-star recruit on TopDrawerSoccer … Considered the No. 10 goalkeeper in the U.S., ranking first among non-MLS clubs … Ranked as the No. 1 goalkeeper in Michigan and No. 2 overall player in the state … Earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches 2021 Club Youth All-America Team … Ranked as the No. 1 goalkeeper and No. 2 overall player in the Great Lakes Region … Ranked as the No. 84 overall player in the U.S. … Started at goalkeeper for Vardar U19 MLS Next Academy from 2020-22; served team as a captain in 2021-22 … Appeared in 122 career US Soccer Academy/MLS Next games with 105 starts; logged over 9,300 minutes and 19 shutouts … Posted a 0.54 GAA as a senior in MLS Next League … Competed on the Vardar US Soccer Development Academy U13, U15, U16, and U17 teams … Started in goal for the Flint City Bucks USL Academy; trained with the USL2 first team goalkeepers … National Honor Society member … An AP Scholar with Distinction … Son of Ross and Mandy MacNeil.

Nicholas Nyquist

Position: Forward
Hometown: Asken, Norway
High School: Norwegian College of Elite Sports
Before Harvard: Attended trials with Montpellier of France’s Ligue 1 and Gent of the Belgian First Division A … Ranked as team’s top scorer from 2014-22, except for 2019 season due to injuries … Earned Team MVP honors as a junior and senior … Helped team win the Norwegian championship in 2018, scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win in the Boys 16 division … Competed on the club level for Stabæk Fotball and Holmen IF; served as a team captain at Holmen IF … Also competed in tennis … Son of Anne and Thorvald Nyquist.

Juho Ojanen

Position: Forward
Hometown: Espoo, Finland
High School: Espoo Upper Secondary School for Adults
Before Harvard: Competed on the Finland national teams at the U15-U21 levels; member of the national team program since 2017 … Appeared in 26 international matches for Finland youth national teams … Won the International Federation Cup in Latvia with the Finland U17 team in 2018 … Captained the Finland U15 and U16 sides in 2017 and 2018 … Captured the Finnish U17 championship with FC Honka in 2017 and the Bavarian U17 title with Greuther Furth in 2019 … Played on the club level for SpVgg Greuther Furth from 2019-22 at the U17, U19, and Second Team levels … Competed for FC Honka at the youth level from 2006-19; selected as club’s Youth Player of the Year in 2017 … Has lived in Germany … Son of Johanna Venho and Ville Ojanen.

Marcos Ojea Quintana

Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Riverside, Conn.
High School: Fairfield Prep
Before Harvard: Competed on the club level for the New England Revolution at the U19 level and Beachside Soccer Club at the U12 to U17 levels in MLS Next … Summa Cum Laude student as a senior … Completed over 100 hours of community service during high school career … National Honor Society member … Participated in SEAD, an online Argentine school program … Plays the saxophone … Son of Ana and Julio Ojea Quintana … Brother, Julio Ojea Quintana, played soccer at Johns Hopkins as a member of the Class of 2021.

Zachary Sardi-Santos

Position: Defender
Hometown: Newton, Mass.
High School: Milton Academy
Before Harvard: Selected for the U.S. U18 and U19 National Team player pools … Earned All-America and All-State honors in 2021 … Ranked as the top prospect from the New England Revolution and as the No. 73 overall prospect in the Class of 2022 according to TopDrawerSoccer … Earned ISL Best XI and a top-10 ranking in the Class of 2022 from New England Soccer Journal; also selected to publication’s Underclassmen Best XI list in 2019 … Offered a USL League 1 Academy contract in 2020 … Ranked in the top 50 of New England’s U17 and U19 developmental academy players in 2019 … Participated in U.S. U14 domestic training camps in 2016 and 2017, competing in international matches against Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia … Helped team win Independent School League title in 2019 … Reached NEPSAC Class A title game in 2019 … Won the U14 International Champions Cup in 2017 … Served team as captain as a senior … Competed on the club level for the New England Revolution Academy … Performed as an actor and singer at Milton Academy … Helped collect equipment for youth soccer players in Cape Verde … Son of Agi Sardi and Joao Resende-Santos; Joao graduated from the Harvard Graduate School for Arts and Sciences in 1997.

Ethan Veghte

Position: Defender
Hometown: Menlo Park, Calif.
High School: Sacred Heart Preparatory
Before Harvard: Earned First Team All-WBAL honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior … Helped team win the Central Coast Section in 2021 … Reached the Norcal State Semifinals and CCS Open Division Finals in 2020 … Advanced to the CCS semifinals in 2019 … Won WBAL league titles in 2019 and 2020 … Competed on the club level for De Anza Force Academy in MLS Next from 2020-22 after playing for Force North from 2016-20; captained Force North from 2017-20 … National Merit Scholar and AP Scholar student … Son of Julia and Bill Veghte; both Harvard graduates from the Class of 1990; Julia played lacrosse and Bill played soccer at Harvard.

Matus Vician

Position: Forward
Hometown: Bratislava, Slovakia
High School: Evangelical lyceum
Before Harvard: Selected for the Slovakian West regional team; scored the most goals in two out of three national tournaments at the U14 and U15 levels … Competed on the club level for SK Slovan Bratislava; won the 2017-18 league title with the team … Led team in assists for every season between the U13 and U16 levels … Also played for Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut as a junior … Finished in top of class every year of high school … Son of Iveta Vicianova and Marek Vician; Marek competed for the Czechoslovakia volleyball team from 1979-85 … Brother, Martin, is a member of the Harvard men’s soccer Class of 2023 … Grandmother Veronika Vicianova competed on the Czechoslovakia national team in athletics from 1952-60.

Lucian Wood

Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Cambridge, Mass.
High School: Buckingham Browne & Nichols
Before Harvard: Gained All-State accolades as a senior … Earned First Team All-ISL in 2021 … Gained Honorable Mention All-ISL from New England Soccer Journal in 2020 … Helped Boston Bolts team win the Massachusetts State Cup in 2021, earning a spot in the national playoffs … Helped BB&N go undefeated at home from Fall 2019 to Fall 2021; helped team make first NEPSAC Class A postseason tournament appearance in 10 years … Competed on the club level for the Boston Bolts (2020-22) and Global Premier Soccer 03 NPL (2015-20) … Served BB&N as a captain as a senior … Student Body Co-President as a senior; Sophomore Class President and Junior Class President … Founded BB&N Film Club; directed, edited, and produced an award-winning short documentary at the 2022 Salem Film Festival … Son of Claire Messud and James Wood; Claire was a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in 2004 … Grandfather Francois-Michel Messud earned an MA from the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies in 1961.