Fordham men’s soccer bolsters 2022 roster with 12 signings

Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham men’s soccer head coach Carlo Acquista announced the addition of 12 more players for the 2022 season.

This group joins the trio of Daniel Espeleta(Athens, Ga./Apex Learning (Creighton)),Jackson Soules (New York, N.Y./NYC Lab (Ohio State), and Paolo Primavera (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade (Columbia)), who joined the Rams this past spring.

Here is a breakdown of the 2022 recruiting class:

Timo Hummrich – Defender – Berlin, Germany/ Sports School of the Olympic Park (SMU)

Hummrich is a graduate student transfer, who has split his collegiate career between SMU and Delaware.  In two seasons at SMU, he played 12 games, making 10 starts and was selected to the AAC All-Academic team for the 2020-21 campaign.  He was also a member of the Honor Roll at SMU, graduating Magna Cum Laude.  While at Delaware, he was the 2018 CAA Rookie of the Year and earned All-CAA honors in both 2018 (First Team) and 2019 (Second Team). Hummrich was also named to Delaware’s Dean’s List three times.

Prior to his collegiate career, Hummrich starred at the academy of Hertha BSC of the Bundesliga, culminating in the U19 German Youth Championship in 2018, before joining Reading United in the United States in the summer of 2019.

Ben Shepherd – Midfielder – Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista (Massachusetts)

Shepherd is a graduate student transfer, who is familiar with Fordham, having spent the last two seasons at the University of Massachusetts.  He was a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection during the abbreviated 2020-21 season, posting two goals and seven assists, which tied for the league lead.  Prior to UMass, he played at Regis University, where he was a United Soccer Coaches All-South Central Region First Team selection, after netting four goals and eight assists in 2019.  He was also a First Team All-RMAC and All-RMAC Tournament selection.

Prior to his collegiate career, Shepherd was a two-time All-State selection in high school in Colorado and played club for Real Colorado USSDA, Solar SC USSDA in Texas, and Lobos Rush in Tennessee.

Demetri Skoumbakis – Goalkeeper – Chania, Greece/Nea Kydonia (LIU)

Skoumbakis is a graduate transfer to Fordham after three seasons at LIU.  In 2021, he was the NEC Goalkeeper of the Year, First Team All-NEC, NEC Championship MVP, and NEC Scholar Athlete of the Year.  He started all 20 games for the Sharks, posting seven shutouts, 73 saves, and a 1.00 goals against average.  In total at LIU, he appeared in 35 games, posting a 0.81 GAA and 12 shutouts.  Academically, Skoumbakis was the valedictorian for LIU’s class of 2022.

Jakob Gesien – Forward – Rostock, Germany/CJO Rostock

Geisen is a graduate of CJO Rostock in Rostock, Germany.  He most recently played club for Rostocker FC, which made the quarterfinal of Landespokal.  Prior to Rostocker FC, he played two years for FSV Luckenwalde, which made the semifinal of Landespokal.

Daniel D’Ippolito – Midfielder – Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers

D’Ippolito was a member of the varsity soccer squad at Somers High School in Lincolndale, New York.  A team captain, he capped an outstanding career by earning High School All-America honors from United Soccer Coaches as well as the New York State Gatorade Player of the Year, after netting 36 goals and 38 assists in 2021.  He helped Somers win the 2021 NYSPHSAA Class A State Championship with a 22-1 record, as well as the NYS Section 1 Class A Championship.  He additionally earned Player of the Year honors from Westchester/Putnam Counties and Section 1.  For club soccer, D’Ippolito has been a part of FC Somers Arsenal, which won the U17 National League Conference, the U17 NY Open Cup, and the U17 US Club Soccer Southeast Regional.  He is currently competing at the 2022 USYSA Nationals.  He was also named to the U18 Best 11 for the National PRO League for 2021-22.

Academically, D’Ippolito was a member of the National Honor Society.

Joey Giannola – Defender – Glen Head, N.Y./Chaminade

Giannola was a four-year soccer player at Chaminade High School in Mineola, N.Y., helping the team to three league championships and a state championship in 2021.  An All-League performer as a senior, he led a defense to no goal conceded in both the league and state playoffs.

For club soccer, Giannola played for Long Island Slammers, which ranked as the #1 ranked club team in the nation, according to GoToSoccer.com, and was the 2021 NY State Cup champion.  He is currently competing at the 2022 USYSA Nationals.

Owen Hardy – Defender – Portland, Ore./Lincoln

Hardy played two seasons of varsity soccer at Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon.  He served as team co-captain as a senior at Lincoln, while being an honorable mention All-League performer as a junior.  For club soccer, Hardy was a part of FC Portland, where he won the U15 State Championship in 2018.

In the classroom, Hardy was a National Merit Scholar and received an IB diploma.

Andre Insalaco – Forward – Quogue, N.Y./Westhampton Beach

Insalaco was a four-year varsity soccer player at Westhampton Beach High School in New York.  The two-year captain had a very successful career, netting a school record 48 goals and was named the league MVP and All-State as a senior.  He was also a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-County and All-Long Island selection, while being listed among Newsday‘s Top 100 players.  For club soccer, Insalaco was also a part of the Long Island Slammers, which ranked #1 in the country and finished at the top of the National PRO group and qualified for Nationals. He is currently competing at the 2022 USYSA Nationals.  Individually, he was the leading goal scorer for the 2004 OD ENY, the OD East Region, and the ODP National Training Camp for 2021-22.

In the classroom, Insalaco was a member of the National, Math, and Science Honor Societies and the Principal’s Honor Roll.  He finished his academic career as an AP Scholar with distinction and a National Merit commended student.

Bennett Leitner – Forward – Lincolndale, N.Y./Somers

Leitner was a four-year varsity soccer starter at Somers High School in Lincolndale, New York.  A two-year captain, he capped an outstanding career by helping Somers win the 2021 NYSPHSAA Class A State Championship with a 22-1 record, as well as the NYS Section 1 Class A Championship.  He registered 25 goals and 14 assists in his senior campaign and finished his career in the top ten in school history in goals (54) and points (140).  Leitner earned All-State and All-Region as a senior, while being a three-time All-Section pick.  For club soccer, he has been a part of FC Somers Arsenal, which won the U17 National League Conference, the U17 NY Open Cup, and the U17 US Club Soccer Southeast Regional.  He is currently competing at the 2022 USYSA Nationals.

Away from the pitch, Leitner was a member of the National Honor Society and a four-year member of the High Honor Roll.

Noe Messer – Midfielder – Bethesda, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase

Messer was a two-year varsity soccer player at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland.  A 2021 team captain, he led the squad to a regional championship and a berth in the Maryland State quarterfinals.  He finished the season as the team leader in assists and earned All-Star status.  For club soccer, Messer is a part of the Bethesda Academy 04, which made the round of 16 at the U17 MLS NEXT and was a finalist at the U16 Disney Showcase.

In the classroom, Messer was a four-year member of the honor roll.

Aidan Pericic – Midfielder – Bayside, N.Y./Holy Cross

Pericic was a member of the varsity soccer team at Holy Cross High School in Flushing, New York.  For club soccer, he was a part of Id2 Camp.

Away from the pitch, Pericic received an Advanced Regents diploma and was a four-year member of the Principal’s List.

Nathan Simes – Forward – Wellington, New Zealand/St. Patrick’s

Simes played five seasons of soccer at St. Patrick’s College in Wellington, New Zealand, where he helped the team win the 2017 New Zealand Secondary School Nationals.  For club, he played for the Miramar Rangers, which won the 2021 New Zealand National League.  He won the Golden Boot at the U19 National Tournament and attended the New Zealand Men’s U20 National training camp.  Simes also captured Golden Boot Awards at the NZ National Futsal Championship in 2016 (19 goals) and 2018 (14 goals).

In the classroom, Simes earned the Prize for Excellence in Religious Education three times (2018-20), Mathematics once (2018), and Classical Studies (2020).