Harvard men’s soccer team welcomes six first-years ahead of 2024 season
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men’s soccer will welcome six first-years to the program for the start of the 2024 season as part of the Class of 2028, announced Josh Shapiro, The Virginia B. and James O. Welch, Jr. ’52 Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Soccer.
The class includes two student-athletes from the state of Maryland and one each from Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, and Germany. The group includes a mix of defenders, midfielders, and forwards who have competed at top clubs in their respective regions.
Harvard’s Class of 2028 includes defender Alexander Castel (Chevy Chase, Md.), defender Nayan Das (Lexington, Mass.), defender Tim Langenbahn (Andernach, Germany), midfielder Shane Lonergan (San Francisco, Calif.), forward Xavier Tanyi (Kensington, Md.), and midfielder Phoenix Wooten (Kill Devil Hills, N.C.).
The group joins a Crimson side that has moved up the Ivy League standings in each of the last three years from fourth in 2021 to third in 2022 to second in 2023.
Alexander Castel
Defender | 6-foot-0 | 170 lbs. | Chevy Chase, Md. | Sidwell Friends School (D.C.)
Competed on the club level for Bethesda Soccer Club … Captained team at U15, U16, U17, and U19 levels … Helped U19 team advance to round of 16 in MLS Next Playoffs while competing as a U16 player … Tallied six goals and four assists from center back position in 2022-23 … Volunteered with EmBracelets, helping to raise funds for partner non-profit organizations … Enjoys traveling, golf, biking, learning languages, and listening to music … Son of Amanda and Guillaume Castel; Guillaume played soccer for FC Rouen Academy (1987-90) and competed as a national-level 100-meter sprinter in France (1994-98).
Nayan Das
Defender | 6-foot-0 | 170 lbs. | Lexington, Mass. | Lexington High School
Earned National Academy Championships All-Star accolades in 2023 … Competed on the club level for Boston Bolts … Also competed in track & field … Gained Middlesex All-Star and Middlesex All-Conference honors in track in 2024 … Honor Roll student … Enjoys running, reading, playing piano, and basketball … Son of Christiana Iyasere and Saumya Das ’91.
Tim Langenbahn
Defender | 6-foot-1 | 170 lbs. | Andernach, Germany | Kurfürst-Salentin-Gymnasium Andernach
Nominated for the Football Association Middle-Rhine Team from 2022-24 … Helped team win U17 Middle-Rhine league title in 2022 … Won Indoor Rhineland championship and Rhineland Cup in 2019 … Captained FC Hennef 05 in 2023-24 and Tus Coblenz (2018-19) … Played on the club level for FC Cologne Academy (2019-23) and FC Hennef 05 (2023-24) during high school years … Graduated as high school’s Best Student of the Year … Gained honors from the German Mathematics Association, German Physical Society, and German Association of Classical Philologists for excellence in mathematics, physics, and ancient Greek respectively … Earned the Salentin Scholarship for excellence in extracurricular volunteer activities … Plays the piano … Son of Anja and Michael Langenbahn.
Shane Lonergan
Midfielder | 6-foot-0 | 175 lbs. | San Francisco, Calif. | Mission High School
Helped team reach the MLS Next National Tournament Final in 2022; started for club as a 16-year-old playing in the U19 age group … Selected to train in Germany with Holstein Kiel, a partner club of the San Francisco Glens … Invited to the U.S. U13 National Team Training Camp … Competed on the club level for San Francisco Glens in MLS Next and Silicon Valley Soccer Academy … Acted as a captain for both clubs … First student from Mission High School to attend Harvard … Volunteered with Glide Memorial – Food Distribution in San Francisco … Son of Ann Marie and Mark Lonergan.
Xavier Tanyi
Forward | 6-foot-3 | 175 lbs. | Kensington, Md. | Washington International School
Captained Bethesda Soccer Club for six years from U13 to U19 … Competed on the club level for Bethesda Soccer Club from U10 to U19 in MLS Next … Son of Lanita and Gerald Tanyi … Started playing soccer in South Africa before moving to the United States.
Phoenix Wooten
Midfielder | 6-foot-0 | 165 lbs. | Kill Devil Hills, N.C. | Ohio Connections Academy
Competed in MLS Next Pro with Columbus Crew 2 in 2023-24 after playing with the Columbus Crew Academy U17 team in 2022-23 … Earned Rush Soccer International Team First Team and Rush Soccer Select National Team First Team honors in 2021-22 … Gained All-State and All-Mid-Atlantic accolades in 2021 … Spent time with the Virginia Beach United U23 Team … Awarded the Best Player award at the 2021 Alianza de Futbol in Dallas, Texas … Won the Virginia State Cup in 2021 … Trained with R’MA Soccer Club in Bangkok, Thailand as a Thai-American dual national … Played on the club level for Columbus Crew 2 (2023-24), Columbus Crew Academy (2022-24), and Virginia Rush (2020-22) during high school … Attended First Flight High School (2020-22) prior to Olentangy Orange High School (2022-23), and Ohio Connections Academy (2023-24) … Enjoys surfing, golf, fishing, and playing the guitar … Son of Jantaporn and Sean Wooten.
