Reigning Atlantic 10 champion Dayton solidifies 2024 men’s soccer signing class

DAYTON – The University of Dayton and men’s soccer head coach Dennis Currier have announced their newest additions to the program for the upcoming 2024 season.

The Flyers are coming off a 2023 Atlantic 10 title and a trip to the NCAA Championship tournament. Dayton looks to add to their already talented squad with even more depth for the fall campaign.

“We are excited to welcome this talented group of student-athletes to the University of Dayton,” said Coach Currier. “They have all the potential to make an impact on our program and compete for minutes while building on the success of last year’s team. We’re excited to see what they can accomplish on the field and in the classroom.”

Rashad Suhaiba – Defender – Pickerington, Ohio – Northern Kentucky

Suhaiba comes to Dayton from just down the road in Northern Kentucky. The 5-9 defender joined the Flyers in the spring and will look to be a part of the rotation this season. He earned Horizon League All-Freshman Team with the Norse and developed through the Columbus Crew Academy.

Ethan Sassine – Forward – John’s Creek, Ga. – Georgia State

Sassine was another mid-year transfer for the Flyers after joining from Georgia State where he led the team with seven goals and 27 points. He appeared in all 18 games and picked up Academic All-District honors as well. As a freshman with the Panthers, the Georgia native earned All-MAC Second Team honors after scoring six goals and totaling 13 points in 20 matches in his debut season.

Alex Free – Forward – Troy, Ohio – Troy Christian High School

Free travels just down the road from Troy Christian where he earned every award from All-American all the way down to All-Conference as a senior. He was Miami Valley District Player of the Year, All-Area Player of the Year in Dayton, and Three Rivers Conference Player of the Year. He set the school record with 35 goals last season and finished his high school career with 59 goals and 42 assists. He was a four-year varsity letterwinner and earned All-Conference accolades all four years.

Andrew Armstrong – Forward – Pompton Lakes, N.J. – Pompton Lakes High School

Armstrong adds another physical striker to the Dayton attack after finishing his high school career in New Jersey. He was named First Team All-State as a senior and Third Team All-State as a sophomore. He set school records of 88 goals in a career and 37 in a season last year. He led his team to multiple conference championships and was a High Honor Roll student off the field as well. Armstrong was a member of the Bermuda National U20 team and competed in the Concacaf qualifiers this year.

Will Barry – Goalkeeper – Haslett, Mich. – Haslett High School

Barry is a highly touted shotstopper out of Michigan, being named to the MLS Next Best of Team in 2022 and 2023. With only one season of high school soccer, Barry developed through the Chill Soccer Club and Michigan Jaguars Football Club.

Gavin Krenecki – Goalkeeper – Sacramento, Calif. – Louisville

Krenecki adds Division I experience to the squad after joining from the University of Louisville where he saw 738 minutes of action. The California native came up through the ranks of the Sacramento Republic FC Academy and Sporting Kansas City Academy. He also earned the Path2Pro USL2 Golden Glove Award in 2021.

Bryan Cortina – Midfielder – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Colegio Meta

Cortina is an attacking midfielder out of Brazil where he attended Colegio Meta, earning Best Player in Indaiatuba City and Best Striker of Sao Paulo State in 2019. He helped lead his team to the state championship game in 2021 for Gremio. At 6-1, Cortina provides a versatile threat for the Flyers.

James Lear – Forward – Seattle, Wash. – Apex Learning Academy

Lear is another talented striker, coming from the west coach where he developed through Seattle United, Seattle Sounders, and PacNW SC where he was most recently. He does have an Ohio tie however as he got experience with the Columbus Crew in 2022-23. He earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2021.