University of Pennsylvania announces 2022 men’s soccer recruiting class

PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania‘s head men’s soccer coach, Brian Gill, has announced the Quakers’ recruiting class for the upcoming 2022 season.

Eight young men — Patrick Cayelli, David Howard, Sean Jennings, Arjun Narayan, Oliver Pratt, Erick Sakalosky, Gavin Seele and Jack Wagoner — will join the Quakers next fall as freshmen.

“We are thrilled to be able to welcome this collection of talented and mature student-athletes to Penn,” said Gill. Their personalities and character make this group one who will positively impact our program. I would like to thank Steve DeMatteo and Matt Poplawski (along with Jon Delano before moving onto to West Point) for their collective efforts in working hard to identify players whose values fit those of the university and the ambition of the program.”

PATRICK CAYELLI

5-10 155        Midfielder        Anderson, SC / T.L. Hanna High School        Carolina Elite Soccer Academy

High School: 2019 All-State, 2019 and 2020 All-Region at T.L. Hanna High… National Honors Society Member; AP Scholar With Distinction

Club/Academy: Competes with CESA since 2018… ECNL 2020/21 All-American selection… ECNL Mid-Atlantic 2020/2021 Player of the Year… ECNL Mid-Atlantic First Team All-Conference 2018/19 and 2020/2021… CESA teammate of fellow incoming freshman Jack Wagoner

Personal: Son of Maria and Steve Cayelli… brother of Holden and Autumn… Will enroll in The College of Arts and Sciences.

Why He Chose Penn: “I chose Penn because of the team and the staff. The younger players and the guys in my class were good players coming from high level teams, and when the coaches talked about their vision, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Combining this soccer with their academics makes me really excited to join in the fall.”

Coach Gill: “Patrick might be the player in the class with the most all-around ability. He is a clever technical player with a nice range of pass in his game and an honest work ethic, which could allow him to compete for time on the field early in his career. Like Jack (Wagoner), Patrick also helped lead his CESA Academy team to the ECNL National Championships and more recently has been able to experience the game at the next level while being called in with the Greenville Triumph of the USL. We are excited to get a chance to work with Patrick once he arrives on campus to see where he can have the greatest impact on the team.”

DAVID HOWARD

6-2, 170        Goalkeeper        Cary, NC / Cary Academy        North Carolina FC

High School: Four-year member of Headmaster’s Honor Roll

Club/Academy: Competes with North Carolina FC since 2014… Trained with the North Carolina FC USL League 1 team during 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons… 2019 Trial with NK Lokomotiva in Zagreb, Croatia… 2017 MIC Cup Participant in Barcelona, Spain

Personal: Son of Jeanna and Kevin Howard… Brother, Michael, plays with u17 Atlanta United Academy team… former teammate of current Penn soccer player Aaron Messer… Will enroll in The College of Arts and Sciences.

Why He Chose Penn: “Out of all the schools I looked at, Penn offered me the best opportunity to compete at the highest level athletically while also providing an unparalleled academic rigor. The coaching staff impressed me immensely, both in their desire to succeed and ability to relate to the players. I am very excited to join the Penn community to further develop myself as a student, player, and person.”

Coach Gill: “David is joining us at a fairly opportune time as we need to add a new face to our goalkeeping corp for the first time in a few years. Along his path, David has put himself in quality training and game environments at NCFC that should allow him to transition well into our set up. He is a mature, even-keeled young man who has a good technical base to his game. We think that with a steady approach to both his goalkeeping and physical development, David could have the ability to be a solid contributor during his time here at Penn.”

SEAN JENNINGS

6-2, 185        Defense        Ambler, PA / LaSalle College High School        FC Delco

High School: Three-time First Team All-Catholic League at LaSalle College High School… 2021 Catholic League MVP… Two-time First Team All-Region… 2021 Pennsylvania All-State Team… 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-American Team… National Honor Society Member; Member of Distinguished Honor Roll.

Club/Academy: Competes with FC Delco since 2021… Member of FC Bucks ECNL 2020-2021… Member of Philadelphia Union Academy from 2015-2018.

Personal: Son of Erin and Michael Jennings… brother Timothy plays basketball at Big 5 member La Salle… high school teammate of current Penn soccer player Brandon Curran… Will enroll in The College of Arts and Sciences.

Why He Chose Penn: “Penn has the perfect combination of high-level academics and athletics. The coaching staff really stood out to me, and I felt as if I could grow as a player and person in their environment. Living in Philadelphia sealed the deal!”

Coach Gill: “Sean has a lot of physical qualities that can make him an effective college soccer player. He is someone that takes pride in his defending and ability to win headers, which are important attributes for a player that will look to crack into our group of center backs. Sean has put together a fairly-polished resume over the last year being recognized as one of the better Philadelphia area players. He captained his La Salle High School Team to a Philadelphia Catholic School League Title along with a PA State Semifinals appearance and is now currently playing with FC Delco in the MLS Next League.  With continued focus and commitment in the right areas, we would expect Sean to have a promising career at Penn.”

ARJUN NARAYAN

5-9, 140        Midfielder        Silver Spring, MD / Georgetown Day School        Bethesda SC

Club/Academy: Competes with Bethesda Soccer Club since 2016 … Team qualified and reached quarterfinals of 2020/2021 MLS Next Cup Playoffs… Team captain of Bethesda since 2016… Partook in three US Youth National Team Regional camps

Personal: Son of Tulika and Ambar Narayan … Will enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Why He Chose Penn: “The first time I came to see Penn I knew that it would be a perfect fit for me. The academics and the high intensity of training and play I noticed at my first camp showed me what an amazing place Penn is. I love the campus feel along with it being right in the midst of Philadelphia. I am excited to grow as a player and as a student at Penn and could not be happier with my choice.”

Coach Gill: “Arjun is a player coming to us from the Bethesda Academy, where he played a critical role on a team that enjoyed a deep run through the MLS Next Playoffs last summer. He is someone that can influence the game with his vision and range of pass or can impact play defensively with his responsibility in the middle of the field. Arjun is another player in this class that we feel has a mature soccer IQ and is able to combine that with leadership skills, which will be important on the field and in the locker room.”

OLIVER PRATT

5-11, 170        Defender        Miami, FL / Gulliver Prep        Kendall SC

High School: National Honor Society Member; Co-Founder/Vice President of Generation SOS

Club/Academy: Competes with Kendall SC (2017-19, 2021-22)… Competed with Inter Miami CF in 2019-20… Two-time IMG Top 100 for the Class of 2022…Qualified for MLS Next 2020/2021 Playoffs with Kendall SC… Competed in MLS Next All Star Game (Winter 2021)… Invited to represent Capelli Sport USA Team in Denmark (Summer 2021)… Rated 3-Star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer.

Personal: Son of Gabriela Martinez and Julian Pratt… has one younger brother, Dominic… former teammate of current Quaker Nico Pereira

Why He Chose Penn: “Because of the environment it provides its students with, both academically and athletically, while granting students access to a cosmopolitan city.”

Coach Gill: “Early on in the recruiting process we identified Oliver as someone who we thought would be a great fit here at Penn. He is a tough, competitive, and driven defender that has a magnetic personality. Oliver is joining us from the Inter Miami and Kendall Academy teams where he was a mainstay in their back line (and a teammate of current Quaker Nico Periera). In addition to his quality on the field, we feel Oliver has strong leadership attributes that will be important for the team in the years to come.”

ERICKSON (ERICK) SAKALOSKY

5-11, 150        Forward        Tampa, FL / Berkeley Prep School        Tampa Bay United SC

High School: Four-year member of Headmaster’s List

Club/Academy: Competes with Tampa Bay United since 2015… Qualified for MLS Next 2020/2021 Playoffs with Tampa Bay United… captain of Tampa Bay United u19 Academy… Competed with Tampa Bay United in USL2 in Summer 2021.

Personal: Son of Pamela and Mark Sakalosky… Brother of Madison, a gymnast at Cornell, and Kyle, a member of Tampa Bay United MLS Next Academy… Will enroll in The College of Arts and Sciences.

Why He Chose Penn: “I chose Penn because of the high-level academics, athletics, and the amazing city of Philadelphia. I am excited to study at such a world-class university and play for a soccer program with a winning mentality focused on challenging for Ivy League championships every season.”

Coach Gill: “Erick is a player that we felt continued to improve steadily through the recruiting process each time we saw him. On top of being a pacey, direct type of attacking player who can play on either side of the field. One of Erick’s best attributes is his positive outlook on the game and his desire to be coached. He is fortunate having the chance to work with a knowledgeable coaching staff at Tampa Bay United, who I feel confidently will continue to push his level until he gets to Penn.”

GAVIN SEELE

5-7, 140        Midfielder        Kennett Square, PA / Kennett High School        Penn Fusion SA

High School: Three-time Philadelphia Catholic League and District Champion… 2021 & 2020 Team MVP… 2019-2021 All-Area First Team Midfielder selection… All-League First Team 2021… All-Southeastern PA 2021… National Honor Society Member; Member of Distinguished Honor Roll

Club/Academy: Competes with Penn Fusion SA since 2019… 2020-2021 ECNL Northeast All-Conference 1st Team selection

Personal: Son of Stefanie and Ivan Seele, a former golfer University of Delaware golfer … Brother, Cooper, is a high school junior and currently plays for Penn Fusion SA… Will enroll in The College of Arts and Sciences.

Why He Chose Penn: “I chose Penn because it was the perfect fit for me. It is a high academic and athletic school which is something I was looking for when making my decision. Penn will help me grow as a person as well as a soccer player. I look forward to being part of the team.”

Coach Gill: “Gavin is a dynamic attacking player with a lot of trickery in his game, he is someone that lights up quite a bit when he has the ability to run at players on the dribble. He can create and take chances himself or can easily flip the script to play the role of provider. Like many of the other players in this class, we felt Gavin continued to get better over the course of the last year with his Penn Fusion Academy team and it is exciting for us to think some of his better days might still be ahead of him.”

JACK WAGONER

5-11, 155        Forward        Greenville, S.C. / Riverside High School        Carolina Elite Soccer Academy

High School: 2021 South Carolina 5A State Champions, State Championship Game MVP… 2021 South Carolina 5A All-Region… 2021 All-Upper State selection… Member of National Honors Society and Youth in Government

Club/Academy: Competes with CESA since 2014… 2018/19 and 2020/21 ECNL Mid-Atlantic First Team All-Conference selection… 2018/2019 Mid-Atlantic ECNL Player of the Year… Attended 2019 ECNL National Training Camp in Nassau, Bahamas… CESA teammate of fellow incoming freshman Patrick Cayelli

Personal: Son of Grace and Daniel Wagoner… brother of Matthew, a semi-pro player for Charleston United FC in the UPSL… Will enroll in the Wharton School of Business.

Why He Chose Penn: “Penn is the best environment for me to maximize my athletic and academic potential. I loved the campus and the city, and I’m pumped to be a part of a determined program. ”

Coach Gill: “Jack is a pure front runner that we feel possesses the classic traits of that position on both sides of the ball. He has a quiet, confident personality that combined with his tactical understanding and technical ability allows him to make big plays in the attacking half of the field. Over the last year, Jack helped lead both his CESA Academy Team to an ECNL National Championship appearance as well as his school team to a South Carolina High School State Championship. That’s the kind of winning mentality we look forward to having in the program.”