University of Rhode Island men’s soccer welcomes 11 new players for 2019

KINGSTON, R.I. – University of Rhode Island men’s soccer head coach Gareth Elliott has announced the addition of 11 student-athletes who will be joining the program this fall.

“It is great to be able to welcome this exciting group into our Rhode Island soccer family,” Elliott said. “This is a talented group of young men, all of whom have been successful both in the classroom and on the pitch.  We look forward to working with them and watching their positive impact on our program during over the next few years.”

Charlie Booth – Grad Student – D – 6-3/190 – Concord, Mass./Bryant

Chose to attend URI over Providence and Northeastern… Selected Rhode Island because of status, professionalism and integrity of the program, as well as the possibility of winning an Atlantic 10 Championship.

Before URI: Transferred to URI as a grad student, after completing his undergraduate degree at nearby Bryant University… Was a three-year starter (2015-17) and two-time team captain (2017-18) for the Bulldogs… Sat out his senior season (2018) with an injury… Prior to his injury, had appeared and started in all 47 of Bryant’s games from his freshman through junior seasons, recording one goal and one assist as a defender… Was a 2016 NEC All-Conference Second Team selection… Was a three-year starting defender for the Concord-Carlisle High School Patriots… Helped lead his team to a 20-0-1 record and a Massachusetts State Championship as a senior… Was an NSCAA All-American as well as an All-State honoree and Dual County League MVP his senior year… Also was an honor roll student, earning Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Lowell Sun All-Scholastic recognition as a senior… Was a two-time Eastern Massachusetts All-Star… Played club soccer for FC Stars.

Personal: Born January 16, 1997… Son of Reyne and Courtland Booth… Has one brother, Dylan… Enjoys surfing and playing video games… Favorite athlete is Lionel Messi… Favorite teams are Arsenal, FC Barcelona and the Boston Celtics… In pursuing his MBA at URI

Elliott on Booth: Charlie is a player we have admired for some time now as he comes to us from a local rival (Bryant). A commanding center-back with outstanding presence, he is coming off a very successful summer playing in the USL2. We really believe Charlie will give us the balance we need at the back to potentially make another NCAA tournament. We can’t wait to see him wearing Keaney blue.”

Braeden Cannon – Freshman – F – 6-10/170 –  Cranston, R.I./The Wheeler School

Did not consider attending any other school because URI was the only place that offered both the academics and soccer experience he was looking for… Kingston just felt like home.

Before URI: Was a member of the soccer, golf, squash and basketball teams at The Wheeler School… Captained the soccer team – coached by former Ram Oscar Zorilla (‘12) as both a junior and senior – scored 25 goals and had seven assists his senior year… As a senior, was recognized as the Lyle Perra Division II Player of the Year and was a Providence Journal Player of the Year nominee… Also was MVP of the Division II State Championship his senior season, helping Wheeler win its first ever RIIL D2 Championship… Earned Mike Dynon Academic All-State honors as well… As a junior, was a Division II All-State selection as well as a member of the State Championship All-Tournament Team… Was a two-time All-Division II First Team honoree… Played club soccer for Blackwatch (seven years) and NEFC (five years)… Was an IMG Invitational (2018) and Annandale Premier Cup Champion with BU19… Also helped the team qualify for nationals and obtain a first-place ranking in NPL… Was a ENPL Finalist with BU18 and an NPL National Finalist with BU17 in 2017… His BU17 team also win the US Club National Cup in 2017.

Personal: Born December 10, 2000… Son of Erika and Scott Cannon… His mother was a member of the lacrosse team at William Smith College… His father played soccer at Evansville and went on to play professionally for over a decade, starring for the Albany Capitals (1990-91), Harrisburg Heat (1991-92), Detroit Rockers (1994-95), Albany Alleycats (1995), Cincinnati Silverbacks (1995-96), Colorado Rapids (1996), Richmond Kickers (1997, 2000), Columbus Crew (1998), Charleston Battery (2001) and Tampa Bay Mutiny (2001)… Has an older brother, Jordan, who plays soccer at Bates College… Enjoys soccer, snowboarding and golf… Favorite athletes are Baker Mayfield, James Harden, Myles Garrett, Randy Moss and Didier Drogba… Favorite teams are the Cleveland Browns, Houston Rockets and Team USA… Majoring in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Elliott on Cannon: Braeden is a local talent who we think will fight for playing time straight away. He’s athletic, intelligent, and has a real nose for goal. Playing for one of the top club teams in New England (NEFC) over the past few years has really prepared him for Division I soccer and we are excited to start working with him.

Rohun Kawale – Freshman – M/D – 5-10/170 – Toronto, Ont./IMG Academy

Chose to attend URI over Santa Clara and Coastal Carolina… Selected Rhode Island because of the superb academic environment and soccer program… The coaching staff, facilities and campus location made coming to URI an easy decision

Before URI: Was a member of the soccer, basketball and track teams at Upper Canada College… Played soccer for IMG Academy (2017-19) and spent seven months living in Portugal to play for SC Braga U19… Also spent one week on trial at Sheffield United (2019)… Helped lead his teams to the Florida State Cup semifinals in 2018 and the CISAA Championship in 2016… Was an Honor Roll student, as well as a peer tutor… Also was active with debate and volunteered at soccer camps.

Personal: Born June 2, 2000… Son of Priti and Nitin Kawale… His father, Nitin, plated soccer at the University of Toronto (1979-83)… Has two older brothers, Neel, who played soccer at Queen’s University (2012-16) and Jai, who played soccer at Bowdoin College (2018-18)… Enjoys watching basketball, playing golf and learning foreign languages… Favorite athletes are Andreas Iniesta and Lionel Messi… Favorite teams are FC Barcelona and Toronto FC… Is majoring in Finance… Hopes to pursue a career as an entrepreneur.

Elliott on Kawale: Rohun is a versatile midfielder who can also play as a center back. After taking a gap year following high school graduation, Rohun has spent this past year playing in the USDA for IMG. He is very clean on the ball and tremendously intelligent. We think he will compete for playing time straight away.

Andrew Kempe – Freshman – F – 6-5/195 – Warwick, Bermuda/Brooks School

Chose to attend URI over Colby College… Selected Rhode Island for the opportunity to live by the ocean while developing as a soccer player and growing as a student in the business program… After spending time in Rhode Island and getting to know the coaches, team, campus and facilities, he knew he didn’t want to look anywhere else.

Before URI: Was an honor roll student and four-year member of the soccer team at Brooks School (North Andover, Mass.)… Helped lead his team to the 2017 New England Class B title, and a runner-up finish in 2016… Brooks combined for a 28-0-6 record those two seasons, winning the ISL both years… Allowed just one goal during the 2016 ISL season… Recipient of the 2018 ISL Soccer Award… Also played for Seacoast United DA U19 (2018-19) and GPS Massachusetts – NPL Elite Red U19 (2017-18).

Personal: Born August 26, 2000… Son of Alison and Nick Kempe… Has a younger sister, Morgan, and a younger brother, Charles… Enjoys playing and watching soccer, weigh training, working out and spending time with friends… Favorite athletes are De Gea and Zlatan Ibrahimovic… Favorite teams are Manchester United and Belgium… Is majoring in Business.

Elliott on Kempe: Andrew is a player who really shined at one of our prospect ID clinics. With some development, his great size and athleticism give him the potential to be a big-time Division I. We are thrilled to add him to our squad and can’t wait to see what he can accomplish over the next four years.

Noam Kolakofsky – Senior – M/F – 5-8/165 – Achziv, Isreal/Franklin Pierce

Chose to attend URI over New Hampshire… Selected Rhode Island because he would like to win a championship and believes URI has the ability to do so.

Before URI: Played his first three years of college soccer at Franklin Pierce, helping lead the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and serving as team captain in both 2017 and 2018… Combined for 40 points on 16 goals and eight assists from 2016-18… Was a two-time NE10 All-Conference selection (2017, 2018)… Also earned NCAA All-East Region accolades in 2018… Was a Dean’s List student and member of the 2017 NE10 All-Academic squad…Played club soccer for Hapoel Haifa and was a member of the U17 Israel National Team… Was a U19 Israeli National Youth Cup finalist and team leading scorer.

Personal: Born March 4, 1995… Son of Rimonda and Eran Kolakofsky… Has an older sister, Barr… Enjoys soccer and traveling… Favorite athlete is Raul Gonzales… Favorite team is Real Madrid… Majoring in Business.

Elliott on Kolakofsky: Noam is a talented attacking player who has had a lot of success at the Division II level over the past three years at Franklin Pierce. He can play both out wide or as a #10, and should be a great addition to an already exciting attacking core this coming season.

Jacob Maddox – Senior – M – 5-10/170 – Southborough, Mass./Franklin Pierce

Chose to attend URI because of the high-level soccer program and opportunity to study Criminal Justice.

Before URI: Was a Dean’s List student and three-year starter at Franklin Pierce University… Registered two goals and five assists in 50 career games for the Ravens… Helped lead FRU to the 2016 NCAA Tournament… Attended Algonquin Regional High School and played club soccer for FC Boston Bolts.

Personal: Born July 15, 1998… Son of Kimberly Berndt and Chris Payne… Has brother, Carter, and a sister, Zoe… Enjoys watching sports and playing video games… Favorite athletes are Lebron James and David Beckham… Favorite teams are Manchester United, the Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots… Majoring in Criminal Justice.

Elliott on Maddox: Jacob joined us this past spring and immediately had a positive impact on our program. A very intelligent and competitive central midfield player, Jacob adds a lot of experience and depth to our 2019 squad. We were excited about having him this spring and we’re even more excited to see what he can accomplish for us this fall.

Robert McManus – Freshman – M – 6-3/170 – Weddington, N.C./Weddington

Chose to attend URI over Colgate, Dayton, Xavier and Charlotte… Selected Rhode Island because of the great coaching staff and beautiful campus/community.

Before URI: Was an honor roll student at Weddington High School… Volunteered for his school’s TTA program and was involved in Younglife… Also competed in DECA… Played for Charlotte Soccer Academy U15-U19 DA squads, as well as the Carolina Rapids Academy U13 and U14 DA teams…  Started every U17-U19 game for Charlotte Soccer Academy … Scored seven goals during the 2018 season.

Personal: Born January 8, 2001… Son of Sheila and James McManus… Has two older siblings, Joseph and Danielle… Enjoys music, basketball, skateboarding, golf… Favorite athlete is Connor McGregor… Favorite teams are Burnley FC and the Washington Capitals, Redskins and Wizards… Majoring in Business with plans of pursuing a career as an entrepreneur.

Elliott on McManus: Robert is an exciting central midfield prospect who is joining us from North Carolina. He has had a lot of success in the US Developmental Academy and we think he has the makings of a top-level college player. He has great size and athleticism and a real competitive edge to his game.

Ewan Noble – Freshman – M – 5-10/165 – Newport, R.I./Rogers

Chose to attend URI over New Hampshire and Clemson… Selected Rhode Island because of the University’s business and soccer programs, as well as the opportunity to live near the beach.

Before URI: Was a high honor roll student and three-year member of the soccer team at Bishop Hendricken before finishing his schooling at Rogers High School…Was a First Team All-Division and All-State selection… Played club soccer for Bruno United FC and NEFC… Also spent time volunteering as a youth soccer coach for the Newport County YMCA.

Personal: Born September 3, 2000… Son of Nycole and Steven Noble… His father played college soccer at Alderson Broaddus College and the University of West Florida… His grandfather, Keith Noble, played professional soccer for the Raith Rovers… Has a younger sister, Emma… Enjoys soccer, volleyball and going to the beach… Favorite athlete is Frank Lampard… Favorite teams are Chelsea FC, the Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots… Majoring in Business.

Elliott on Noble: Ewan is another decorated local talent who we think has tons of potential. A very technical and creative midfield player, he can play in numerous advanced positions and will cause problems for opposing defenses. We can’t wait to start working with him.

Harvey Read – Freshman – D/M – 6-2/185 – Southampton, England/Hounsdown School

Chose to attend URI over Vermont and SIUE… Selected Rhode Island because of the amazing facilities, team history and quality coaching staff.

Before URI: Was a member of Southampton FC (U8-U16), Stoke City FC (U18-U23) and Eastleigh FC… Captained the Southampton U16 team… Was a FA Youth Cup semifinalist.

Personal: Born September 2, 1998… Son of Karen and Stafford Read… Has a sister, Darcey… Enjoys photography, personal training and golf… Favorite athletes are Tyson Fury and Virgil Van Dijk… Favorite team is Southampton FC… Undecided on a major.

Elliott on Read: Harvey is an experienced center back or holding midfielder that comes from a very high level in England and should have an immediate impact on our program. We’re excited about his addition and we can’t wait to help him continue his development towards the next level.

Filippo Tamburini – Junior – F – 6-3/190 – Rimini, Italy/Canisius

Chose to attend URI over UC Irvine, Portland and Dayton… Selected Rhode Island for opportunity to make a further step towards professional soccer and be the next Geoff Cameron for URI… Also, liked the fact that Coach Elliott was a striker and values the opportunity to learn from him.

Before URI: Appeared in 31 games for Canisius over his freshman and sophomore years… Combined for 37 points on 15 goals and seven assists… Was an All-MAAC First Team and All-Rookie selection in 2017… Was a Preseason All-MAAC pick in 2018, as well as an All-Academic performer… Scored 30 goals in two-plus seasons with A.C. Cesena… Played one year with Fya Riccione, recording five goals.

Personal: Born April 10, 1996… Son of Katia Depoali and Mauro Tamburini… Has a brother, Luca… Enjoys minigolf, foot-volley, the NBA and reading… Favorite athlete is Zlatan Ibrahimovic… Favorite teams are Inter Milan and Chelsea… Majoring in Business.

Elliott on Tamburini: Filippo is joining us as a transfer after two successful seasons in the MAAC. A more traditional target striker with great technical ability, we think he will be a very effective player for us moving forward. We are really excited about adding him to the Rhody soccer family.

Sam White – Freshman – D – 5-10/160 – Wakefield, R.I./South Kingstown

Chose to attend Rhode Island because URI has always been his hometown college… He grew up watching Rhody games and hearing stories of his father’s good times at the school.

Before URI: Played soccer at South Kingstown, under head coach and former Ram Adam Howarth (’07)… Captained his team as a senior in 2018… Was an All-Division First Team selection as a junior and earned All-State First Team accolades as a senior… Helped lead SKHS to a runner-up finish in both 2015 and 2017… Also played club soccer for Bayside FC (2010-15), Oakwood SC (2015-17), Rams FC (2017-18) and NEFC (2018-19).

Personal: Born September 8, 2000… Son Lisa and Edward White… Has two younger siblings, Benjamin and Sophia… Enjoys soccer, art and music… Favorite athlete is Marcelo… Favorite teams is Real Madrid… Majoring in Global Business Management with future plans of becoming a management analyst.

Elliott on White: Sam is another local stand out from South Kingstown who has played both in the USDA, for Oakwood SC, and locally, for Rams FC. He is a very competitive, tough-nosed wide player with great pace who we feel will adjust very well to the Atlantic 10 Conference.