Virginia men’s soccer finalizes 12-player recruiting class for 2021

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Head coach George Gelnovatch announced the addition of 12 newcomers to the University of Virginia men’s soccer program. All 12 incoming student-athletes are eligible for the 2021 fall season.

“We really like how this class took shape and are excited get this group on Grounds,” Gelnovatch said. “We were able to address a number of needs and I think this class will integrate nicely into the promising and elite potential of our current group.”

The 2021 class is comprised of 11 first years: Malcolm Brickhouse (Charlottesville, Va.), Matthew Hunter (Richmond, Va.), Erick Kilosho (Roanoke, Va.), Jesper Moksnes (Stavanger, Norway), Ank Nibogora (Kitchener, Canada), Nils Orywol (Frankfurt, Germany), Asparuh Slavov (Alpharetta, Ga.), Michael Tsicoulias (Newton, Mass.), Kome Ubogu (Hoover, Ala.), Henry Van Wincoop (Charlottesville, Va.) and Paul Wiese (Rostock, Germany) – and one graduate transfer – Daniel Wright (Wixom, Mich.)

2021 Virginia Men’s Soccer Recruiting Class

Malcolm Brickhouse
Position: M
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Charlottesville, Va.
High School: Charlottesville
Club Team: SOCA/Skyline Elite

Notes: Won the Virginia State Cup with SOCA in 2019… ODP East Region team captain and leading scorer during the 2016-2017… Captain of Charlottesville High School during his junior and senior years… Ranked the #22 prospect in the Mid – Atlantic Region according to TopDrawerSoccer.com

Matthew Hunter
Position: Forward
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Richmond, Va.
High School: Midlothian
Club Team: Richmond United DA (2016-21)

Notes: Four-year team captain for Richmond United… Helped lead the team to ECNL playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021.

Erick Kilosho
Position: M
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Roanoke, Va.
High School: Patrick Henry
Club Team: VBR Star

Notes: First Team All-State selection in 2019… Served as a team captain at Patrick Henry

Jesper Moksnes
Position: D
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Stavanger, Norway
High School: St. Svithun VGS
Club: Hinna FK (2007-2017) & Viking FK (2017-2021)

Notes: Transferred permanently to Viking in 2017 as a 16 year old… With Viking FK won the U-20 national league in 2019 and reached the semifinals in 2018 and 2019… Served as a team captain for Viking II in 2021… Has played in the Norwegian third division and has previously trained with Viking First Team… Won the national championship with Hinna FK in 2015 and won three-straight county championships from 2015-17

Ank Nibogora
Position: Forward
Year: Fr.
Hometown: Kitchener, Canada
High School: Resurrection Catholic Secondary School
Club Teams: Waterloo United (2014-2018), RED Academy (2018-2020), Athlete Institute Football (2020-2021).

Notes: Top goal scorer in L3 3 years in a row (2014-2017)… Won the L3 League Championship three-times (2014-2017)… Ontario Academy Soccer League (OASL) top scorer (2019)… Was the top scorer on RED Academy’s Robbie Cup and Potomac Cup Championship teams in 2019… Invited to camp in Spain through La Liga academy… Had trials with Toronto FC’s youth academy has received interest from the Burundian U20 Youth National Team.

Nils Orywol
Position: Midfielder/Defender
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Frankfurt, Germany
High School: Kopernikusschule Freigericht
Club Team: Eintracht Frankfurt from 2013-2020

Notes: Played in the Youth Bundesliga at the U17/U19 Levels…German Youth National Team U15 and U16… Most Recently played for SV Mainz Gonsenheim during the 2020 – 2021 Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz Season.

Asparuh Slavov
Position: Midfielder
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Alpharetta, Ga.
High School: Alpharetta High School and Denmark High School
Club Teams: United Futbol Academy (2018-2020), Atlanta United (2020-2021)

Notes: The country’s No. 23^rd ranked midfielder in the 2021 class according to TopDrawerSoccer.com… Played on the U16 Bulgarian National Team… Has trained with Atlanta United’s first team and USL side… Named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Playoff Group Stage Best XI in 2018-19.

Michael Tsicoulias
Position: Forward
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Newton, Mass.
High School: Newton North
Club: New England Revolution

Notes: Has been called into US Youth National Team Futures Camp during his youth career… Currently playing with The New England Revolution II of USL 1 (Third Tier Professional Soccer)

Kome Ubogu
Position: F
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Hoover, Ala.
High School: Indian Springs School
Club Team: Alabama FC (ECNL)

Notes: Totaled 123 goals and 63 assists in 127 games between ECNL and ODP competition… For Alabama FC, tallied 94 goals and 43 assists in 105 games… Alabama State USYS Olympic Development Program (2017-2020)… USYS Region III ODP 2003 Boys First Team… A part of two International Tours with ODP squad in Portugal and Spain… Invited and attended preseason with Birmingham Legion of the USL Championship in 2021.

Henry Van Wincoop
Position: F
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Charlottesville, Va.
High School: St. Anne’s Belfield School
Club Team: SOCA (2010-2019)

Notes: Was club’s top scorer and won CCL Championship, a State Cup, the Jefferson Cup and an IMG Cup…  Part of the Region 1 ODP pool and team, 2015-2019 (Competed in Austria, Germany, Spain, Scotland, Netherlands)… Third Place 1500m in the National Junior Olympics, Houston, 2016.

Paul Wiese
Position: Defender
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Rostock, Germany
High School: CJD Rostock
Club Teams: Hansa Rostock (2006 – 2020), Bonner SC (September 2020 – June 2021)

Notes: Talent of the Year 2019 (of the state Mecklenburg Pomerania for all sports) … Has trained with the first team of Hansa Rostock in the 3^rd Bundesliga… Was a full time starter for Bonner SC in the Regionalliga West.

Daniel Wright
Position: Forward
Year: Graduate Student
Hometown: Wixom, Mich.
Club Team: CSA Wolves Academy (2013-17)
High School/Previous School: Walled Lake Western/Duke University

Notes: Played four seasons at Duke and started 40 of the 65 games in which he appeared… Totaled nine goals and eight assists (26 points) in four seasons… Recognized on the ACC Academic honor roll in 2018 and 2019… As a freshman in 2017, named the ACC Player of the Week and to the College Soccer News Team of the week after his game-winning goal against UVA on Oct. 27… Was rated the #20 overall prospect by TopDrawerSoccer.com and voted to the Central Conference Best XI Team in high school.