This fall, the men's and women's soccer teams will each welcome eight new recruits. (Photo credit: Hannah Ally of GoLeopards)
As the semester ends and the campus community prepares for summer vacation, 16 high school students are preparing for their first collegiate preseason at Lafayette.
The men's soccer program added eight new faces to its roster, three of which are homegrown talent. The women also captured eight new recruits.
“This recruiting class brings a wealth of talent and skill to our program,” men's head coach Dennis Vaughn wrote in an email. “We have players who can contribute in different places on the field. Players with different technical and physical attributes will help strengthen our roster in different ways.”
First, Cameron Vaughn, a forward from Easton, Pennsylvania and the son of Dennis Vaughn, arrived on campus having scored 69 goals, the most in high school history. Midfielder Cade Maglione, also from Lehigh Valley, became the school's all-time leading scorer. Goal and point scorer. Jackson Vajda, a native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is a midfielder and defender who played a key role in his high school's title-winning season in 2023.
Forward Gabe Faust comes to College Hill from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Faust competed in his vaunted MLS NEXT league while collecting hardware at the high school level. Staying in the Garden State, Joseph Lee is a standout defender from Hasbrouck Heights. The final recruit from New Jersey is Hamilton outside back Anthony Darling. He joined the Leopards after a successful high school and club career.
Riley Martin is a forward from Oreland, Pennsylvania. He holds the record for most goals scored in a single season in high school with 34. Finally, defender/midfielder James Melnyk joins the team from Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, after a stellar high school career that earned him various individual awards.
These eight rookies will look to contribute to the team's success following a season in which the Leopards reached the Patriot League Finals.
Mick Statham, head coach of the women's team, praised his program's eight recruits.
“I am really pleased with the quality of this class,” Statham wrote in an email. “They're really good players, they're great students, they're just really good people. They're great players, great students, and really good people. They're great players that not only help us progress as a team on and off the field, but they're also at the heart of what it means to be a Lafayette student. We do our best to recruit student-athletes who can live up to our values. We feel this class reflects exactly what we need and the spirit we need. Masu.”
First, defenseman Brooke Commins will join the Maroon and White from Warrington, Pennsylvania. Camryn Fitch, also from the Keystone State, is a defenseman from Vogelsville, Pennsylvania.
Next, defenseman Eva Fix from St. Louis, Missouri will join the backline. Fix is the program's first recruit from St. Louis. International student-athlete midfielder Jessica Giordanella is from Markham, Ontario.
The team also welcomes midfielder Emma Harmon from Bayville, New Jersey, and defender Nyla Kargbo from Reston, Virginia.
Midfielder Eva Verholak from Hingham, Mass., joins the Leopards, and defender Giada Zaffanella from Ellington, Conn. Zafanella joins his sister, freshman midfielder Nadia Zafanella, who was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year last season.
