Inside The Panthers

Pitt Men's Soccer Signs Swiss Defender Niklas Sørensen

The Pitt Panthers signed a talented defender from Switzerland to their roster ahead of the fall season.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt Men's Soccer Signs Niklas Sørensen, a defender from Switzerland
Pitt Men's Soccer Signs Niklas Sørensen, a defender from Switzerland / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers continue to add to their men's soccer program ahead of the fall season, as they signed a defender from Switzerland in Niklas Sørensen.

Sørensen hails from Thalwil, about eight miles south of Zurich, the capital of Switzerland.

He started his career with local team FC Thalwil, before playing at the U16 and U18 levels of FC Zurich. He then transferred to TSG Hoffenheim, a German team in the Bundesliga, spending the 2022-23 season at their U19 level and then playing for TSG Hoffenheim II last season.

Sørensen is 20 years old and plays mostly at centre-back and at right back. He'll look to feature as a member of the defense next season for the Panthers and will compete for minutes.

He is the ninth addition to Pitt this offseason, along with MLS academy graduates in Joshua Veychek from Columbus Crew and Mason Dancy from Sporting Kansas City, WPIAL stars in midfielder Owen Christopher from Norwin and goalkeeper Cooper Sisson from Penn-Trafford, Drexel transfer midfielder Antonio Illuminato from Italy, German centre forward Tim Baierlein, Danish right back Laase Dahl and Spanish midfielder Miguel Bertran.

Pitt also added three transfers prior to the start of the spring season, including senior midfielder Casper Grening from Kentucky, junior defender Casper Svendby from Dayton and Oliver. 

Sørensen is one of many international players on the Panthers, including midfielders in sophomore Santiago Ferreira and graduate student Felipe Mercado from Colombia, sophomore forward Albert Thorsen and Svendby from Norway, Grening and Dahl from Denmark, senior defender Mateo Maillefaud from France, senior midfielder Guilherme Feitosa from Brazil, as well as Illuminato, Baierlein and Bertran.

The Panthers made it to the NCAA Tournament last season for the fifth straight time under head coach Jay Vidovich, but lost in the First Round. 

Vidovich has transformed the program since taking over in 2016, bringing them from the worst ACC program to three straight Elite Eights from 2020-22. He'll hope that these additions will bring Pitt back to competing for a National Title. 

Pitt Men’s Soccer Roster 2024

Graduate: 1 year of eligibility 
Midfielder Felipe Mercado
Midfielder Antonio Illuminato (Drexel)

Senior: 1 year of eligibility
Forward Luis Sahmkow
Midfielder Michael Sullivan
Midfielder Guilherme Feitosa
Midfielder Luka Kozomara
Midfielder Casper Grening (Kentucky)
Defender Mateo Maillefaud

Junior: 2 years of eligibility
Midfielder Mateo Stoka
Defender Noah Hall
Defender Jackson Gilman
Defender Casper Svendby (Dayton)

Redshirt Sophomore: 3 years of eligibility
Forward Eben McIntyre
Goalkeeper Cabral Carter

Sophomore: 3 years of eligibility
Forward Zahir Dyke
Forward Albert Thorsen
Forward Massimo Murania
Forward Alex Hauskrecht (Walk-On)
Midfielder Santiago Ferreira
Midfielder Logan Oliver (Indiana)
Defender Ameer Abdullah
GK Jack Moxom
GK Eli Mumford
GK Kyle Durham

Freshman 4 years of eligibility 
Forward Tim Baierlein 
Midfielder Miguel Bertran 
Midfielder Owen Christopher
Midfielder/Defender Mason Dancy
Midfielder/Defender Joshua Veychek
Defender Laase Dahl
Defender Niklas Sørensen
Goalkeeper Cooper Sisson

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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