Pitt Men's Soccer Lands Two WPIAL 2024 Recruits

The Pitt Panthers added two WPIAL Class of 2024 recruits to the men's soccer program, maintaining a local presence in the team.

Pitt Men's Soccer Adds WPIAL Class of 2024 Recruits in midfielder Owen Christopher from Norwin and goal keeper Cooper Sisson from Penn-Trafford / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have a far more improved men's soccer program in recent years, but still manage to keep local recruits in the program and playing important roles.

Pitt announced two new signings from the WPIAL, in goalkeeper Cooper Sisson from Penn-Trafford from Irwin and midfielder Owen Christopher from Norwin.

Sisson played for Penn-Trafford from 2019-22 and spent this past season with the BVB International Academy America Pittsburgh location.

Christopher had an excellent senior season with Norwin in 2023, scoring five goals and creating 13 assists en route to a WPIAL Class 4A Championship at Highmark Stadium. He would score the winning goal in the semifinal against Fox Chapel and scored from the penalty spot in the WPIAL final against North Allegheny.

He earned all-Section, All-WPIAL and All-PIAA honors for his efforts last year.

Sisson and Christopher are the fifth and sixth additions in June for Pitt men's soccer, along with Drexel transfer midfielder Antonio Illuminato from Italy, German centre forward Tim Baierlein, Danish right back Laase Dahl and Spanish midfielder Miguel Beltran.

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 sophomore midfielder Logan Oliver from Indiana. 

They also join a few WPIAL recruits with the program now, including senior midfielder Michael Sullivan from Deer Lakes, redshirt sophomore forward Eben McIntyre from Charleroi and sophomore forward Alex Hauskrecht from Winchester Thurston.

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 Fetiosa
Midfielder Luka Kozomara
Midfielder Casper Grening (Kentucky)
Defender Mateo Maillefaud

Junior: 2 years of eligibility
Midfielder Mateo Stoka
Defender Noah Hall
Defender Jackson Gillman
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 Betran 
Midfielder Owen Christopher 
Defender Laase Dahl 
Goalkeeper Cooper Sisson

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