Men's Soccer Adds Seven Newcomers to 2024 Roster

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts men's soccer head coach Fran O'Leary announced the signings of seven student-athletes on Friday afternoon. The Minutemen open the 2024 regular season campaign against Siena on August 22 at 5:00 p.m. in Loudonville, N.Y.

Oliver Akintade (Lake Forest, Ill.) joins the Minutemen after four years at Calvin University, where he earned All-American honors three times from 2021-2023 and was named MIAA Most Valuable Player in 2023. The forward netted 39 goals and dished out 21 assists during his 72-game tenure with the Knights.

Sean Fernandez-Davila (Stow, Mass.) starts his freshman year after an impressive high school career at Concord-Carlisle, earning All-State, EMSCA All-Star, DCL All-Star, and team captain. During the 2023 season, Sean helped guide Concord-Carlisle to a state championship.

Johan Feilscher (Hamburg, Germany) spent three seasons at Merrimack College, taking home All-NEC First Team, All-NEC Second Team, and All Northeast Region Third Team selections throughout his career. The forward starter made 44 appearances for the Warriors, recording 15 goals and 12 assists.

Chris Giglio (Westfield, N.J.) arrives at Amherst after four years at Denison University, where the outside back put together an impressive senior season to earn Second Team All-Ohio, United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Region VII, First Team All-NCAC, and NCAC All-Tournament Team. Giglio logged 3,173 minutes across three seasons for the Big Red, starting in 41 games out of 46 appearances.

Bilal Hersi (Lewiston, Maine) joins the program after four years at Siena College. During his tenure with the Saints, Bilal started 44 games in 60 appearances to log 12 goals, 8 assists, and 32 points. The graduate forward earned Third Team All-MAAC in 2023 and Second Team All-MAAC the year prior. Hersi also brings abundant experience on the national scene, playing for the Somalian U-20 National team in addition to competing in the 2022 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers.

Dean Linden (Westford, Mass.) begins his collegiate career after attending Worcester Academy, where he was a high school All-American, ECNL All-American, NEPSAC Defensive MVP, and United Soccer Coaches All-Region. The four-year starter helped Worcester Academy's varsity team win a National Championship in 2022, along with NEPSAC Class A, Regional, and Conference championships. The netminder posted 24 shutouts from 2021-2022, recording 90 saves in that span.

Layton Purchase (Denver, Colo.) spent four years at Stanford University, winning the Pac-12 Championship in 2020 with the Cardinal. Making 54 appearances and eight starts during his time in California, the midfielder logged 1,479 minutes and scored two goals including a game-winner against Santa Clara in 2023. Purchase helped Stanford advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in his senior year, following a 3-0 victory against No. 1 Marshall in the third round.

For complete coverage of the UMass men's soccer team, follow the Minutemen on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @UMassMSoccer and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Oliver Akintade

Johan Feilscher

Sean Fernandez-Davila

Chris Giglio

Dean Linden

Layton Purchase

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics