OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Stars Men's Soccer team will have many new faces on its roster in 2023 as the season is gearing up to get underway with the first two games starting on the road beginning August 28th against Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.  

After losing 12 players and nine starters from a season ago Head Coach Billy Martin had some work to do to fill the roster in 2023. Martin went out and snatched 10 transfers while signing one freshman in the class of 2023. Martin mentioned that with all of these new players, one of the main things of this preseason was "getting on the same page."  

KEY RETURNERS 
Jordan Da Costa 
Sage Trevino 
Danilo Vilani 
Henrique Duarte 
 
KEY LOSSES 
John Woodhead 
Harvey Paul 
Ignacio Sarasol 
Jusung Kang 
 
KEY NEWCOMERS 
David Imbert 
Jovanny Nsonga 
Ruben Fahiya 
Marco Alongi 


Despite the many new faces, the Stars did return some core pieces from last year's squad. Senior midfielder Jordan Da Costa returns for his senior campaign after starting in 11 games last year. Da Costa scored two goals and led the team in assists. De Costa, a human performance major out of France will look to make a big impact on the attack for the Stars this season. Another key piece coming back this year is goalkeeper Danilo Vilani. An accounting major from Brazil, Vilani has created a proven track record in his past four seasons at OCU after being named the Sooner Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year back in the 2020-21 season. After playing a big role in 2022 Vilani has his sights set on taking an even bigger step in his graduate senior season.  
The fourth-highest goal scorer in 2022 makes his return as well and Sage Trevino comes off an impressive rookie stint. Trevino made one start while appearing in 16 games a season ago scoring three goals with two assists and eight points. Finally, the Duarte twins, Aiden Merger and Olly Clifford all made big impacts in their freshman seasons in 2022 and came back to OCU ready to take the next step in their sophomore year.  

Many new faces hit the Oklahoma City campus in 2023 as 10 transfers join the Stars roster. David Imbert, Jovanny Nsonga, and Ruben Fahiya are all transfers who come in attacking head coach Billy Martin says. Martin goes on to mention that the "attacking is going to be very good" based on those three newcomers joining the front side. David Imbert joins the OCU soccer team after spending two years at Northeast Texas Community College. Jovanny Nsonga joins OCU as a junior out of Chambery, France, and Montplaisir High School. Ruben Fahiya is another name Martin mentioned to make a big impact. Fahiya, a Human Performance major from Cardiff, Wales joins OCU after spending two seasons at Union College. In his two seasons, Fahiya started 32 out of 38 games played and scored a total of 10 goals with five assists. Other names joining the roster in 2023 include senior Andrew McMillian from Randall University, junior Jayson Riley from Rose State College, and another Rose State College transfer James Kearns who comes to OCU as a junior. Marco Alongi joins the team in his junior season from Eastern Oklahoma State College. Ryan Moon, a sophomore transfer from Rockwall, Texas joins the Stars after spending one season at NCAA Division I University of Central Arkansas. Finally, rounding out the transfer class is graduate senior Alex Strain who comes from familiar Sooner Athletic Conference opponent USAO.  

After losing three starters in the back from finding success in 2023 Martin mentions, "comes down to how well we defend." After winning 10 games a year ago OCU will look to capitalize on that and do even more this season. Finishing sixth in the Sooner Athletic Conference last year, the Stars were selected fifth overall in the preseason poll this year. Oklahoma City will open up its season on the road for two games beginning in Lindsborg, Kansas against Bethany College on August 28th at 12 PM followed by a matchup with Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas on August 30th at 8:30 PM. After the two-game road trip, OCU returns home for two games opening up its home schedule with Our Lady of the Lake on Saturday, September 2nd at 7:30 PM at the Brian Harvey Soccer Field.