Written by Michael Lewis

The Long Island Rough Riders today highlight how many of its men’s players from the USL League Two team are faring in college soccer this fall.

The Rough Riders recently completed one of their most successful seasons, qualifying for the USL League Two final. They dropped a 2-1 decision to the Ventura County Fusion.

Ryan Carmichael

Carmichael has gotten off to a solid start with the Hofstra University men, scoring in three successive matches and recording points in five straight games.

The Long Island Rough Riders forward connected for the lone goal of the Pride’s 1-0 road win at Binghamton University on Sept. 20. The goal was scored in the in the 55th minute.

A native of Armagh, Northern Ireland, Carmichael has recorded four goals and two assists for Hofstra (5-2-0), which has registered a 5-1-0 mark in matches decided by one goal.

The goal lifted Carmichael into 10th place on the Pride’s career list with 23.

The 5-11, 145-lb. Carmichael tallied 13 goals For the Rough Riders this past season.

He played an integral role, helping the Riders reach the league final.

Wessel Speel

Carmichael is not the only Hofstra player with Rough Rider connections who has stood up. Wessel Speel has backstopped the squad to consecutive shutouts. That included the Binghamton win and the 2-1 home victory over Northeastern University in Hempstead, N.Y. on Sept. 17.

He has a 1.15 goals-against average for the Pride in eight games this season.

Speel, who was selected to the USL League Two All-League team along with defender Bjarne Thiesen, finished the season with a 1.39 GAA and was a part of six clean sheets.

Bjarne Thiesen

Thiesen, the other League Two All-League selection, has played the second most minutes (625) in seven matches for West Virginia University (2-4-1). He has one goal, which was scored in a 4-1 home win over American University at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va. on Sept. 6.

Roc Carles Puig

The junior midfielder has an assist for Hofstra, which was recorded in the 3-2 win over Long Island University on Sept. 7.

Pierce Infuso

A Merrick, N.Y. resident and junior defender, Infuso has played every minute (630) of the seven games he has started for Hofstra.

Mason Tatafu

After scoring in Hofstra’s 2-1 season-opening victory over Fordham University on Aug. 25, the sophomore defender has helped Hofstra limit its opposition to eight goals in seven matches.

Luke McCormick

McCormick has found the net twice and assisted on another goal for West Virginia this season. The senior midfielder scored in the 3-2 loss at Penn State University on Sept. 2 and in the 2-1 defeat at the University of Portland on Sept. 19.

Aaron Denk Gracia

A fifth-year defender, Gracia scored his first goal of the season in West Virginia’s 1-0 victory over American on Sept. 6. He has started in all of his six appearances this season.

Filip Mirkovic

A Manhattan, N.Y. native, Mirkovic has played a big role in the University of Pittsburgh’s success. In only five appearances for the Panthers (5-1-1), he has accumulated two goals and five assists. Most recently on Sept. 19, the junior midfielder enjoyed a memorable three-point night in a 3-3 draw with the University of Akron. He scored one goal and set up two others. That came only three days after recording two assists in a 3-0 victory over North Carolina State University.

Mirkovic scored his first goal of the campaign, while adding an assist, in a 5-0 triumph against Howard University on Sept. 5.

Nico Cavallo

Cavallo, who was named to the 2022 Atlantic 10 preseason All-Conference team, has played up to his potential with Davidson University. The junior defender has started all eight games for the Wildcats (2-5-1), assisting on one goal, in the 3-0 win vs. Averett University on Sept. 9.

Last season, Cavallo started 25 games, helping the side to four shutouts while tying for the team lead in assists (five).

Andre Cutler-DeJesus

Cutler-DeJesus scored in Marist College’s 2-0 season opening victory over Howard University on Aug. 25. The sophomore defender from Mamaroneck, N.Y.  has started six contests for the Red Foxes (4-1-1).

Amier Daley

The junior defender from Elmont, N.Y. found the net in the 1-1 home draw with the University of North Carolina in Atlantic Coast Conference action on Sept. 16. Daley scored in the 10th minute, his second career goal for the Blue Devils (5-0-1). He struck for his first one last year.

Sean Fitzgerald

A 6-foot, 162-lb. midfielder who hails from Smithtown, N.Y., Fitzgerald has started three games and played in six matches for Binghamton (0-5-2).

Albert Kang

Kang has started six of seven games for Loyola Maryland (2-3-1). The senior midfielder scored his lone goal of the season in a 3-0 win at the University of Delaware on Aug. 29.

Chris Morandi

The sophomore midfielder from Mineola, N.Y. has played 256 minutes for Monmouth University over five starts and six appearances.

Jayden Reid

Reid, a junior midfielder who hails from Elmont, N.Y., has seen action in six matches for the University of Connecticut (2-3-1). He finished with three goals and five assists for the Huskies last year.

Justin Weiss

Weiss has collected a goal and an assist for Northwestern University. Both points for the junior forward from Syosset, N.Y. came in the season-opening 3-3 draw with Chicago State on Aug. 25. He has started seven goals for the Wildcats (1-4-2).

The Rough Riders will have periodic updates on its men’s and women’s players during the college fall soccer season.