Florida Atlantic University men’s soccer team signs 9 newcomers

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University men’s soccer team is one of the few teams in the NCAA to return all 11 starters from the previous season, but head coach Joey Worthen and company also welcome an array of newcomers. The squad has brought in nine more student-athletes to complete the 30-man roster.

This 2021 class has representatives from seven different countries – Canada, France, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United States. A breakdown of the players is as follows:

#5 Leo Keller
Freshman // Midfielder // Strasbourg, France // RC Strasbourg

Keller played 40 total matches with 16 starts for Strasbourg B in 2020-21 as a defensive midfielder. He added in a goal during the 2019-20 season.

#6 Chadi Mayati
Freshman // Defender  // 6-0, 176 1bs // Montreal, Quebec, Canada // Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy

Mayati was a top player for the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy, as he was named head perfect. He was also recognized as a Florida High School State Stars defender and is undecided on his major.

#16 Davide Romeo
Freshman // Midfielder // 6-2, 186 1bs // Reggio Emilia, Italy // U.S. Sassuolo Calcio

Romeo played for U.S. Sassuolo Calcio in Italy and was a member of the U16 Italy National Team. With U.S. Sassuolo Calcio, Romeo was a part of the U18 National Championship team. A star in the classroom, Romeo was named the 2018 best high school student at the International Experiential School and is looking to major in finance at FAU.

#17 Filip Jauk
Freshman // Forward // 6-5, 187 lbs // Maribor, Slovenia // NK Aluminij

Jauk was a member of NK Aluminij and appeared in eight games with the Slovenian senior league. As part of the Slovenian youth league, Jauk scored 20 goals on 40 matches. He plans to major in business and management.

#21 Zach Hassell
Freshman // Midfielder // 6-0, 160 lbs // Flagler Beach, Fla. // Jacksonville FC

Hassell played club ball for Jacksonville FC coached by Tommy Krizanovic. He was named to the All-Southeast Conference team for the Elite Clubs National League in 2019. Hassell plans to major in exercise science and health promotion.

#23 Pontus Steffensen
Freshman // Forward // 5-9, 174 lbs // Alingsåa, Sweden // IFK Göteborg/IFK Gothenburg

Steffensen participated in the Allsvenskan Games for the U17 and U19 games. He trained with IFK Gotensburgs First Team and scored against major European clubs, such as Club Brügge, Lechia Gdansk and Jagiellonia Bialystok. Steffensen is undecided on his major.

#25 Damean Dominguez
Freshman // Midfielder // 6-4, 180 lbs // Carrollton, Ga. // Darlington Soccer Academy

Dominguez played at Carrollton High School and Darlington Soccer Academy, being named MVP of his team. The midfielder broke three records in a single season, led the season in scoring for four straight years and earned Offensive Player of the Year honors. Dominguez, who will be majoring in criminal justice, also played football in high school.

#29 Pepo Bravo
Freshman // Midfielder // 5-7, 134 lbs // Majadahonda, Spain // EFMO Boadilla

Bravo was recognized as the best player of his tournament while representing EFMO Boadilla. He won the Costa Blanca Cup and was top in assists in his league. Bravo is undecided on his major.

#30 Tim Bernhardsson
Junior // Defender // 6-4, 194 lbs // Uppsala, Sweden // UK Sirius FK Academy // California Baptist

Bernhardsson began his first two collegiate seasons at California Baptist, where as a freshman, he appeared in 15 games while logging 1,154 minutes. Coming off the spring, Bernhardsson scored a pair of goals on two shots against Utah Valley in 90 minutes to be named Student-Athlete of the Week. Bernhardsson was tabbed to the District Team at youth camp in 2015 in Sweden and had the opportunity to practice at the highest division in Swedish soccer. He is majoring in business management.