VCU men’s soccer program welcomes 11 new Rams to roster for 2025

RICHMOND, VA – Officially kicking off the season on Thursday, August 21, VCU will play host to No. 21 Akron at Sports Backers Stadium. A year ago, VCU also opened its campaign with a top-25 team, taking down No. 15 Wake Forest on the road, 2-1, on opening night.

VCU looks towards its 2025 season with the 11 freshman and transfer additions to their roster. Read more about the incoming Rams:

Brendan Dobzyniak – Dobzyniak is a 5’11” defender from Midlothian, Virginia. He is a member of Richmond United and the Kickers U-20 Academy team, and also spent this season on an academy contract with the Richmond Kickers professional team. Coming into college with a championship resume, he was a 2023 ECNL All-American and won the U-17 National Championship with Richmond United in 2023.

Pedro Salmon – Salmon is a 6’1″ left back or left center back from Santander, Spain.  He spent his first two years playing at William Woods in Fulton, Missouri, where he was named first team all conference as well as an Academic All-American. He started 39 of 39 games played with 3 goals and 8 assists from left back for the Owls.

Luca Estabio – Estabio is a 5’5″ attacker from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who arrives at VCU after competing with Lanus u20 and the reserve team. He appeared in several preseason matches with the first team in the Argentinian Primeira.

Parker Simkins – Simkins is a 6′ defensive player from Pascagoula, Mississippi, who has been a two sport standout at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. He was not only a soccer standout with Montverde, but won a Class 2A state title with the track and field team. He joins current Ram and former Montverde standout Mohammed Ibrahim.

Manuel Monteiro – Monteiro is a 6’1″ goalkeeper from Lisbon, Portugal. He was a member of Casa Pia’s U19 team as well as a training member of the first team of Casa Pia in the Portuguese Primeira.

Kishin Togashi – Togashi is a 5’10” midfielder from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Kishin received multiple All-Mid Atlantic Conference ECNL Awards while playing for Beach FC. He was a four-year varsity letter winner and two-year captain at Princess Anne High School and won the VHSL 5A State Championship with the team as a sophomore. Highly decorated in high school, he earned first-team All-Region twice, first- and second-team All-State honors, and was named first- and second-team All-Tidewater by The Virginian Pilot.

Fabián Garita – Garita is a 5’10” center back from Heredia, Costa Rica. A member of Futbol Consultants Desamparados in the Costa Rican 2nd Division.

Afonso Taborda – Taborda is a 5’9″ central midfield player from Lisbon, Portugal. He was a teammate of Manuel Monteiro with Casa Pia U19’s and also joined the first team in training.

Emmett Shea – Shea is  central midfielder from Concord, New Hampshire, who comes to us from Eture in Spain after spending his first two years in college in the USA at Lehigh and Wofford. He attended Brewster Academy in high school. He was named to the 2024-25 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll at Wofford and appeared in all 18 games as a true freshman at Lehigh.

Ty Johnson – A former Richmond United standout, Johnson joins VCU as a graduate transfer from North Carolina after spending three years with the program. As a sophomore, Johnson was tabbed to the ACC Academic Honor Roll and appeared in the Tar Heels’ victory over No. 11 Duke. In his last year before college Ty also signed an academy contract with the Richmond Kickers’ professional team.

Hakim Musabbah – Hakim is a 6’0″ striker from Kampala, Uganda who led AMUS College and the all of the Ugandan high school league in scoring in 2024.

The Rams newcomers will don the following numbers in Black & Gold:
Brendan Dobzyniak – 2
Pedro Salmon – 3
Hakim Musabbah – 7
Luca Estabio – 8
Parker Simkins – 12
Manuel Monteiro – 13
Kishin Togashi – 15
Fabián Garita – 16
Afonso Taborda – 19
Emmett Shea – 20
Ty Johnson – 27

The Rams open their 2025 campaign with a trio of exhibition matches, playing two at home against Elon and Patrick & Henry Community College at 7 p.m. on August 9 and 11, respectively, before closing their presesaon at North Carolina on August 15.