By: Steve Frost - Associate Director Marketing & Communications (sfrost@sfu.ca)
BURNABY, BC – The Polisi brothers will be playing professional soccer on opposite coasts after senior captain and midfielder
Marcello Polisi signed a professional contract with Halifax Wanderers of the Canadian Premier League.
"I think Halifax will be a great fit for me to establish myself in the professional game," said Polisi. "I will do everything I can for the club to help them win games the same way I did with SFU."
Earlier this year Marcello's younger brother
Matteo Polisi signed with Pacific Football Club of the CPL, a club based out of Greater Victoria
here
Marcello Polisi was GNAC Player of the Year and an NCAA D2 All-American as a freshmen, and he went on to be chosen GNAC All-Conference First Team all three seasons. He was also West Region Second Team in 2019, his last competitive season with SFU after COVID-19 forced SFU to opt out of the 2020 season. Polisi started all 49 games he played for SFU over three seasons, registering 6 goals and 7 assists as a defensive midfielder.
Polisi was preparing to return for a fourth season at SFU when Halifax FC head coach Stephen presented Polisi with the opportunity to turn pro. Halifax FC was the third team to join the Canadian Premier League which began play in 2019.
"I will miss the guys a lot. I made a lot of great friendships within our team and I wish the team the best," said Polisi. "I know they will have a very strong squad this year and have the ability to do very big things in the coming years!
"I have to thank Coach Schneider and Coach Harmse for always pushing me and enabling me to grow as a footballer and as a person. They have done so much for me that I will forever be grateful for."
"We are very excited for Marcello and this next chapter in his footballing journey. He has been a very big piece to our success the last few years," said head coach
Clint Schneider. "On one hand, we know that we are losing a very big piece to our team. On the other hand, we want to continue to be known as football program where players can develop and use the program as a springboard for the next step."
SFU has a history of developing players and preparing them for the jump to professional soccer. During its years competing in the NAIA, SFU regularly placed players on Canadian national teams and in professional soccer, both domestically and overseas. Since joining the NCAA in 2010 eight players have gone onto play professional soccer. See the full list of SFU players capped and playing professionally
here
Matteo Polisi, Pacific FC (CPL)
Marcello Polisi, Halifax FC (CPL)
Mamadi Camara, Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL)
Jovan Blagojevic, Whitecaps FC/Altay S.K. (Turkey)
Paris Gee, FC Edmonton (CPL)
Colin Jacques, NK Istra (Croatia)
Callum Powell, Kettering Town
Derrick Bassi, Whitecaps FC
"We will now have three players in the CPL next year and I think this is only the beginning," said Schneider. "I know a goal for our program is to have the biggest collegiate representation in the league and I think we are on the path to do it.
Simon Fraser is preparing to return to competitive play in the fall of 2021. Its 2021 schedule is
here
--@SFU_Athletics---
