BURNABY, B.C. – A brilliant batch of BC's best prospects have joined the Simon Fraser Red Leafs men's soccer program. Head coach Clint Schneider has assembled a 10-player, all-BC class to bolster his lineup for the 2023 NCAA season.
 
"We were very intentional about going after local talent," said Schneider. "We go after the best. We don't shy away from competition for athletes. As a head coach, I believe in our staff and the type of environment we have here to produce top-level players. The guys who have chosen to come to SFU have bought in. We've seen that from Day 1 working with them: buy-in and belief in the process."
 
The Red Leafs are considered one of the favourites to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2023 and make a return to the NCAA Division II tournament. The team tied for first place in the GNAC preseason coaches' poll.
 
Schneider says the newest Red Leafs players are an exciting group.
 
"A lot of these guys live within 30 kilometers of campus, and that is on purpose," he remarked. "It's our identity at SFU to have a Canadian-centric team, sprinkled in with players from outside the province or country. I think this year's recruiting class is an example of that. There are several guys who'll have an opportunity to play right away. We're loyal to the best 11. The guys have taken that to heart and we've seen the new players really push the older ones and it's exciting. I can't wait for the first official games. The things we're seeing from the new group are really awesome."


 
Michael Hennessy
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
Position: Midfielder, forward
Height: 5-10
High School: University Hill Secondary
Club Team: Vancouver Whitecaps MLS Boys Academy

Hennessy is an attacking player from Vancouver who is expected to make an impact for the Red Leafs immediately. He scored seven goals in 13 games for the Vancouver Whitecaps' League 1 BC team, tying for second in the entire league.
 
"SFU was the best place for me as I wanted to stay local and compete at a high level," said Hennessy, who joined the Whitecaps MLS Boys Academy in 2019 after playing for Mountain United FC in the EA SPORTS BC Soccer Premier League.
 
Hennessey also starred with the Whitecaps Academy U-19 team that competed in the Fraser Valley Soccer League Premier Division in the fall. He scored 11 goals to tie for third in the league.
 
In 2022, he was one of three forwards named to the Whitecaps' Academy XI, which recognized the "top-performing players in their position across all academy teams."


 
Bernardo Poniaczyk Illoz
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-1
High School: Windsor Secondary
Previous School: McMaster University

The midfielder from Vancouver is returning to the West Coast after spending the 2022 campaign with the McMaster Marauders, who won the Ontario University Athletics title to earn a berth to the U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championship.

"SFU gives me the opportunity to live close to home while playing soccer at a very high level and getting a great education," said Poniaczyk Illoz, who appeared in 19 games over the last two summers for Altitude FC of League 1 BC.
 


Hamish Ogden
Hometown: Port Moody, B.C.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-11
High School: Dr. Charles Best Secondary
Previous School: University of Victoria
Club Team: Mountain United FC

Ogden is a transfer from the University of Victoria, where he appeared in 19 regular season and playoff games for the Vikes, making a half-dozen starts. The midfielder from Port Moody, B.C., helped Victoria place second in the Canada West conference in 2021, and played in all three Vikes games at that year's U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championship.
 
"I chose to transfer to SFU because I wanted to be a part of a team with a professional environment, high-quality players, expectations of winning every game and a goal of winning a championship," said Ogden. "The academic side of SFU was also a good fit for me because I am majoring in psychology and the SFU Psychology program is reputable and competitive."
 
Ogden participated in Canada Soccer's U-14 and U-15 identification camps in 2016 and 2017.


 
Koji Poon
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
Position: Midfielder, forward
Height: 5-9
High School: University Hill Secondary
Club Team: Vancouver Whitecaps MLS Boys Academy
 
An attacking player with the talent to crack the SFU starting 11, Poon joins the Red Leafs out of the Vancouver Whitecaps MLS Boys Academy. He started there in 2019 after previously playing with Fusion FC in the EA SPORTS BC SPL.
 
Poon spent part of this summer with the Whitecaps' Under-19 MLS Academy team that won the League 1 BC championship. He scored one goal in seven games before moving to the Red Leafs for the 2023 NCAA season.
 


Ty Pound
Hometown: Surrey, B.C.
Position: Defender
Height: 6-3
High School: Grandview Heights Secondary
Club Team: Croatia SC

From Surrey, B.C., Pound played with Croatia SC of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League Premier Division. The defender scored twice in league play, helping his team to a third-place finish in the regular-season standings. Pound's Croatia squad made the VMSL Imperial Cup final in the spring.
 
"It is an amazing developmental opportunity in a great environment where I'll get to play with some teammates I've played with before," Pound said about joining SFU. "Getting to travel outside of the country will be a really cool experience and the SFU program looks like a real pro-like structure which is something to look forward to."
 
Pound – a member of the first graduating class of Grandview Heights Secondary School – competed for BC at the 2022 Canada Summer Games, where he was teammates with current Red Leaf Maddox Colligan and fellow incoming recruit Cole Toupin.


 
Devi Romero
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-11
High School: Burnaby Central Secondary
Club Team: Micro Footie Academy

The midfielder from Vancouver, B.C., competed for Micro Footie of the Fraser Valley Soccer League Premier Division this past club season. Romero won team Most Valuable Player honours this season at Burnaby Central Secondary School. Through his high school career, he led the Wildcats to district banners at the junior and senior levels, and captained the senior team.
 
"SFU was the right place for me because the Red Leafs are the top Canadian university soccer team, and gives me the opportunity to play in the NCAA. The university also has a fantastic environmental program," said Romero.
 
In addition to playing soccer at Burnaby Central, Romero also coached the school's senior girls' team from 2021 to 2023.


 
Kyle Torresan
Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C.
Position: Midfielder, defender
Height: 5-11
High School: Notre Dame Regional Secondary
Club Team: Surrey United
 


Ryan Torresan
Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C.
Position: Midfielder, defender
Height: 5-10
High School: Notre Dame Regional Secondary
Club Team: Surrey United
 
Kyle and Ryan Torresan are twin brothers who will continue their soccer careers together on Burnaby Mountain. They were multi-sport stars at Vancouver's Notre Dame Regional Secondary School, and recognized as athletes of the year at the school. They led the Jugglers to the BC high school Double-A provincial soccer championship in November.
 
"I chose SFU because it is the best soccer team in the country," said Kyle Torresan.
 
"Joining SFU is something new I want to be a part of and a soccer scholarship and the great program made it an easy choice," said Ryan Torresan. 
 
Playing club soccer for Surrey United, the brothers won four provincial championships in a row and placed third at the 2022 Toyota National Championships in October in Surrey.
 


Cole Toupin
Hometown: Maple Ridge, B.C.
Position: Defender
Height: 5-10
High School: Dr. Charles Best Secondary
Club Team: Coquitlam Metro-Ford
 
BC Soccer named Toupin the winner of its 2022 Player of the Year Award. He has been consistently recognized for his play and leadership abilities throughout his career. Toupin captained his club teams at Coquitlam Metro-Ford from 2016-19 and 2021-23, as well as at Dr. Charles Best Secondary School the last two seasons.
 
"SFU offers a well-respected soccer program where I can continue my development as a player," said Toupin on beginning his university career with Canada's NCAA team. "The school also offers great education that is close to home so I don't have to worry about moving away."
 
From 2019 to 2021, Toupin was a player in the Whitecaps MLS Boys Academy. Last year, he represented BC at the Canada Summer Games alongside current SFU goalkeeper Maddox Colligan and incoming recruit Ty Pound.


 
Deyan Vujovic
Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.
Position: Midfielder, forward
Height: 5-11
High School: Byrne Creek Community
Club Teams: Port Moody Spartans and Burnaby Selects White Eagles

Vujovic played with the Port Moody Spartans of the VMSL's Premier Division and the Burnaby Selects White Eagles of Division I. With the Spartans, Vujovic scored two goals and two assists in five games. He recorded a team-leading seven goals in 12 games with Burnaby, and added four assists.
 
"Athletically and academically, SFU fulfills my present goals," said Vujovic. "The SFU soccer program has held a high reputation and standard for a long time and will give me the opportunities to further expand my game, as will the highly ranked Beedie School of Business."
 
Vujovic is a graduate of Burnaby's Byrne Creek Community School, where he earned Principal's Academic Achievement honours (2018-20) and Academic Excellence recognition (2020-23).
 
SFU will open the 2023 regular season with two contests (August 31 and September 2) at Westmont's Heritage Club Classic in Santa Barbara, California. The Red Leafs' first home games will be against Chico State (California) on September 7 and Sonoma State (California) on September 9.
 
Season tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-red-leafs-season-passes-men-womens-soccer-and-volleyball-tickets-680344246957
 
- with files from Vancouver Whitecaps FC

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