STORRS, Conn. – UConn men's soccer head coach Chris Gbandi has announced the addition of eight student-athletes to the class of 2028 on Tuesday morning. 

The class consists of two goalkeepers, one defender, three midfielders, and two forwards. 

"We are excited to welcome the 2024 incoming class to Storrs," said Gbandi. "First off, I want to express my gratitude to my coaching staff for all their hard work in assembling this class. Each member of this class is committed to personal growth, both on the field and in the classroom. A "Growth Mindset" is a crucial quality we seek during recruitment, and it's clear that each of these players embodies that mentality."

Goalkeepers

UConn adds two goalkeepers to the roster in Justin Hess and Joe Grossman. 

Hess is a Guilford, Connecticut native. He attended Guilford High School where he was an All-New England player and a two-time All-State and All-Conference selection, serving as team captain for two seasons. 

Grossman comes to Storrs from Freehold, New Jersey. He attended SAI Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Grossman was named a Club All-American by the United Soccer Coaches in 2022. 

Defenders

Alex Tupay is the lone defender in the incoming freshman class. Tupay is from Phoenix, Arizona, where he attended Arcadia High School. He played for Real Salt Lake-Arizona in MLS Next and was named the top center back in Arizona by Prep Soccer. He was a team captain and helped lead his team to back to back Surf Cup Championships. 

Midfielders

The Huskies add three midfielders in Mateo Depinho, Giovanni Dennis, and Matias Paredes. 

Depinho comes to UConn from Clark, New Jersey. He played for the Cedar Stars Academy for ten years, leading his team in assists in his U-16, U-17, and U-19 seasons. 

Dennis joins the Huskies from Tampa, Florida. He attended Bloomingdale Senior High School where he was a team captain and All-City player, leading his team to a District and Regional championship. 

Paredes arrives in Storrs from Miami, Florida. He attended Immaculata-La Salle High School in Miami. Paredes played for Inter Miami CF Academy where he was a three-time USYS Florida State Champion and Regional Champion in 2022. He was the USYS Regional and National League top scorer in 2021 and 2022. He also helped lead his team to a UPSL Championship in 2023. 

Forwards

Rounding out the incoming class are two forwards, Evan Pickering and Alfonso Arredondo. 

Pickering comes to UConn from Carlsbad, California. He played in MLS Next for City SC San Diego his junior and senior season. Pickering also played for Real Salt Lake Academy, where he led his team to the 2021 MLS Next U-15 National Championship. 

Arredondo arrives in Storrs from Madrid, Spain. He played for Aravaca C.F. in Spain's 5^th Division. He helped lead the first team to promotion into Spain's 4^th Division. He tallied 50 goals throughout his youth career. 

"We look forward to having this group of players contribute to our culture, advance our progress, and help us reach our ultimate goal of winning a National Championship," Gbandi concluded.