Last season, for the first time in the program’s history, San Diego State men’s soccer won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and went undefeated as the No. 1 seed.
The Aztecs were named the WAC Regular Season Championship on Nov. 3, 2024, after shutting out Air Force 2-0. At the tournament, they lost in the semifinals to the fifth-seeded San Jose State 3-2 in the WAC Tournament. A year later, players left and moved on from the program; others returned, and new players have arrived in San Diego.
After a historically successful season, San Diego State men’s soccer welcomes 12 new faces from various classes to the SDSU Sports Deck this season, along with 13 returning players.
Lucas Caffo is a redshirt freshman midfielder from San Diego. He attended Point Loma High School and brings club experience, having played for Albion SC in the San Diego area. In 2021, he helped the team win the Manchester City Cup, and in 2022, he helped the team go to the MLS Next Playoffs.
Nik Orth is a freshman midfielder from Cologne, Germany. He began high school at Apostelgymnasium Cologne, a traditional school, before transferring to Sportgymnasium Dresden, which focuses heavily on sports. Orth has international experience, playing for teams such as FC Köln, SG Dynamo Dresden and, most recently, SC Fortuna Köln.
Beckett Miller is a freshman midfielder from San Clemente, California, who attended Tesla Academy for high school. He brings an extensive club soccer background, having played three seasons for Strikers FC. During his time with Strikers FC, he accumulated 20 goals, helped the team make an appearance at the MLS Next Cup Finals, appeared in the Generation Adidas Cup twice and finished first place in the league three times.
Juan Zepeda is a sophomore forward from Guadalajara, Mexico, who attended high school at the Instituto de Ciencias. Before SDSU, he spent two years at Temple University, where he competed in the 2023 season and did not compete in the 2024 season. As a freshman with the Owls in 2023, he started in 14 matches, scored three goals and recorded two assists. Zepeda earned multiple honors that season. Zepeda brings club experience from Mexico, playing for Atlas FC in Guadalajara. During his time with Atlas FC, he helped the team go to the Liga MX U18 National Championship and finish second at the U20 National Championship.
Whit Schatz is a sophomore midfielder from Eugene, Oregon, who attended South Eugene High School. Schatz has club experience with Eugene Metro FC and took a gap year before coming to San Diego to play with Eture FC in Spain. While in Spain during the 2023-2024 season, he led the team in minutes played and assists, helping them win the league. The following season, he was named team captain.
Vincent Fourneir is a junior goalkeeper from Clermont-Ferrand, France, who attended high school at Lycée Godefroy de Bouillon and later went to ESSEC Business School. Fourneir comes to SDSU with club experience playing for Clermont Foot 63, Avoine Olympique Chinon Cinais, Angoulême Charente FC, AS Cannes and FC Chamalières. During his time with Avoine Olympique Chinon Cinais, he appeared in 14 games and had five shutouts.
Andrew Klott is a junior goalkeeper from St. Charles, Missouri. He attended Francis Howell High School, where he earned multiple honors. As a senior, he helped his team win the conference championship. Before coming to SDSU, he played two years at the University of Southern Indiana. In 2023, he appeared in six matches, started in four matches and made 28 saves. In 2024, he played in 18 matches, started in 17 matches and set a school record for USI while leading the nation with 109 saves.
Carson Ballagh is a junior midfielder from Lake Orion, Michigan. He attended Lake Orion High School and played club soccer with Vardar Academy. Before coming to SDSU, Ballagh played two seasons at Oakland University, playing in 33 matches and starting 30 of them. He received honors during his time with Oakland. He helped Oakland win back-to-back Horizon League regular-season championships.
Lleyton Imparato is a senior midfielder from Tampa Bay, Florida. He attended La Costa Canyon High School and played four years with Nomads SC MLS Next, as well as Charles MLS Next and Albion SC. Imparato spent his first two collegiate years at Temple University, where he played 28 matches, started 20 matches and scored twice. He will reunite with former teammate Zepeda, who also played at Temple in 2023. For his third year, Imparato went to the University of Memphis, scoring five goals with five assists. During his time at Memphis, he played in 16 matches with 13 starts. He played a big role in Memphis as he helped his team win the AAC regular-season championship and earned several honors.
Stephan Moreira is a senior midfielder from Colchester, England. He played in the National League, which is the fifth level of the English football league system. Moreira is coming to SDSU to pursue his master’s degree in homeland security after earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He played at two different collegiate programs.
He played his first two years at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In 2021, he scored eight goals and three assists. In 2022, he scored 16 goals and four assists.
At SIUE, where he spent his final two undergraduate years, he played 20 games and started 18 in the 2023 season. That year, he scored five goals and seven assists. In 2024, he played in 19 games, started in 18 and had one goal with five assists. Moreira received honorable mentions during his time at SIUE.
Baptiste Boit is a senior defender from Clermont-Ferrand, France. He attended high school at Lycée Godefroy-de-Bouillon and played club soccer for Clermont Foot 63, where he was team captain. Boit earned a master’s degree in sport management from Oral Roberts University and is coming to SDSU to pursue a master’s degree in homeland security. He played for Oral Roberts during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. As a junior, he started 13 games and in his senior year, he started in 16 games and scored one goal.
Jonah Kawamura is a senior midfielder from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. He attended Iolani School, where he played baseball, basketball and football, and was named Hawaiʻi Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021. Kawamura brings club experience, as he played for the Honolulu Bulls. In 2018, he helped the U-18 team win the Surf Cup, and in 2019, he helped the U-19 team reach the semifinals. Kawamura spent his first collegiate year at the University of Washington, playing in one match. He then spent the last three years at UC San Diego. As a sophomore in 2022, he played 18 matches and started in 17. During his junior year, he started and played 18 games. In his final year at UCSD, he started and played in 15 games, scoring one goal before suffering an injury. Kawamura earned his degree in business economics at UCSD and is pursuing a certificate in trauma-informed care at SDSU.
The Aztecs will open their preseason with a friendly match against UC San Diego at 7 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the SDSU Sports Deck.
