NEW YORK — The Columbia men's soccer program officially welcomed a class of nine newcomers on Friday. The incoming members of the 2022 roster are: Alessandro Franciosa, Ben Sidley, Brandon Newman, Carmine Falco, Cy Sokolowski, Dean Kelliher, Jesse Greissman, João Lima and Ryan Yang.
 
"Columbia men's soccer is excited to welcome these nine amazing additions to our program," said head coach Kevin Anderson, who enters his 14th season leading the program. "They are not only quality players but quality human beings who will bring great assets to our community both on and off the field. 
 
"We are fortunate to have each of these members join us from their tremendous clubs, schools and programs. What truly has separated them, from the onset and it continues today, is both their individual and collective desire, passion & commitment to wanting to represent Columbia. We are excited to welcome them and their families as we assist in their growth and journey. This class strives to compete at the highest levels of college soccer and bring championships home to Columbia."
 
The incoming class features nine players that provide quality and versatility.  Full details on each new player are listed below. Fans can access the complete 2022 Columbia men's soccer roster by clicking this link. 

• Midfielder Alessandro Franciosa (Topsfield, Mass. / Seacoast United)
• Forward Ben Sidley (White Plains, N.Y. / New York Soccer Club) 
• Midfielder Brandon Newman (Old Tappan, N.J. / Players Development Academy)
• Defender Carmine Falco (Manhasset, N.Y. / Met Oval Academy)
• Forward Cy Sokolowski (Castle Pines, Colo. / Real Colorado)
• Goalkeeper Dean Kelliher (Chevy Chase, Md. / Bethesda Soccer Club)
• Midfielder Jesse Greissman (Melville, N.Y. / Long Island Slammers)
• Midfielder/Striker João Lima (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / Fluminense F.C. & Beachside Soccer Club) 
• Defender/Midfielder Ryan Yang (Markham, Ontario, Canada/ Players Development Academy)
   

#27 Alessandro Franciosa – M – 5-11 – CC – Topsfield, Mass. / Masconomet Regional / Seacoast United
A central midfielder for New England's Seacoast United Academy, Alessandro Franciosa's versatility will add depth to Columbia's midfield. Franciosa has started all 81 games that he's played for Seacoast over a five-year span. Over that time, he's helped his club team qualify for the 2019 DA Cup and 2022 MLS Next Cup. Franciosa has appeared in the IMG Class of 2022 Top 150 Recruits by Top Drawer Soccer and No. 4 for the Northeast Region in 2020. A dual-citizen, Franciosa has also been invited on trial by several Italian Serie A and Serie B academy teams, including Torino F.C., Delfino Pescara, S.S.C. Bari, U.S. Sassuolo Calcio and U.S. Lecce. Franciosa's camp invitations also include several U.S. National Team Training Center invites, as well as a trial invite by the Seattle Sounders in 2020.
 
Anderson on Franciosa: "Ale's versatility in the midfield along with his pass completion and long-range passing will provide dangerous options for us in the final third."
 
 
#22 Ben Sidley – F – 6-4 – SEAS – White Plains, N.Y. / White Plains / New York Soccer Club
A striker for New York Soccer Club, Ben Sidley brings a local flavor to the Lions' roster. The top goal scorer for NYSC in all four of his years with the club, Sidley netted an impressive 30 goals in 2019, including five in one match. The MLS Next product most recently scored 13 goals in 20 starts during the 2021-22 campaign. Sidley has participated in multiple MLS Next Showcases, including in June and December of 2021. His other experiences include helping his team to the semifinals of the 2019 Mediterranean International Cup, which was held in Spain. He also participated in the MLS Next Flex competition in May 2022. The National Honors Society member is also a volunteer soccer instructor.
 
Anderson on Sidley: "Ben's ability to strike the ball is only second to his desire and willingness to strike balls from a variety of areas within the final third. When you add this to his offensive heading ability in the box, he will surely be dangerous up front."
 
 
#18 Brandon Newman – M – 5-10 – CC – Old Tappan, N.J. / Northern Valley Regional / Players Development Academy
Brandon Newman joins the Columbia men's soccer team as a midfielder from nearby Old Tappan, New Jersey. His competitive experience branches from the New York City area's top clubs, spending three years in New York Red Bulls youth academy and two more with Players Development Academy. His PDA team won the league in 2021 and went on to become a national finalist in that year's MLS Next competition. In his time playing soccer, Newman has traveled and competed in Argentina, Austria, Belgium and England. The High Honor Roll student in every semester at Northern Valley Regional also enjoys being a soccer trainer and tutoring in his spare time.
 
Anderson on Newman: "Brandon is selfless in his play and gets teammates into quality attacking positions on the ball in the final third. Accompanying that with his work rate and ability to strike the ball from the top of the box makes him a dynamic box-to-box player."
 
 
#3 Carmine Falco – D – 5-8 – CC – Manhasset, N.Y. / Manhasset / Met Oval Academy
A defender from nearby Manhasset out on Long Island, Carmine Falco brings top-level experience from the Met Oval Academy to Columbia's back line. The three-year fullback began with Met Oval in 2020, playing up to the U17 squad as a 15-year-old. The following season, he averaged an assist a game before moving up to the U19 level at age 17 in 2022. Falco's top performance that season included a game in which he scored and tallied three assists. His club team has been ranked as high as No. 10 in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.com. A soccer trainer in his spare time, Falco is also a High Honor Roll student at Manhasset, a self-taught guitarist and volunteers with Operation Smile Club, which helps raise money for children with cleft lips.
 
Anderson on Falco: "Carmine's ball retention and passing ability coming out of the back provides us with the ability to unbalance opponents in possession, while his defensive effectiveness and 1v1 ability shuts down opponents."
 
 
#15 Cy Sokolowski – F – 6-3 – SEAS – Castle Pines, Colo. / Rock Canyon / Real Colorado
A striker from out west, Cy Sokolowski brings a plethora of competitive experience to Columbia after spending the last several seasons with Real Colorado's youth academy. Sokolowski was the 2021 USL Academy Cup Golden Boot winner, scoring 11 goals in his last 10 games of the 2021 spring season. He was invited to play on USA West Alliance in 2019, playing against the top youth clubs across Holland and Belgium. Sokolowski also has the distinction of being the leading goal scorer for his Real Colorado youth teams during both the 2019-20 and 2018-19 seasons. He has played in the AS Roma USA Invitational Camp in San Diego, as well as accepting multiple invites to US Soccer Youth National Team Regional Identification Centers. The Colorado native is also an accomplished competitive swimmer and has accrued several academic honors, including scoring in the 98th percentile on his PSAT, graduating with a 4.4 GPA and an AP Scholar with Distinction.
 
Anderson on Sokolowski: "Cy is a big striker who has a quality work rate. He has a great mind and quality footwork, which will allow him to bring players into the game and be dangerous in and around the box to score goals and create assists."
 
 
#30 Dean Kelliher – GK – 6-2 – CC – Chevy Chase, Md. / Bethesda-Chevy Chase / Bethesda Soccer Club
A goalkeeper from the DMV, Dean Kelliher brings a wealth of playing experience with well-known Bethesda Soccer Club. Kelliher started more than 48 games in goal for Bethesda over the last three seasons. This past spring, he made a career-high nine saves in a match against Players Development Academy. A two-year captain, Kelliher allowed the second-fewest goals in the nation for U17 in 2020-21, and posted the fourth-most clean sheets. The Chevy Chase, Maryland native also works as a personal trainer and coach for younger goalkeepers and soccer players in his community. Kelliher has also volunteered for Bethesda-Chevy Chase book sales, Martha's Table and cleanup projects, including Rock Creek Park for a local non-profit.
 
Anderson on Kelliher: "Dean's size combined with his tactical awareness, shot-stopping ability and distribution from his hands provides us with an ability to transition to attack swiftly and often." 
 
 
#26 Jesse Greissman – M – 5-10 – CC – Melville, N.Y. / Half Hollow Hills East / Long Island Slammers
A midfielder from Suffolk County, Long Island, Jesse Greissman joins Anderson's team with experience playing for Half Hollow Hills East and Long Island Slammers. In high school competition, Greissman scored 12 goals and tallied 11 assists as part of a stellar sophomore season for the Thunderbirds. At the club level, he honed his skills with Complete Athlete and Long Island Slammers. His club experience took him to US Nationals in Orlando. The 4.0 student is an AP Scholar and National Honors Society member.
 
Anderson on Greissman: "Jesse's tactical awareness, ball distribution/pass completion and availability to win second balls and duels in the midfield provides a strong core and solid foundation."
 
 
#23 João Lima – M – 5-10 – CC – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / Escola Americana do Rio de Janiero / Fluminense F.C.
João Lima comes to Columbia after two years playing at Greenwich High School and another at Beachside Soccer Club in Norwalk, Connecticut. Originally from Brazil, Lima went on to compete in Fluminense Football Club's academy this past year. He scored nine goals with eight assists as a freshman at Greenwich before going on to post 15 goals and 17 assists the following year as a sophomore. During that time, he was a two-time all-conference selection and 2019-20 all-state honoree. His other honors during his time in Connecticut include being named to the "Top 10 Uncommitted Players in New England" by New England Soccer Journal, as well as making the publication's list of "Top 20 High School Players for the 2019 Season." After scoring 11 goals and assisting seven as a junior for Beachside Soccer Club, he went on to compete for Fluminense his senior year. The three-year High Honor Roll student is the recipient of multiple academic honors, including the ESL Global Studies Student of the Year Award and ESL Willingness to Help Others Award.
 
Anderson on Lima: "Joao's passing ability and finesse in the final third will create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. That, combined with his ball striking ability and restarts, provides a great asset to our team."
 
 
#12 Ryan Yang – M – 5-11 – SEAS – Markham, Ontario, Canada / The Pennington School / Players Development Academy
A Canadian midfielder from the Toronto, Ontario suburb of Markham, Ryan Yang rounds out the class of incoming midfielders for the Lions. Yang played one year of soccer in the United States at The Pennington School in New Jersey in 2021-22. He was a team captain and helped his team to the league title on his way to scoring 18 goals, assisting 10 and being named All-Area, Prep Co-Player of the Year and earning All-America honors. Ryan also competed and captained the National Finalists team for the Players Development Academy in MLS Next  in both 2021 and 2022. The Dean's List student entered The Pennington School as one of the best boys soccer players in the country and was named to the 2021 TopDrawerSoccer Boys High School All-American roster.
 
Anderson on Yang: "Ryan brings quality and versatility to play in a majority of spots for our team. Whether it's attacking on the flanks and providing goals and assists in the final third, or shutting down opponents and blocking shots in our defensive third, Ryan's quality and work rate are tremendous."
 
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For the latest on Columbia men's soccer, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsMSOC), on Facebook (ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.
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