BURLINGTON, Vt. – The No. 1 ranked Vermont men's soccer program announced 13 new additions poised to join the Catamounts for the 2025 campaign on Wednesday afternoon. The reigning National Champions will welcome eight first years and five transfers.
RELATED LINKS
2025 Roster | 2025 Schedule
Tickets
COACH'S QUOTE
"A long and enduring recruiting season has turned into one of the strongest recruiting classes in our history," said Head Coach
Rob Dow. "We searched every corner of the country and abroad to bring diverse and talented players to UVM. A big credit goes to Brad and Rory for putting this group together. These newcomers are full of the intangible talents that align with our program, and we are excited for them to integrate into the team."
#0 Jake Jacobi | R-Fr. | Goalkeeper | Weston, Vt. | Virginia Tech (ACC)
Originally from Weston, Vermont, and an alumnus of Stratton Mountain School,
Jake Jacobi is coming back to his home state after spending a year at Virginia Tech. The 6'3", 206-pound goaltender did not appear in any games for the Hokies during the 2024 season.
#2 Gabriel Chavez | So. | Midfielder | Wethersfield, CT | Providence (Big East)
Chavez played his first-year season at Providence College where he appeared in 19 matches for the Friars and clocked 527 minutes. He also played for Oakwood Soccer Club and New York City FC. Chavez was a part of the New England Revolution for three years and was team captain of the U19 team (2023-24). Chavez was named Man of the Match versus FC Dallas in the MLS Next Semi Finals (2023) and was a two-time MLS Next Cup Champion (2022,2023).
#3 Omar Robbana | Fr. | Defender | Pembroke Pines, FL | Orlando City SC
Omar Robbana, a 6'2", 170-pound defender, played a key role in Orlando City SC's victory at the Generation adidas Cup in April. Known for his aerial ability, technical left foot, and strong physical presence, Robbana makes his presence known on the back line.
#4 Rui Aoki | Gr. | Defender | Hyogo, Japan | UMass Lowell (America East)
Aoki, a 6'1", 169-pound defender, spent the last two seasons at UMass Lowell in the America East where he appeared in 27 games for the River Hawks, including 24 starts. He played summer ball for the Vermont Green FC, helping hold down their back line. Aoki was with Barton Community College during his sophomore and freshman year. He played soccer at Ashiya Gakuen High School before college.
#14 Marcos Blasco | Gr. | Midfielder | Teulada – Moraira, Spain | CD Soneja
Blasco, standing at 5'11", 174-pounds, is a graduate transfer from Spain. He is a box-to-box center midfielder with a very extensive background playing in the Tercera Federación division in Spain. He is expected to bring immediate experience, leadership, and quality to our team.
#15 Brady Costin | R-Fr. | Defender | Wayne, Pa. | University of Delaware (Summit League)
Costin, a 6'2", 172-pound defender, missed his entire first-year season at the University of Delaware due to a broken foot. Prior to college, Costin was Pennsylvania State Gatorade Athlete of the Year (2024), Central League MVP (2023), PIAA Pennsylvania State Player of the Year (2023), USC High School All-American (2023), a four-year starter on his high school team, a two-time captain on his high school team, 2x Pennsylvania 4A State champ (2022 & 2024), and played at FC Delco MLS Next. He started at FC Delco MLS Next & acted as captain.
#16 Nico Loebus | Fr. | Midfielder | Germany | FSV Frankfurt
Standing at 6'2", 176-pounds, Loebus is an attacking midfielder who hails from Germany and comes to the program from FSV Frankfurt—the same club that produced former Catamount star
Adrian Schulze Solano.
#20 Shalom Adja | Fr. | Midfielder | Ellicott City, MD | Columbus Crew 2
Adja joins UVM after graduating from Mount Hebron High School. Prior to joining Vermont, he played for Columbus Crew Academy and joined Crew 2, which plays in the MLS NEXT Pro league.
#22 Gavin Stevenson | Fr. | Midfielder/Forward | Coon Rapids, Minnesota | Minnesota United FC Academy
Standing at 6'1", 180-pound, midfielder
Gavin Stevenson joined the Catamounts in June after developing in the Minnesota United FC Academy system. He comes to UVM after spending time with the Minnesota United 2 team.
#25 Ludvig af Ugglas | Fr. | Defender | Stockholm, Sweden | IFK Stocksund
Ludvig af Ugglas, a 6'3", 187-pound center back from Stockholm, Sweden, formerly competed with IFK Stocksund, a club that plays in Sweden's third division.
#26 Bruno Imarenakhue | Fr. | Forward | Belgium | SK Bevern U21
Imarenakhue, a 6'2" forward holding both Belgian and Nigerian citizenship, has experience with Royal Cappellen FC, a club in Belgium's third tier. Most recently, he featured for the SK Beveren U21 squad.
#28 Philipp Kühn | So. | Forward | Germany | Werder Bremen II
Standing at 6'3" and weighing 196 pounds, forward Philipp Kühn comes from Germany. He previously played for FSV 63 Luckenwalde in the Regionalliga, Germany's fourth division, and most recently suited up for Werder Bremen II.
#99 Shane Williams | R-Fr. | Goalkeeper | Boulder, CO. | Colgate University (Patriot League)
A native of Boulder, CO, standing at 6'2", 188-pounds, Williams spent his first collegiate season with Colgate University before spending a year abroad with Eture FC. He was a three-year varsity member of Fairview High School, where he played in 50 games with the Knights, recording 456 saves and 20 shutouts. Williams was a two-year captain, making 20 starts his senior year and recording 239 saves, five shutouts, and two assists. In 2022, Williams garnered a handful of honors including an All-American nominee, All-West Region Team, All-State First Team, and All-Front Range Region. He holds the school record in career saves with 456, saves in a season with 236, and single-game saves with 28. On the club side, Williams played in 31 games with the Colorado Edge, recording eight shutouts, and making 120 saves.
The defending National Champions kick off the 2025 season at home, hosting Sacred Heart on Thursday, August 21 at 6 p.m. from Virtue Field for the team's season opener. The Catamounts will then stay at home for an afternoon matchup with Boston University on Sunday, August 24 at 1 p.m.
For news and updates about the Vermont men's soccer program, follow @UVMmsoccer on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
EastRise Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont soccer
