CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Big South Conference announced its men's soccer preseason players to watch list, which was announced by the league office on Tuesday. The lists were voted on by conference coaches.
HPU had five returners selected as Daniel Lugo, Prosper Adagani, Koven Johnson, Roman Holt and goalkeeper Josh Caron represented the Panthers on the list.
Lugo, the reigning Big South Offensive Player of the Year, Big South Newcomer of the Year, Big South Tournament MVP, Big South First Team member and Big South Male Athlete of the Year, started in 19 of 20 games while scoring 14 goals — with a single-season program best seven game-winning scores — and assisting on five for a team and conference-leading 33 points in 1,191 minutes played. He was a United Soccer Coaches All-American, MAC Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List honoree, TDS Player of the Year Finalist and a member of the TDS Best XI First Team as the No. 4 player in the nation and the second-highest draft pick when the Vancouver Whitecaps selected him in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft with the 29th overall pick on December 18, 2026.
People are also reading…
Adagani joins Lugo as a returning forward on the watch list. The Big South Freshman of the Year and Big South All-Freshman Team honoree heads into his second season after appearing in every game (20) and starting in two. Adagani scored six goals — two matches with a brace and a pair of game-winning goals — while dishing out two assists in 718 minutes logged.
Johnson represents the Panthers as a midfielder to watch as he returns for his junior season after being drafted by the Colorado Rapids with the 70th overall pick in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft in 2026. As a sophomore, he appeared in all 20 games with 17 starts while scoring his first collegiate goal, contributing to 10 clean sheets and playing 1,408 minutes.
As a defender, Holt started and played in all 20 games while logging 1,720 minutes with 14 full-time matches in his first complete season. He contributed to 10 clean sheets and a 0.76 goals against average. He dished out his first collegiate assist at Radford on Oct. 18. He was named to the Big South All-Freshman Team and TDS Freshman Best XI.
The goalkeeper Caron rounds out the watch list. He started in all 20 games — with a program-tying best nine complete shutouts and 10 combined clean sheets — on 180 shots faced in 1,782 minutes played for a 14-2-4 record. He allowed just 15 goals for a 0.76 goals against average and led the Panthers to a pair of Big South Conference Championships, the best league goal difference in Big South history (30-1), and HPU's first NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance after the school's first-ever second round win over West Virginia. He was voted the Big South Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Big South Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Big South Goalkeeper of the Year as well as earning Big South First-Team All-Conference, All-Academic Team and CSC Academic All-District accolades.
The Big South preseason players of the year honorees in the categories of offensive, midfielder, defensive and goalkeeper will be selected by the head coaches from the lists and will be announced on Wednesday, Aug. 12, along with the 2026 preseason predicted order of finish.
Forwards
- Daniel Lugo, High Point
- Prosper Adagani, High Point
- Brando Bedolla, Longwood
- Mesfin Roda, Longwood
- Kenshin Akimoto, Presbyterian
- Tyler Ware, UNC Asheville
- Arnor Hardarson, UNC Asheville
- Villads Baden, Winthrop
- Pablo Ortega, Winthrop
Midfielders
- Koven Johnson, High Point
- Ezrah Seralde, Longwood
- Aristhid Kamdjin, Longwood
- AJ Acree, Presbyterian
- Ali Merghemi, Presbyterian
- Kenjy Vertil-Dorelus, Presbyterian
- Charlie Wood, UNC Asheville
- Oscar Kelly, USC Upstate
- Henry Burt, USC Upstate
- Sam Crolla, Winthrop
Defenders
- Roman Holt, High Point
- Benjamin Ferrero, Longwood
- Lennart Granzow, UNC Asheville
- Jalen Moore, USC Upstate
- Cody Read, Winthrop
- Josh Murray, Winthrop
Goalkeepers
- Josh Caron, High Point
- Ben Miller, Radford
- Lucca Barros, UNC Asheville
- Jarrett Wuerslin, USC Upstate
