Stratford Announces 15 Additions for 2026 Season
August 04, 2026 10:05 AM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University men's soccer head coach Dan Stratford has announced the addition of 15 student-athletes as part of the 2026 signing class.
Joining the Mountaineers are first-year college soccer players Ryan Birtwistle (Singapore), Mark Chust (Valencia, Spain), Aurélien Cormier (Quimper, France), Joshua Dudock (Hamburg, Germany), Joshua Jones (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), Grafton Kahl (Richmond, Va.), Michael Marino (Neshanic Station, N.J.), Kendall Starks (Crown Point, Ind.), and Lucas White (Kensington, Md.) as well as transfers Christian Blank (Holbrook, N.Y/LIU), Civan De Jesus Ferreira (Berlin, Germany/Loyola Marymount), Harry Hogben (Teynham, England/Missouri State), Kanta Ishii (Tokyo, Japan/Cowley College), Julen Recalde (San Sebastián, Spain/WVU Tech), and Jacob Redenfors (Vargberg, Sweden/Pitt).
Ryan Birtwistle – Defender – Singapore
Birtwistle joins the Mountaineers after playing most recently for Wacker Burghausen in the fourth tier of the German football league system. Before that, Birtwistle played eight years in the Wolverhampton Wanders system, seeing action with the Wolves U23, U21, and U18 squads while also training with the first team. He also made seven appearances for Oxford City FC.
Christian Blank – Defender – Holbrook, N.Y.
Blank transfers to West Virginia after spending three years at LIU. After redshirting in 2023, he played in 26 games while making 19 starts in the past two seasons, scoring two goals and recording two assists. Before college, he played at Sachem North High School where he was a two-time All-County player. Blank also played with NYCFC developmental academy and Albertson SUSA ECNL.
Mark Chust – Defender – Valencia, Spain
Chust comes to Morgantown after playing most recently for UD Alzira in Tercera Federación, Spain's fifth tier of its football league system. He also played for CD Tarancón and Valencia CF U19. He attended Cambridge House Community College in Valencia. He will miss the 2026 season as he recovers from knee surgery.
Aurélien Cormier – Defender – Quimper, France
Cormier joins the Mountaineers after playing most recently for Paotred Dispount Ergué-Gabéric of Championnat National 2, the fifth tier of the French football league system. Previously, he also played for Concarneu B as well as their U19 and U17 squads.
Civan De Jesus Ferreira – Defender – Berlin, Germany
De Jesus Ferreira comes to Morgantown after playing for Loyola Marymount in 2025. He played in 16 games with 14 starts for the Lions while scoring two goals. In 2024, he played at Indiana Wesleyan, playing in 16 games while making nine starts. Before college, he played for Berliner SC and served as captain of the U19 squad.
Joshua Dudock – Forward – Hamburg, Germany
Dudock arrives in Morgantown after playing last year for Bremer SV in the Regionalliga Nord, the fourth tier of the German football league system. For Bremer, he scored 11 goals in 32 matches across all competitions while adding five assists. He also played for Kickers Emden as well as the youth system of SV Werder Bremen.
Harry Hogben – Defender – Teynham, England
Hogben transfers to the Mountaineers after playing last season for Missouri State. With the Bears, he played in 16 matches with 14 starts and was named to the American Conference All-Freshman Team. Previously, Hogben won an Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association national championship with Royal Russell School in Croydon, England. He also played 11 matches for Sheppey United F.C.
Kanta Ishii – Midfielder – Tokyo, Japan
Ishii comes to Morgantown after two standout seasons at Cowley College. He was the two-time KJCCC Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time First Team NJCAA Division I All-American. In 39 games with the Tigers, Ishii scored 16 goals and tallied 13 assists. Previously, he played for clubs in Germany (SV Straelen and FSC Duisburg) in the Oberliga Niederrhein, the fifth tier of the German football league system and began his career with Tokyo Verdy U18 team.
Joshua Jones – Midfielder – Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Jones joined the Mountaineers in January out of Surrey, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver. He played Surrey United where he helped lead them to the provincial league title three times and were the provincial champions in 2023. He attended Langley Christian High School, where he was a two-time Athlete of the Year and was an honor roll student. He comes from a soccer family as his dad played for Arsenal academy and the University of Wisconsin while his aunt and uncle both played at Western Michigan. His brother is currently in the Vancouver Whitecaps academy as well.
Grafton Kahl – Defender – Glen Allen, Va.
Kahl joins the Mountaineers as a freshman from Virginia, having played for Richmond United Academy. He also earned a call up to the Richmond Kickers, seeing action in three matches. He was rated as a three-star prospect by Top Drawer Soccer. Kahl attended Deep Run High School.
Michael Marino – Defender – Neshcnic Station, N.J.
Marino joins the Mountaineers from New Jersey after playing for MLS Next TSF Academy. He attended Gill St. Bernard's and was named First Team Skyland-Delaware Division, First Team Somerset County, and All-State by the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey.
Julen Recalde – Forward – San Sebastián, Spain
Recalde transfers to the Mountaineers after playing last season at WVU Tech. He was named the River States Conference Male Athlete of the Year, the RSC Player, Offensive Player, and Newcomer of the Year as well as an NAIA First-Team All-American. In 22 games, Recalde scored 16 goals and had three assists as he helped led the Golden Bears to the National Championship game.
Jacob Redenfors – Defender – Varberg, Sweden
Redenfors comes to WVU after playing last season at Pitt. He played in 11 games while making five starts and had one assist on the season. Before college, he attended Peder Skrivares Skola and played for Tvååkers IF of Ettan, the third tier of the Swedish football system, making 26 appearances. He also spent time with Vargbergs BoIS and Varbergs GIF as well Varbergs BoIS U17 and U19 squads.
Kendall Starks – Goalkeeper – Crown Point, Ind.
A goalkeeper, Starks most recently played for Colorado Rapids 2 of MLS Next Pro, where he saw action in nine matches. He has spent time in the academies of Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, and Indy Eleven. While with the Rapids, Starks was named the Generation Addidas Cup Goalkeeper of the Tournament while leading the team to the finals. He also earned a call up to the U18 USA National Team training camp in January. Starks was ranked as the No. 98 player nationally by Top Drawer Soccer and the No. 10 goalkeeper.
Lucas White – Forward – Kensington, Md.
White joins the Mountaineers as a freshman. He attended Walter Johnson High School and played club soccer for Bethesda SC. He was rated a three-star prospect by Top Drawer Soccer and ranked the No. 35 player in the Mid-Atlantic region.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Joining the Mountaineers are first-year college soccer players Ryan Birtwistle (Singapore), Mark Chust (Valencia, Spain), Aurélien Cormier (Quimper, France), Joshua Dudock (Hamburg, Germany), Joshua Jones (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), Grafton Kahl (Richmond, Va.), Michael Marino (Neshanic Station, N.J.), Kendall Starks (Crown Point, Ind.), and Lucas White (Kensington, Md.) as well as transfers Christian Blank (Holbrook, N.Y/LIU), Civan De Jesus Ferreira (Berlin, Germany/Loyola Marymount), Harry Hogben (Teynham, England/Missouri State), Kanta Ishii (Tokyo, Japan/Cowley College), Julen Recalde (San Sebastián, Spain/WVU Tech), and Jacob Redenfors (Vargberg, Sweden/Pitt).
Ryan Birtwistle – Defender – Singapore
Birtwistle joins the Mountaineers after playing most recently for Wacker Burghausen in the fourth tier of the German football league system. Before that, Birtwistle played eight years in the Wolverhampton Wanders system, seeing action with the Wolves U23, U21, and U18 squads while also training with the first team. He also made seven appearances for Oxford City FC.
Christian Blank – Defender – Holbrook, N.Y.
Blank transfers to West Virginia after spending three years at LIU. After redshirting in 2023, he played in 26 games while making 19 starts in the past two seasons, scoring two goals and recording two assists. Before college, he played at Sachem North High School where he was a two-time All-County player. Blank also played with NYCFC developmental academy and Albertson SUSA ECNL.
Mark Chust – Defender – Valencia, Spain
Chust comes to Morgantown after playing most recently for UD Alzira in Tercera Federación, Spain's fifth tier of its football league system. He also played for CD Tarancón and Valencia CF U19. He attended Cambridge House Community College in Valencia. He will miss the 2026 season as he recovers from knee surgery.
Aurélien Cormier – Defender – Quimper, France
Cormier joins the Mountaineers after playing most recently for Paotred Dispount Ergué-Gabéric of Championnat National 2, the fifth tier of the French football league system. Previously, he also played for Concarneu B as well as their U19 and U17 squads.
Civan De Jesus Ferreira – Defender – Berlin, Germany
De Jesus Ferreira comes to Morgantown after playing for Loyola Marymount in 2025. He played in 16 games with 14 starts for the Lions while scoring two goals. In 2024, he played at Indiana Wesleyan, playing in 16 games while making nine starts. Before college, he played for Berliner SC and served as captain of the U19 squad.
Joshua Dudock – Forward – Hamburg, Germany
Dudock arrives in Morgantown after playing last year for Bremer SV in the Regionalliga Nord, the fourth tier of the German football league system. For Bremer, he scored 11 goals in 32 matches across all competitions while adding five assists. He also played for Kickers Emden as well as the youth system of SV Werder Bremen.
Harry Hogben – Defender – Teynham, England
Hogben transfers to the Mountaineers after playing last season for Missouri State. With the Bears, he played in 16 matches with 14 starts and was named to the American Conference All-Freshman Team. Previously, Hogben won an Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association national championship with Royal Russell School in Croydon, England. He also played 11 matches for Sheppey United F.C.
Kanta Ishii – Midfielder – Tokyo, Japan
Ishii comes to Morgantown after two standout seasons at Cowley College. He was the two-time KJCCC Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time First Team NJCAA Division I All-American. In 39 games with the Tigers, Ishii scored 16 goals and tallied 13 assists. Previously, he played for clubs in Germany (SV Straelen and FSC Duisburg) in the Oberliga Niederrhein, the fifth tier of the German football league system and began his career with Tokyo Verdy U18 team.
Joshua Jones – Midfielder – Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Jones joined the Mountaineers in January out of Surrey, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver. He played Surrey United where he helped lead them to the provincial league title three times and were the provincial champions in 2023. He attended Langley Christian High School, where he was a two-time Athlete of the Year and was an honor roll student. He comes from a soccer family as his dad played for Arsenal academy and the University of Wisconsin while his aunt and uncle both played at Western Michigan. His brother is currently in the Vancouver Whitecaps academy as well.
Grafton Kahl – Defender – Glen Allen, Va.
Kahl joins the Mountaineers as a freshman from Virginia, having played for Richmond United Academy. He also earned a call up to the Richmond Kickers, seeing action in three matches. He was rated as a three-star prospect by Top Drawer Soccer. Kahl attended Deep Run High School.
Michael Marino – Defender – Neshcnic Station, N.J.
Marino joins the Mountaineers from New Jersey after playing for MLS Next TSF Academy. He attended Gill St. Bernard's and was named First Team Skyland-Delaware Division, First Team Somerset County, and All-State by the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey.
Julen Recalde – Forward – San Sebastián, Spain
Recalde transfers to the Mountaineers after playing last season at WVU Tech. He was named the River States Conference Male Athlete of the Year, the RSC Player, Offensive Player, and Newcomer of the Year as well as an NAIA First-Team All-American. In 22 games, Recalde scored 16 goals and had three assists as he helped led the Golden Bears to the National Championship game.
Jacob Redenfors – Defender – Varberg, Sweden
Redenfors comes to WVU after playing last season at Pitt. He played in 11 games while making five starts and had one assist on the season. Before college, he attended Peder Skrivares Skola and played for Tvååkers IF of Ettan, the third tier of the Swedish football system, making 26 appearances. He also spent time with Vargbergs BoIS and Varbergs GIF as well Varbergs BoIS U17 and U19 squads.
Kendall Starks – Goalkeeper – Crown Point, Ind.
A goalkeeper, Starks most recently played for Colorado Rapids 2 of MLS Next Pro, where he saw action in nine matches. He has spent time in the academies of Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, and Indy Eleven. While with the Rapids, Starks was named the Generation Addidas Cup Goalkeeper of the Tournament while leading the team to the finals. He also earned a call up to the U18 USA National Team training camp in January. Starks was ranked as the No. 98 player nationally by Top Drawer Soccer and the No. 10 goalkeeper.
Lucas White – Forward – Kensington, Md.
White joins the Mountaineers as a freshman. He attended Walter Johnson High School and played club soccer for Bethesda SC. He was rated a three-star prospect by Top Drawer Soccer and ranked the No. 35 player in the Mid-Atlantic region.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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