WASHINGTON – American University head men's soccer coach Zach Samol announced on Tuesday the signing of eight student-athletes to his 2021 recruiting class.
 
Mattias Cooper, Dominic Dominguez, Miles Lam, Leo Palomo, Zemi Rodriguez, Nicholas Shirley, Mustapha Sowe, and Dilane Zouantcha will all be joining the program this fall, looking to continue building on a Patriot League title and NCAA Second Round appearance this past spring.
 
"We are really excited to welcome our second recruiting class to AU," said Samol, who is entering his third season at the helm of AU men's soccer. "Mike Montross and Dan Louisignau have again worked extremely hard during COVID to do the homework needed to put this group together. We feel really good about the ability, the versatility and the character that this group will bring as we continue to grow and develop our program."
 
MATTIAS COOPER
Position: Midfield/Forward
Previous School: Elon University
Club: Stabaek IF
 
Cooper, a native of Oslo, Norway, becomes an Eagle after spending two seasons with Elon University. At Elon, he was a member of the 2019 CAA All-Rookie Team and All-CAA Third Team as a sophomore this past spring. In the spring 2021 season, the midfielder led the Phoenix in games played and started (7), total points (6), goals (2) and assists (2). He brings 24 games of Division I experience, including three career goals and six career assists, to the American midfield. On the club circuit with Stabaek, playing with four players who went on to play professionally in Europe, Cooper was selected Man of the Match in the U19 Norwegian Championship quarterfinal. Cooper's mother played soccer at Penn State, while his brother played soccer at Elmhurst College.
 
Samol on Cooper: "Mattias is a versatile attacking player that could play out wide or centrally. He has good feet, combines and thinks well and he provides good service from set pieces. We really like his soccer and think he will fit our system well."
 
DOMINIC DOMINGUEZ
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Jacksonville FC
 
Dominguez has a long journey to the nation's capital as he hails from Jacksonville, Fla. He will be the only player on the men's soccer roster from the Sunshine State next season. The 5-foot-11 goalkeeper played in the US Development Academy from 2017-19 and the MLS NEXT league this past season, serving as team captain for both squads. Dominguez also had the opportunity to play matches in Brazil to honor the Chapecoense team that passed away on a plane crash in 2016. The National Honor Society member prepped at Atlantic Coast High in Jacksonville.
 
Samol on Dominguez: "Dom is a good athlete with real quickness, and it shows with his shot-stopping capabilities. He has great feet and strikes the ball well which makes his distribution one of his best qualities."
 
MILES LAM
Position: Midfield
Club: Baltimore Celtic
 
Lam joins the program from just up I-95 at Mount St. Joseph's High School in Baltimore. The three-year starter led the team with seven goals a season ago. On the club circuit with Baltimore Celtic, Lam won the 2016 State Cup and has been a two-time National League champion. His mother, Angela, played soccer at Clemson, graduating in 1996.
 
Samol on Lam: "Miles is a versatile left-footed player who has consistently found the back of the net for Baltimore Celtic. He works hard to get into the box and finds great spots to get his goals. He's sneaky good in the air and we are excited about his future."
 
LEO PALOMO
Position: Midfield
Club: Bethesda SC
 
Palomo, one of three players from Northwest High School in this recruiting class, makes the short trek to Tenleytown to join Dilane Zouantcha and Nicholas Shirley. His ties to the AU program don't end there. He played club soccer for Bethesda Soccer Club, a program that boasts four alumni who played for the Eagles last season (Ben Severe, Kevin Ventura, Tomas Martini, Jerry Zouantcha). At the end of his club season with Bethesda SC, he was selected among a pool of the best players in the league for a US Scout ID camp. Additionally, his Bethesda SC U19 team advanced to the playoffs in the MLS Next League.
 
Samol on Palomo: "Leo is a calm center midfielder who connects well and makes sense of the game. He works on both sides of the ball and reads the game well. We feel his qualities as a two-way center midfielder will make him a good fit for how we play."
 
ZEMI RODRIGUEZ
Position: Midfield/Forward
Club: Cedar Stars Academy
 
Rodriguez comes from a tremendous pedigree, winning back-to-back national championships at powerhouse St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J. The Goshen, N.Y., native served as team captain during his final two years and scored 13 goals in 20 games in 2019. The squad ended the 2019 season on a 57-game winning streak before competing on a club level this past season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Rodriguez played club soccer for Cedar Stars Academy and is currently playing with Cedar Stars Rush in the USL 2 for the summer.
 
Samol on Rodriguez: "Zemi is an intelligent midfielder with the ability to play as a two-way center midfielder or higher up as a withdrawn forward. He has athleticism, calmness on the ball and toughness, which allows him to play almost anywhere on the field and makes him a great fit for any program."
 
NICHOLAS SHIRLEY
Position: Defender
Club: Bethesda SC
 
Shirley is one of three incoming players from Northwest High School in nearby Germantown, Md., joining Dilane Zouantcha and Leo Palomo. The 6-foot defender was named First Team All-State and Washington Post ­All-Met honorable mention in 2019. While playing for Bethesda Soccer Club, his team made it to the US Development Academy playoffs. Additionally, his Bethesda SC U19 team advanced to the playoffs in the MLS Next League.
 
Samol on Shirley: "Nick will bring athleticism and versatility to our back four. He has the ability to stay composed and play passes while also being tough to beat and good in the air. We are excited about his future and his development."
 
MUSTAPHA SOWE
Position: Midfield/Forward
Club: PDA
 
Continuing a New Jersey-D.C. pipeline that features three current Eagles from the Garden State is Sowe, who hails from East Newark and played high school soccer at Harrison High in Harrison, N.J. As a junior, Sowe served as team captain and scored 31 goals and added 19 assists. For his performance, Sowe was named First Team All-Conference as a junior and Second Team as a sophomore. After choosing to play in the Development Academy league and scoring a goal in his first start for PDA, the 2020 spring season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This season for PDA, Sowe scored game-winning goals in both the quarterfinals and semifinals to lead his squad to the MLS Next finals.
 
Samol on Sowe: "Mustapha is an exciting attacking player with versatility to play central or out wide. He has real pace and a willingness to press and defend. We are excited about his future and his calmness and confidence in front of goal."
 
DILANE ZOUANTCHA
Position: Forward
Club: Bethesda SC
 
The name might sound familiar to Eagles fans. Zouantcha will be joining his older brother Jerry in Tenleytown this fall. Dilane joins AU from nearby Northwest High in Germantown, Md., where he was high school teammates with Palomo and Shirley, earning Second-Team All-Conference honors as a freshman. The Bethesda Soccer Club pipeline continues with Zouantcha, as four alumni saw action for the Eagles last season (Ben Severe, Kevin Ventura, Tomas Martini, Jerry Zouantcha). Additionally, his Bethesda SC U19 team advanced to the playoffs in the MLS Next League.
 
Samol on Zouantcha: "Dilane is very familiar with AU as he will join his brother Jerry here this fall. He's explosive, strong and can cause problems for any back 4. He has 1v1 ability, but can also combine and we like his ability to create and score goals."
 
The eight-person 2021 recruiting class comes on the heels of a 13-player haul from last year that made a tremendous impact on AU winning its first Patriot League title since 2004.