COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs head men's soccer coach Lewis Wilcox unveiled his 2025 recruiting class on Thursday afternoon, with a stacked group of 12 incoming student-athletes set to join the program, including three spring semester additions and nine student-athletes that will arrive on campus in the fall.
 
Wilcox and the Mountain Lions are coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2024 as they won a program record 14 games on their way to making a second consecutive appearance in the national tournament and earning the right to host their second-round matchup as the No. 3 seed in Super Region 4. UCCS also spent nearly the entire campaign ranked inside the top five of the United Soccer Coaches National Rankings, rising as high as No. 3 in the Week 9 edition that was released on Nov. 5.
 
"This is an exciting recruiting class for us," exclaimed Wilcox. "We continue to invest and give opportunities to some of the best players in the state of Colorado while also adding quality from out-of-state and abroad. Four players in this recruiting class were discovered at our Elite ID Camps, which is extremely encouraging for us and shows the value of attending those events. We had significant contributions from true freshmen last season, and while we hope those players take the next step in their college careers this season, we also hope this freshman class can have a similar impact on the team. We have added some fire power with some top transfers, but we still value the four-year process and hope we can nurture these freshmen over the course of their college careers to be elite level student-athletes by the time they reach their senior season."
 
Peyton Blair is set to join the UCCS men's soccer program as a local product from Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. As a member of the Kadets' boys' soccer team, Blair scored three goals and recorded seven assists on his way to earning Second Team All-Conference honors for the 2022-23 season. With Blair doing his part on the defensive end, Air Academy made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24. In addition to his contributions on the field, Blair also excelled in the classroom during his time with the Kadets as he was a four-time member of the Honor Roll.
 
"Peyton is a versatile player who will either be a RCB or RWB for us," stated Wilcox. "He has impressive speed and technique, and I believe he will adapt well to the demands of the college game. He is a humble person with a strong work ethic which will help him fit in with our current group. Peyton has spent the majority of the last couple of seasons in the Switchbacks 2 Academy under Coach Keelan Power, who has helped him develop good habits and has prepared him very well for the next step in his career."
 
A native of Fort Collins, Colo., Maddox Brown comes to UCCS as a 5-foot-9 defender from Liberty Common High School looking to make a quick impact as a true freshman. Brown spent his youth career playing soccer for Colorado Rapids Academy and competed on the 2024 MLS NEXT All-Star Team at MLS NEXT FEST.
 
"Maddox is a strong defender who can play anywhere across the backline," said Wilcox. "He reads the game well, has a solid range of passing, and wins a lot of duels. He is a focused person with a desire to win. Maddox has spent most of his youth career in an elite environment at Colorado Rapids and the habits he has developed there will set him up well for a successful college career. Maddox will instantly make us a better team and we are excited to see what he adds to our strong defensive unit."
 
A wing player from West Point, Utah, Jack Cook brings his talents to UCCS after spending two seasons as a member of the men's soccer program at Snow College. Cook, who earned his Associate of Science in Business Management from Snow, was a key player on the offensive side of the ball during his time with the Badgers as he scored a total of 12 goals and became the program's all-time assist leader with 15 across two seasons. Cook had a strong finish to his career at Snow College as he led the Badgers to the 2024 Region 18 Championship and was named the Region 18 Tournament MVP while also collecting NJCAA All-America honors and First Team All-SWAC accolades. Prior to starting his college career, Cook was a standout prep player at Syracuse High School as he led the Titans to a 2023 6A State Championship and still holds the all-time school record with 35 goals.
 
"We're delighted to welcome Jack to the team," said Wilcox. "He is an exciting attacking player who has proven himself at Snow and will hopefully make a big impact at UCCS. Jack is comfortable with the ball at his feet and is a creative player who can make something out of nothing. His personality fits in well with our current group and we really enjoyed getting to know him during the recruiting process. He's a big-time player who will excite Mountain Lion fans in 2025."
 
Aidan Harris will join the men's soccer program next season from Village High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. Originally a native of Heidelberg, Germany, Harris will look to establish himself as an impact piece in the midfield for the Mountain Lions during his freshman campaign.
 
"Aidan is a hard-working and technical player who can play anywhere in the midfield," stated Wilcox. "He has a good range of passing and has the energy required to be a UCCS center-midfielder. He was training consistently at a demanding level with the Switchbacks and he got to experience being a part of a USL Championship winning squad. These experiences have put him in a good position going into his college career and we are excited to see how he adapts. He is familiar with a lot of our players and staff, so it should be a comfortable transition for Aidan."
 
Joining Cook as another junior college transfer from Snow College is 5-foot-11 forward Nefthaly Loya, who comes to UCCS after earning his Associate of Science degree and spending two seasons as a key offensive weapon for the Badgers. Loya appeared in 28 games across two years as a member of the Badgers, recording 15 goals and two assists while earning Region 18 All-Region First Team and All-Tournament First Team accolades and helping Snow win the 2024 Region 18 Championship. A native of West Jordan, Utah, Loya played his prep soccer at West Jordan High School.
 
"We are excited to add Nefthaly to our group in August," exclaimed Wilcox. "He's a hard-working forward with an eye for goal. When we were getting to know Nefthaly, it became apparent very quickly that he has the mentality we are looking for in a UCCS player. He will likely feature for us as a #9 and will complement our current attacking options very well. He is not afraid to press the ball and do the dirty work for the team. He's competitive and determined to prove himself in the RMAC."
 
An NAIA transfer from Midland University, Hugo Sjöberg makes his way to Colorado Springs after two seasons as a member of the Warrior's men's soccer program. A 6-foot-3 goalkeeper, Sjöberg earned First Team All-Conference accolades during the 2024 season at Midland after posting a .736 save percentage with 89 saves across 19 games played. A four-time GPAC Goalkeeper of the Week honoree, Sjöberg posted six clean sheets on the campaign while logging nearly 1,700 minutes in frame for the Warriors. A native of Kiel, Germany, Sjöberg attended Gemeinschaftsschule Hassee prior to coming stateside for his collegiate endeavors.
 
"Hugo joins us after a strong season at Midland where he established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the region," said Wilcox. "He is technically clean, has good distribution, and has a big presence on the field. During his recruiting process, we really connected on what we want and expect from a goalkeeper at UCCS, and with his drive and hunger for success, I am confident he will achieve a lot as a Mountain Lion. He will be a great addition to our goalkeeping department."
 
Ben Watson joins the UCCS men's soccer roster as a defender from White Bear Lake Area High School, where he was a member of the Bears' boys' varsity soccer team for five seasons. During his prep career, Watson played in 57 games, recording a total of 16 goals and 18 assists while earning three all-conference awards and spending two seasons as the team captain. Watson's final season with the Bears during the fall of 2024 turned out to be his best as he tied the program-record for goals in a single season with 10 and was selected as a 3A First Team All-State honoree. While at the prep level, Watson also found plenty of success in the classroom as he was a three-time member of the Honor Roll as was involved with the National Honors Society.
 
"Ben is a reliable defender who impressed our coaching staff with his consistency, toughness, and versatility," stated Wilcox. "He has the grit necessary to be a success at UCCS. He impressed us initially at one of our ID Camps and as we started to learn more about him, we knew it was a no brainer for us to add him to our group. He is confident with the ball, and he reads the game exceptionally well. His defensive instincts will set him up well for a strong college career. We're excited to welcome him to Colorado Springs."
 
Hailing from Centennial, Colo., Cole Wearner will make his way south in the fall to join the Mountain Lions after a strong prep career at Cherry Creek High School. During his junior year in 2023, Wearner scored 14 goals and recorded two assists on his way to being named the Centennial League Player of the Year and collecting First Team All-League and All-State accolades. The 6-foot-1 striker took his game to the next level during his senior season in 2024 as he was named the Colorado 5A Player of the Year after leading the Bruins to a Centennial League Championship with a total of 19 goals and 11 assists.
 
"Cole joins us after a very successful high school and club career," said Wilcox. "He has established himself as one of the top attacking players in the state of Colorado and we are thrilled he chose UCCS as his college destination. He is quick, strong, and has an eye for goal. He is capable of popping up in big moments to win games and I have no doubt he will create some more memorable moments in a Mountain Lion jersey. He fits in very well with our current group who are lovers of the game and hungry for success. He's going to be a top player in the RMAC for years to come."
 
Alex Westberry is set to join the UCCS men's soccer roster for the 2025 campaign after an incredible four-year prep career at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Ore. In four years as a member of the Raiders varsity boys' soccer team, Westberry notched a total of 43 goals and dished out 18 assists while leading the squad to a pair of Mid-Willamette Conference titles. A 6-foot-1 forward, Westberry had a strong junior season in which he was a First Team All-Conference selection and a Second Team All-State honoree. He raised his game for his senior season as he was tabbed the conference player of the year and a First Team All-State selection while earning First Team All-Conference accolades for a second straight year. In addition to his success on the pitch, Westberry was a three-year member of the National Honors Society and collected Academic All-Conference accolades three times.
 
"Alex is a highly talented player who we are thrilled to be welcoming to the team in August," said Wilcox. "He is a forward who can do a bit of everything. He is strong, explosive, and a really composed finisher. In my time at UCCS, I haven't seen anyone dominate an ID Camp the way Alex did. He consistently showed that he has the quality needed to be a big-time college player. We were able to fight off a lot of strong programs to secure Alex's services and we can't wait for him to join the squad in August. Alex is going to be a real problem for RMAC defenders."
 
The Mountain Lions also had a trio of semester additions to the squad that have been preparing with the team this spring.
 
A native of Charleston, S.C., Charlie Dennis debuted with the men's soccer program this spring after spending the past two years as a member of the Charleston Battery in the USL Championship. Prior to his stint with the Battery, Dennis was a 2022 graduate from Ocean Side Collegiate Academy, where he was a four-year varsity starter and captained the team for his junior and senior seasons.
 
"We are very lucky to have Charlie join us this spring after spending his last couple of seasons on an academy contract at Charleston Battery," said Wilcox. "You can tell Charlie has been in a high-level environment by watching his habits and his quality on the ball. What has most impressed me though, has been his tenacity and his competitiveness. He always wants to win, and I love that about him. He has a bright personality and is a joy to have in the squad. I'm looking forward to seeing what Charlie can achieve at UCCS."
 
A midfielder from Colorado Springs, Colo., Caden Hickox joined the Mountain Lions this spring after finishing an exceptional prep career in which he spent three years at Liberty High School and his senior season at Village High School. Throughout his high school career, Hickox scored a total of 35 goals and recorded 20 assists while helping his team win a trio of Colorado 5A PPAC Championships. Hickox, who was tabbed as the 2022 PPAC Player of the Year, was also exceptional in the classroom as he earned a trio of academic letters and was a member of the National Honor Roll.
 
"I've known Caden for many years and always admired his work-ethic and natural ability with the ball at his feet," said Wilcox. "He joined the squad in January and has settled in very well. He has added something a bit different to our attack and continues to improve his game. He has shown that he is not afraid to do the hard work out of possession and has already created several chances for himself in matches against high-level opponents. His passion for the game is something that instantly made him fit in well with the squad. I'm really glad Caden chose to play at UCCS, and I know we are going to create lots of memories together."
 
Charlie Lewis was another spring addition to the UCCS men's soccer program after he graduated from Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins, Colo., in the winter of 2024. A four-year varsity goalkeeper for the SaberCats, Lewis was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection and helped his team surge to a Northern Front Range Conference Championship in 2023. Lewis also found success in the classroom while at FRHS as he received Academic All-State accolades.
 
"Charlie graduated from high school early to join us this spring," said Wilcox. "He's adapted well to the college environment and has impressed the coaching staff and his teammates with his shot-stopping and range of passing. His confidence is growing every day in training and under the guidance of our GK coach, Bjarne Huth, he is making serious progress. He is confident in his abilities, and he knows he can make an impact during matches. He has instincts that can't be coached and has a tendency to make important saves when his team needs him to. Chuck is a delight to coach, and I believe this is just the start of a strong college career."
 
The UCCS men's soccer program will kick off their 2025 campaign with a pair of home matches against Sul Ross State University and St. Mary's University on Sept. 4 and 6, before heading out on a four-game road trip in which they will play two games each in Texas and Hawaii. The Mountain Lions will then return home to close out their non-conference slate with matches against Fort Lewis College and Regis University prior to starting their 10-game RMAC schedule at home against Colorado Mesa University on Friday, Oct. 3.  
 
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