.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Freshmen Feature: Q & A With Men's Soccer First Years
September 18, 2023 | Men's Soccer, Featured
"It's tough for the First Years because they have to get acclimated to college soccer over such a short period of time while also going through orientation and adapting to their new environments and routines," said head coach Jim Barlow. "Our new group has handled all of this extremely well, and the upperclassmen have provided them with great advice and leadership. As a result, this group seems ready to help us on the field right away and we are looking forward to seeing how they do."
Time to find out more about these freshmen.
Liam Beckwith - MID
Something unique:
"I am the first person in my family to attend an Ivy-League school."
Why Princeton?
"I was impressed with Princeton's coaching staff and players, and Princeton stood out as an institution where I could obtain an outstanding education and play college soccer at the highest level. "
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"My plan is to work hard, learn as much as I can, and give the team my best."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"I captained Nomads S.C. U17 and Nomads S.C. U19, and helped my Nomads U19 team make the playoffs during the 2021/2022 MLS Next season. Last year, I captained Albion S.C. U19 during the 2022/2023 MLS Next season."
Season goals:
"To help the team win the Ivy-League and the Ivy-League Tournament, and make a run in the NCAA Tournament."
Ian Nunez - FWD
Something unique:
"I am trilingual. I speak English, Spanish, and Italian."
Why Princeton?
"Princeton stood out to me as the perfect combination of academics and athletics. When I visited the school, everyone I met from the coaches to the counselors genuinely seemed to care about my future and my interests."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"My main priority in this team is to be as good of a teammate as I possibly can be. I would like to bring an energy to the team that helps us perform and keep on pushing to work together every day.
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"Before coming to Princeton, I had the opportunity to play for Inter Miami's Academy which is a professional soccer academy located in my hometown. Here, I was the top goalscorer in the league that we played in and was able to win it as well."
Season goals:
"As a freshman, my main goal would be to have as much of an impact on the team as I possibly can to ultimately win the league."
Bardia Hormozi - MID/FWD
Something unique:
"Something unique about me is that I am a first generation Iranian-American."
Why Princeton?
"Princeton stood out to me the most because when I got on campus on my visit I felt at home more than anywhere else and the program was the best out of all other schools in the Ivy League."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"I hope to bring more attacking threats for the team which already has many this season."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"So far I have been able to get on the field and make a solid impact on the field along with the rest of the freshman."
Season Goals:
"My goals for this season is to win the ivy league season and the tournament as well so we can make a good run in the NCAA tournament."
Andrew Samuels - GK
Something unique:
"Throughout high school I played and coached AAU basketball."
Why Princeton?
"Princeton had the perfect blend of amazing academics and a very competitive soccer program. Everyone here was so kind and welcoming, and the campus felt like home, which made it an easy choice when committing."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"Every training and game I want to bring good energy and push my teammates to improve. I hope to be competitive and a budding leader on the team."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"Prior to Princeton, I played in the San Jose Earthquakes academy system. At the youth level our team was consistently ranked in the top 10 nationwide. Additionally, I trained and made appearances with the Earthquakes MLS Next Pro Team (Quakes 2)"
Season Goals:
"My goal this season is to try and compete and improve every day at practice. I want to push the other goalkeepers around me and fight for playing team. Above all, I want to do whatever I can to best help the team win!"
Sebastian Swary - DEF
Something unique:
"I am allergic to mangos."
Why Princeton?
"I always wanted to go to a school where I could get the best combination of academics and athletics. When I visited Princeton during the Spring of my junior year in high school, I knew that I could not see myself going anywhere else. From my visit it was clear that the team culture was unmatched to anywhere else in college soccer. I felt extremely welcomed and supported by the coaching staff and the guys on the team. When I received my offer I committed instantly."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"I hope to bring positive energy, hard work and passion to the team this season. I want to bring these qualities because they are all fully in my control. I also hope to bring a steady presence in the back that can hopefully contribute to many clean sheets."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"On the field, I was able to train with the Columbus Crew professional team during my junior and senior years of high school. It was definitely a hard adjustment due to the speed of play and physicality, but those practices helped me adapt to new and uncomfortable situations. I was also on the roster for Columbus Crew 2 during the 2022 season when we won the first MLS NEXT Pro championship. Off the field, I was a member of the National Cum Laude Society and achieved the President's Volunteer Service Award in 2022. "
Season Goals:
"I have a couple goals for my first season. First and foremost, I want to do anything I can to help the team win a championship. I think our team is more than capable of not only being one of the top teams in the Ivy League but also in the country. I hope that we can win the Ivy League and make a good run in the NCAA tournament. A more personal goal of mine is to earn solid playing time and establish myself into the playing rotation. To do this I will need to keep working hard in practice and learn from the coaches and upperclassmen."
Kevin Kelley - FWD
Something unique:
"I used to play baseball."
Why Princeton?
"The biggest thing that stuck out to me was the connection that everyone at the school had with each other. Everyone on the team trusts each other and the coaches have a lot of faith in the players as well. From an academic standpoint, the challenge of the courses offered is unmatched and I really enjoy it."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"I hope to bring electric energy on and off the field and to add a boost to a team that's already filled with talent."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"I've been blessed enough to be a part of multiple United States Youth National Team camps and have also had the privilege of playing in Europe at Barcelona, PSG and Sevilla."
Season Goals:
"It's simple and the same as everyone else on the team. To win a championship!"
