Bears Announce Addition Of Five Signees

MACON – As the 2025 Mercer men's soccer season approaches, head coach Brad Ruzzo has rounded out the Bears' 2025 roster with five key additions. The group consists of two defenders, a forward, a midfielder, and a goalkeeper, four of which are international student-athletes. "We're delighted to welcome this exciting group of student-athletes to Mercer University," said associate head coach Ricky Davey. "They will contribute significantly to the Mercer men's soccer program and to Mercer University as a whole with their culture & experiences. We look forward to them arriving on our campus this fall!"

Gavin Morgan
Defender | Grace College | London, England
Gavin Morgan joins the Mercer men's soccer program from NAIA Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. A mainstay on the Lancers' back line over the past two seasons, Morgan played in 35 games with 32 starts, totaling 2707 minutes of action. Morgan helped lead the team to a second-place finish in the Crossroads League in 2024, as Grace posted a 6-3 record in league play. In 2023, Morgan helped Grace to another second-place finish in conference as well as earn a berth to the NAIA tournament, where the Lancers reached the Round of 16. Prior to his time at Grace, Morgan played three seasons at NAIA Tennessee Wesleyan, where he played in 49 games with 44 starts and scored five goals. In 2021, Morgan helped the Bulldogs reach the NAIA tournament.

Associate head coach Ricky Davey on Morgan - "Gavin is an experienced defender that adds a lot of quality and athleticism to our team. His ability to carry the ball from the back will help us start attacks, and his ability to defend the box and win his 1v1 duels will prove crucial to the team's defensive success. We welcome Gavin to Mercer University!"

Henry Hampshaw
Goalkeeper | William Carey University | Huddersfield, England
Henry Hampshaw arrives in Macon ahead of the 2025 campaign after spending two seasons at NAIA William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss. After appearing in one game in 2023, Hampshaw started 19 games for the Crusaders in 2024, earning First Team All-Southern States Conference honors with a 0.96 goals against average and a .660 save percentage. Hampshaw posted eight clean sheets on the season, helping the Crusaders to a 15-5-3 record and an appearance in the NAIA tournament semi-finals. Two of Hampshaw's shutouts came in the postseason, leading William Carey to 1-0 victories in the opening round and quarterfinals.

Associate head coach Ricky Davey on Hampshaw - "Henry is an established, top quality collegiate goalkeeper that will add huge quality to our goalkeeper department. He is an excellent organizer of those in front of him and his instinctive shot stopping ability is second to none. His experience will be vital to the group this fall. We welcome Henry to Mercer University!"

Luke Alexander-Frost
Forward | Tiffin University | Kent, England
Luke Alexander-Frost makes the jump to Mercer after spending two seasons at Division II Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio. A key piece of two Great Midwest Conference regular season championship teams, Alexander-Frost appeared in 38 games with 15 starts for the Dragons. As a freshman in 2023, Alexander-Frost led the team with nine goals and was tied for the team lead with 19 points while the Dragons captured Great Midwest regular season and tournament titles en-route to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Alexander-Frost helped the Dragons return to the NCAA Tournament in 2024, where Tiffin won their second round matchup before falling in the third round.

Associate head coach Ricky Davey on Alexander-Frost - "Luke has scored goals at the Division 2 level, and his skill set is not only suited to Mercer, but also D1 soccer. His jack of all trades style will help the team in many ways. He can run channels, he can bring others into play, and he most importantly finds himself in the box when the ball is in wide areas. His tireless defensive work off the ball will be crucial to the team's success. We welcomee Luke to Mercer University!"

Anthony Thambwe
Defender | ESI Business School | Brussels, Belgium
Anthony Thambwe comes to Mercer ahead of the 2025 season from Brussels, Belgium. A skilled defender, Thambwe will add strength to the Bears' back line.

Associate head coach Ricky Davey on Thambwe - "We're delighted to have Anthony join our defensive core. His experience overseas will bring a different dimension to the group on and off the field. His physicality, aggression, and ability to read the game are his big strengths. We welcome Anthony to Mercer University!"

Junior Casillas
Midfielder | Omaha | Lexington, Neb.
Junior Casillas joins the Mercer men's soccer program as a graduate transfer, having spent two seasons at Omaha after beginning his collegiate career with two seasons at Iowa Western Community College. In his first season at Omaha in 2023, Casillas was an All-Summit League Second Team and Summit League All-Newcomer Team selection, scoring six goals with a team-high four assists. Casillas played in 20 games with seven starts, helping the Mavericks take home the Summit League Tournament title and secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In 2024, Casillas played in 16 games with 12 starts while totaling 800 minutes. Playing in 39 games over two seasons at Iowa Western, Casillas scored 16 goals with seven assists. Casillas was named Region 11 Second Team and Region 11 All-Tournament Team in 2022 and NJCAA All-Academic Team in 2021, helping the Reivers capture the NJCAA Division I National Championship in 2021.

Associate head coach Ricky Davey on Casillas - "Junior will bring an attacking tenacity, directness, and quality to our attacking group. He's proven in college soccer and has added great strength & skill to each program he's been a part of. We are very excited to have Junior join us, and we welcome him to Mercer University"

Players Mentioned

Henry Hampshaw

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