Men's Soccer Announces Seven New Additions to '25 Signing Class

Claudel N’goubou – Senior Forward – Auray, France – Limestone University

N’goubou joins the Knights on the heels of, most recently, a pair of seasons with the Limestone Saints in Gaffney, South Carolina.

The forward appeared in 40 total matches between his two campaigns with the Saints, totaling 18 goals scored and 12 assists on 89 shot attempts and 40 shots on goal. Seven of his 18 career goals represented game-winners as well.

He netted his first career goal in his second match of the 2023 slate, a 1-1 draw with Mount Olive, before rattling off a stretch of five consecutive matches with at least one goal scored from Sept. 9-27. His first career multi-goal game came against Anderson Sept. 27, when he recorded a pair of goals and an assist in Limestone’s 6-0 rout.

His 66th minute tally in the Saints’ SAC Tournament semifinal matchup marked the contest’s lone score, and he later added his first career NCAA Division II Tournament goal against Clayton State Nov. 18 as his squad advanced as far as the quarterfinal round.

The France native then scored six more times in his second year with Limestone, including twice during the 2024 SAC Tournament.

He garnered All-Conference First Team honors in both seasons as a Saint, as well as All-Southeast Region First Team and United Soccer Coaches Division II All-American honors in 2023, and All-Southeast Region Second Team recognition in 2024.

“I chose UCF because it offers the perfect balance between high-level academics and elite athletics,” he said. “The soccer program has a strong reputation, and I was excited about the opportunity to compete at a high level while continuing my education. It felt like the right place to grow both as a player and as a person.”

Seiryu Ono – Freshman Midfielder – Beppu, Japan – Oita-Tomei High School

Ono comes to Orlando from Oita-Tomei High School in Japan. He most recently played with the 2024 Division 1 U18 Football Prince League Kyushu, where his 15 goals were good for tie for most in the league last season.

“I chose to come to UCF because the university offers a great environment and well-equipped facilities that will support my personal growth,” he said.

Yordan Torres – Sophomore Defender – Rockledge, Fla. – Viera High School

Torres joins UCF after helping earn a handful of honors for his club at Viera High School. The incoming sophomore previously garnered offensive MVP and overall MVP honors while aiding his team to district, regional and state championships in 2021.

“I chose UCF because it was close to home, and I always had a dream to play here in front of people I love,” he said. “I love the team’s style of play, and I’m looking to follow in Anderson Rosa’s footsteps. He was here just before me, and I loved the opportunity I had to train with him.”

Petter Wingsternaes – Freshman Midfielder – Sandefjord, Norway – Sunmarke School

Wingsternaes makes the move to Orlando from his native Norway, where he was previously a part of the first team squad for Sandefjord Football in Norway’s top division. He played regularly for Sandefjord II, totaling 32 matches in two seasons with a pair of goals scored.

“I wanted to join the Knights because the program offers a great mix of academics and athletics,” he said. “The team here focuses on keeping possession and building up from the back to win games, which matches my playing style.”

Mikael Pulkkinen – Freshman Defender – Helsinki, Finland – Mäkelänrinteen Lukio

Pulkkinen represents another newcomer to bring professional experience to Orlando, as he was previously selected for Finland U18 in 2022 and played in Finnish second tier for over two years with Käpylän Pallo.

He won the Finnish championships with his U15 and U17 clubs in 2019 and 2021, respectively, before joining Käpylän Pallo, a team with which he then scored three goals and added three assists in 11 matches.

“I chose UCF because it offers the ideal environment for me to grow as a player and as a student,” he said.

Frederic Benedix – Senior Forward – Riesa, Saxony, Germany – Coker University

Benedix joins UCF after completing three seasons with the Coker University Cobras, during which he accrued nine goals and 23 assists in 50 career matches, totaling 96 shot attempts and 40 on goal.

He produced a standout junior year last fall, matching his single-season career high four goals scored while adding a new season-best 16 assists in his 14 appearances. Three of his four goals came in three consecutive matches toward the end of the year as well, against Limestone, Lincoln Memorial and Emory & Henry Oct. 15-22.

His 16 assists set a single-season program record in 2024, and his career total of 23 ranked second on the program’s all-time list as he earned United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America, First Team All-Southeast Region and First Team All-SAC honors throughout the year.

He also ranked first in Division II soccer in assists per game (0.84) and total assists (16) while ranking among SAC leaders in total points (24, 4th), points per game (1.26, 5th) and shots per game (2.47, 7th) in 2024.

“I chose to play my senior year at UCF because I wanted to challenge myself and take the next step in a professional environment,” he said.

Hugo Vien – Junior Midfielder – Marseille, France – Limestone University

An All-Southeast Region selection in his first season in Division II last year, Vien joins UCF after a strong year with Limestone in 2024. The France native scored six goals and added a pair of assists in his 18 matches, totaling 34 shot attempts and 12 on goal.

His first Division II goal came in his first match, scoring in the 52nd minute of Limestone’s 2-2 draw with Young Harris Sept. 5. He later added goals in back-to-back contests against Newberry and Carson-Newman Oct. 2-6, and also netted three scores in a two-match span against Wingate and Mars Hill, both in the SAC Tournament Nov. 9-15.

Accompanying his All-Region selection, Vien was also tabbed to the All-SAC First Team, SAC All-Tournament Team and United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team.

“I chose UCF because the program here allows me to continue playing soccer at a high level while also finishing my master’s degree,” he said. “For me, it was the best option to combine sports and studies in a good environment.”