CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's soccer will welcome nine first-years to the program for the start of the 2025 season as part of the Class of 2029,
Josh Shapiro, The Virginia B. and James O. Welch, Jr. '52 Head Coach for Harvard Men's Soccer, announced on Tuesday.
The Crimson's incoming class features two student-athletes each from California, Maryland, and Massachusetts and one student-athlete each from New York, Brazil, and Ukraine. The group includes four forwards, three defenders, one midfielder, and one goalkeeper who have competed at top clubs in their respective regions.
Harvard's Class of 2029 includes midfielder
Lucas Benuce Sarvas (São Paulo, Brazil), goalkeeper
Jason Broome (Owings Mills, Md.), defender Michael Cortellessa (San Jose, Calif.), forward
Drew Lobley (Hagerstown, Md.), forward
Sophian Lovato (Milan, Italy), defender
Maxwell Mobray (Washingtonville, N.Y.), defender
Alejandro Palacio (North Andover, Mass.), forward
Adam Poliakov (Kiev, Ukraine), and forward
Christo Velikin (Boston, Mass.).
The group joins a Crimson side that has finished in the top half of the Ivy League standings in each of the last four seasons.
Lucas Benuce Sarvas
Midfielder | 6-foot-0 | 165 lbs. | São Paulo, Brazil | Northfield High School (Colo.)
Competed in MLS Next for the Los Angeles Galaxy Academy from the U14 to U16 levels, for the Colorado Rapids Academy at the U17 and U18 levels, and for Legends FC's U18 team … Enjoys cooking, reading, collecting soccer jerseys, and traveling to new stadiums to watch soccer games … Son of Camila Benuce and Marcelo Sarvas; Marcelo played 21 years of professional soccer, including winning two MLS Cup championships with LA Galaxy in 2012 and 2014 and capturing Foreign Player of the Year honors for Alajuelense in Costa Rica in 2011.
Jason Broome
Goalkeeper | 6-foot-2 | 185 lbs. | Owings Mills, Md. | McDonogh School
Earned First Team All-State honors in 2024 … Gained Baltimore Sun All-Metro Team as a senior … Captured All-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association accolades in 2023 and 2024 … Selected to the ECNL Mid-Atlantic All-Conference Team in 2023 … Helped team reach the ECNL semifinals in 2023 and ECNL finals in 2022 … Tallied 15 shutouts in 18 league games in ECNL play in 2022-23 … Played club for Pipeline Soccer Club; captained the side from the U15 to the U19 levels from 2021-25 … A Cum Laude Society inductee and AP Scholar … Enjoys chess and swimming … Son of Jennifer and Patrick Broome; Patrick played soccer as a goalkeeper at Vanderbilt from 1992-96 and Jennifer played tennis at Mount St. Mary's from 1991-95.
Michael Cortellessa
Defender | 5-foot-9 | 150 lbs. | San Jose, Calif. | Lone Star High School (Texas)
Played for FC Dallas Academy in MLS Next as a fullback, center back, defensive midfielder, and winger … Captained the FC Dallas Academy U16 team in 2022-23 … Has represented the U.S. with the youth national teams… Trains and plays with FC Dallas' second team, North Texas SC … National Honor Society student … Plays the piano … Son of Christie and Michael Cortellessa.
Drew Lobley
Winger | 5-foot-9 | 150 lbs. | Hagerstown, Md. | North Hagerstown High School
Earned United Soccer Coaches Mid-Atlantic All-Region in 2024 … Gained First Team All-State in 2024 … Selected as the Washington County Player of the Year as a senior … Captured First Team All-Washington County in 2021, 2022, and 2024 … Chosen as Washington County's No. 5 Athlete of the Year in 2024 … Garnered First Team All-Central Maryland Conference in 2022 and 2024 … Collected ECNL First Team All-Mid-Atlantic in 2022 … An ECNL Supercup Selection in 2024… Set North Hagerstown High School records for career goals, career assists, and career points in just three seasons … Established school single-season records for goals, assists, and points in 2024 … Helped North Hagerstown post an undefeated regular season for the first time and win school's first-ever regional championship … Played club for Pipeline Soccer Club from 2020-25 and for Baltimore Celtic from 2019-20 … Won ECNL conference titles in four straight seasons from 2021-24 with Pipeline SC … An AP Scholar and National Honors Society student … Son of Victoria and Andrew Lobley.
Sophian Lovato
Winger | 6-foot-1 | 165 lbs. | San Francisco, Calif. | Phillips Exeter Academy (N.H.)
Played for Marin Academy (Calif.) from 2020-24 before competing at Phillips Exeter Academy (N.H.) in 2024-25 … Competed with the San Francisco Glens Academy MLS Next program from 2015-24 … Earned NEPSAC Class A All-League and All-Star accolades at Phillips Exeter … Won Marin Academy's Most Inspirational Player award in 2023 … Selected to train with San Francisco Glens' partner club Holstein Kiel in Germany … Trained and played with LR Vicenza's U19 team in Serie C in 2023 … Helped Marin Academy win two NorCal state titles and four league championships … Led Phillips Exeter in scoring in 2024-25 with 14 goals in 17 games … Great uncle Vittorio Lovato played for AC Milan in 1975-76 … Son of Patrice and Walther Lovato.
Maxwell Mobray
Defender | 6-foot-0 | 185 lbs. | Washingtonville, N.Y. | Washingtonville High School
Began playing in the Bermuda National Team program in 2022; called up to the senior team for Gold Cup qualifiers in 2025 … Earned Section 9 AA All-Star honors in 2024 … Gained All-Section Team accolades as a senior … Selected as the Player of the Year for Washingtonville … Played club for TSF Academy (2022-25) and the New York Red Bulls Academy (2020-22) in MLS Next … Also competed in golf and track & field … Garnered OCIAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in 2025 … National Honor Society and High Honor Roll student … Plays the piano and saxophone … Sister, Madison Mobray, plays soccer at Dickinson … Twin brother, Austin, plays soccer at Boston University … Son of Karla Paz Mobray and Deon Mobray
Alejandro Palacio
Defender | 6-foot-0 | 170 lbs. | North Andover, Mass. | Milton Academy
Earned All-State and All-ISL honors in 2024-25 … Gained All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention as a senior … Gained a spot in the Junior NEPSAC All-Star Game … Helped team win ISL titles in 2023, 2024, and 2025 … Captured a NEPSAC Championship in 2024 … Team went 16-0-1 in both 2023 and 2024 … Played club for Intercontinental Football Academy of New England … Son of Maria Caracuel.
Adam Poliakov
Midfielder | 6-foot-0 | 165 lbs. | Kiev, Ukraine | King's College School Wimbledon (England)
Played for Brentford FC from 2023-25 … Captained Brentford FC's U18 team in 2025 and the Independent Schools Football Association U18 team in 2024 … Won the Sportsman of the Year Award at KCS Wimbledon in 2021 … Garnered the Award for Outstanding Sporting Achievement at KCS Wimbledon in 2024 … Won a Merit League 2 title with Brentford FC's U18 team … Captured the Trinity Cup with KCS Wimbledon … Enjoys chess, basketball, tennis, swimming, athletics, and music … Selected as a Sports Scholar at KCS Wimbledon from 2018-25 … Son of Polina Poliakova and Vasyl Poliakov.
Christo Velikin
Forward | 6-foot-2 | 175 lbs. | Boston, Mass. | The Roxbury Latin School
Earned First Team All-ISL in 2023 and 2024 … Gained First Team All-NEPSAC as a junior and senior … Selected as a NEPSAC Senior All-Star in 2024 and a NEPSAC Junior All-Star in 2023 … Set Roxbury Latin's single-season goal scoring record in 2024 … Captured a spot on the High School All-American Shortlist in 2024 as one of five players from Massachusetts … Played club for the Boston Bolts … Ranked as the top scorer for the Boston Bolts MLS Next team from 2024-25 … Stood as the top scorer for the Boston Bolts ECNL team from 2021-23…Also competed in alpine skiing … Raced with the Bulgarian National Ski Team program from 2022-24 … Won four New Hampshire state titles in alpine skiing … Selected as the Junior Olympics First Alternate in 2024 for alpine skiing … A patented inventor … A Cum Laude Society student … Acted as Roxbury Latin Yearbook Editor-in-Chief in 2025 … Served as a Roxbury Latin Community Service Corps Leader from 2021-25 … Son of Albina and Peter Velikin.
