After claiming a share of the conference title in their first go-around, Roosevelt is ready for an encore in the 2025 season. While the Lakers lost two first-team All-GLIAC defenders on the backline, the core of the team that advanced all the way to penalty kicks in the tournament final is back for another crack. The returners are joined by a talented class of newcomers that includes some notable freshmen as well as a pair of key transfers from overseas.
Leading the attack again is the 6-foot-4 German, Oskar Schuster, who finished with eight goals in his first-team all-conference campaign. The senior has 19 goals in three seasons with the Lakers and is a hard to miss target in and around the goal area for Roosevelt. He’ll be flanked by a group of current sophomores who only got stronger as their freshman year progressed. The group includes Omar Yousaf, who tallied the only goal in Roosevelt’s 1-0 win over Davenport in the GLIAC semifinals, as well as Rafael Rios, who had the assist on the Lakers’ goal in the championship game.
The midfield is packed with experienced veterans in second-team all-league members Luca Swinton and Noah Vasilev. The two are key pivots between the defense and attack while occasionally chipping in on the offensive end as well. Roosevelt will also rely more on players like Erik Hernandez and Oswaldo Perez, upperclassmen with plenty of experience being asked to take on larger roles within the team.
Valdemar Nambo was an honorable mention All-GLIAC pick last year and he’ll be one of the few returners on the defensive line. The Lakers do have experienced options with Matteo Chiti and Khori Miles to support the defense, but Roosevelt is also keying in on some of its newcomers to help pick up the slack. If all else fails, the Lakers will fall back on Eric Carvajal, who had a strong junior season in goal for Roosevelt. The Arlington Heights, Ill. native allowed just one goal over the last 470 minutes of the 2024 season and stopped two of the three penalty kicks he faced to finish with a 0.93 goals against average.
