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Salisbury Soccer Looks to Turn Off-Field Culture Into On-Field Success
As year three of the Coach Scot Beattie era begins, Salisbury Soccer is focusing on not just excellence on the field, but a culture of family, belonging, and love for soccer off it. This preseason camp alone, Beattie’s players participated in FIFA video game tournaments, watched Premier League matches together, and attended a Hartford Athletic match – the local United Soccer League club. The group will also travel to Europe next summer for its biennial soccer trip, where they’ll play teams in Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. These team-bonding events have brought a different energy to the pitch this fall.
Team Co-Captains Broughton Weekes ’27 and Thomas Molloy ’27 have been tasked with being culture keepers in the locker room, and the two have been nothing short of phenomenal ahead of the season. Weekes, a center midfielder from Greenville, SC, has become a foundational piece of the formation Beattie & Co. send out each game day. Molloy, hailing from Darien, CT, is the same at the center back position. The two are both multi-year contributors and will be integral to the team’s success this fall.
Joining the duo on the returner side is Elijah Han ’27, a versatile athlete who can play on both ends of the pitch. Central defensive midfielder Jiyul Kwon ’28, meanwhile, has a knack for winning 50-50 balls and earning his team extra possessions. Marty Kenny ’28 – the winner of this preseason’s fitness test – enters year three of his career on the Hilltop in the best shape of his life and is expected to make a big leap at the striker and wing positions this season. He is “dialed in,” according to Beattie. And while technically not a returner from a year ago, Joziah Thomas ’28 will take the field for the first time since 2024, when the center back used his size and strength brilliantly on headers all over the field. Expect more of the same in 2026.
Among the new Knights, two stand out: Brazilians Bernardo Dias de Britto ’29 and Lucas Marafiote Cirelli ’28. Both players have an internal fire that burns with passion for the sport, something that has infected teammates. Dias de Britto will play up front at left winger and striker, while Marafiote Cirelli will hold it down at right back. Each of their arrivals will be felt each game.
They aren’t the only players Beattie and his staff are excited about, though. Mattis Koch ’28 joins the club from Munich, Germany, and brings a wealth of experience with him – both on and off the field. Not only is the fifth former an excellent central midfielder, but he also has coaching experience at the youth level. He is expected to be the key distributor of the ball this season. Fourth formers Theo Guidotti ’29 and Andrew Pierce ’29 will both be major contributors, too, with each joining Salisbury after successful playing careers at nearby junior boarding school Indian Mountain. A pair of players from the Class of 2030 – Hudson Tucker and Mateo Rascon Prieto – are expected to make noise as well. Tucker made his presence known in the team’s preseason scrimmage against Canterbury, scoring a goal from the striker position. Both are the first players from the 2030s to suit up for the Knights.
In net, a trio of keepers will attempt to fill the void left by Owen Hellman ’26’s graduation, including MacLean Hessler ’29 – last year’s backup. The fourth former will be joined by Owen Rutt ’29 and Tony Saunders ’28. Coach Beattie plans to utilize all three on a rotating basis from match to match, keeping a competitive spirit among the group.
Throw in assistant coaches Kash Shabazz, whose expertise on in-game strategy is rivaled by few, and Rodolfo Ruiz, the heart of the team’s culture, and it’s easy to see why many think this year’s Salisbury Soccer team could make legitimate noise. Get ready, Knight faithful.