UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - First year head coach Jeff Cook inked one and brought in one commit in his first signing class as the leader of the Penn State men's soccer team.
Cook signed forward Jeremy Rafanello (Delran, N.J./YSC Academy) and brought in commit Joshua Dabora (Kentfield, Calif./Redwood High School) for the 2018 campaign.
Rafanello comes to Happy Valley after playing MLS Academy soccer for the Philadelphia Union, where he was the number No. 4 goal scorer in the country for the USSDA this past season. Rafanello helped the Philadelphia Union to a 10-2-2 record in the 2017-18 season, while being the No. 6 goal scorer with 20 goals in the USSDA for Continental FC Delco in the 2016-17 campaign. The 6-0 forward also spent time playing for Match Fit Academy. Finally, he was a member of the U19 US National Team Youth Summit.
Why Rafanello Chose Penn State: "I chose Penn State because the campus is beautiful and I felt at home. I cannot wait to be a part of Jeff Cook's new program."
Dabora travels across the country from Kentfield, California after playing one season for Redwood High School and four years for the De Anza Force. The 6-3 forward helped his team to two NPL NorCal State Cup Championships and two NPL National Cup Semifinals, while earning the 2015-16 NPL NorCal State Cup Championship. Dabora also led his team to a NPL NorCal State Cup Quarterfinal in 2016-17 and a NPL National Cup Western Regional Championship in 2014-15. In his one season at Redwood, Dabora helped his team to a Marin County Athletic League regular season championship, boasting a 17-3-2 overall record. This past season, Dabora scored 14 goals and had nine assists for the De Anza Force U19 squad. Finally, Dabora will follow in the footsteps of his father, who played for Penn State men's soccer from 1982-86.
Why Dabora Chose Penn State: "I chose Penn State because of the great academics and athletics. It also has a family-like atmosphere and it has always been a dream of mine to play soccer at Penn State."