Men’s Soccer 40th Anniversary

Adam Cheek
Staff Writer

As the men’s soccer team celebrated the 40th anniversary of its inception, the Rams named 25 standout players from the past to their all-time roster

Tedmore Henry, who played from 1979-1982, was an All-Sun Belt player in the last two years of his career. Henry is fifth on VCU’s all-time points list with 66 and has 27 goals, good for seventh all-time.

Said Kamali and Jay Thomas both hail from Virginia and had their first season with the team in 1980. Kamali was an All-Sun Belt player for two years, and Thomas is the all-time leading Black and Gold goalkeeper. Thomas leads in most of his position’s categories, including total saves and save percentage.

Thor Hockett joined the team for the 1981 season and played until 1985, becoming a stalwart of the back line, while Liam Behrens (1984-1987) ranks second all-time in assists with 21. Behrens also played professionally for the Richmond Kickers and multiple other teams.

A three-time Sun Belt selection, Orlin Weise sits fourth on the all-time list with 72 points, stemming from 29 goals and 14 assists.

John Dugan played from 1987 to 1988, scoring 25 goals and tallying 63 points. Eric Dade joined the team the same year — the defender later made the roster of the Dallas Burn. Dade was the first Ram to be on the Dallas roster, and turned his time at VCU into a 13-year pro career.

Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi was a four-time all-conference player, scoring 80 points, good for third in VCU history, and scoring 34 goals, good for second, and was selected as the 1993 Metro Conference Player of the Year.

Beginning in 1994, Jim Larkin set off on a career that landed him in the VCU Athletics Hall of Fame. A three-time All-CAA player, Larkin led the Black and Gold to their first NCAA appearance and CAA championship.

Mexico’s Ricardo Capilla was also a three-time All-CAA player, ranking second all-time in points. Capilla netted 85 goals over his career, and is still the Rams’ all-time assist leader 20 years later.

Central defensive partners Emmanuel Tetoit and Erwan LeCrom both played in 1997 but split after that year, with LeCrom concluding his career in 1998 and Tetoit coming back for the 1999 season. The two won back-to-back CAA Defensive Player of the Year titles, with Tetoit appearing in the NCAA tournament during both seasons.

Kevin Jeffrey was the last player from the 1990s added to the team. The 1999 Virginia State Player of the Year finished his career with two All-CAA honors and 65 total points.

Milorad Djordjevic and Matthew Delicate joined the team in 2000. Djordjevic was named to the All-CAA team in 2001 and was also the CAA Defensive Player of the Year during that campaign, while Delicate became a 2003 All-American and CAA Player of the Year.

Delicate was also inducted into the VCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, playing for the Richmond Kickers for 10 professional seasons. He is also VCU’s all-time leading scorer.

Gonzalo Segares made the roster in 2001, becoming a three-time All-CAA player and a two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year. A finalist for the Hermann Trophy in 2004, Segares was the 35th pick in the 2005 MLS Draft, kicking off a 10-year stint with the Chicago Fire.

Dominic Oduro and Andrew Dykstra began their Black and Gold careers in 2004. Oduro became the 2004 CAA Player of the Year, ending his career with 18 goals and five assists before being drafted by FC Dallas in 2004. Now a member of the San Jose Earthquakes, Oduro has played in the MLS for 11 seasons. Dykstra is in his 10th year in professional soccer, having played in Chicago, Colorado, Kansas City and Washington, D.C.

Jason Johnson is a three-time all-league player, having been named the 2012 A-10 Player of the Year. Currently fifth all-time in points at VCU, he signed a Generation Adidas contract with MLS and was chosen 13th in the 2013 draft by the Houston Dynamo.

Yoram Mwila became the first VCU player to have his number (9) retired after tragically passing away in a car crash the summer before his senior season. As team captain, Mwila ranked sixth all-time in shots on goal per game.

Lucas Paulini played his only VCU season in 2010, becoming an All-CAA and All-Region player that year. He went on to a six-year pro stint that saw him play in Atlanta and Richmond.

Kharlton Belmar and Dennis Castillo joined in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Belmar was a two-time All-A10 and All-Region member, and was drafted by the Portland Timbers in 2015. Castillo was a four-time captain and all-league player, becoming drafted by the Colorado Rapids in 2016.

Finally, Rafael Andrade Santos became the most recent member of the anniversary team, having been named the 2017 A-10 Offensive Player of the Year and a 2017 All-American. Santos was drafted 74th overall by DC United in the 2018 draft and was a four-time All-A10 honoree.