BRONX, N.Y. — Fordham University water polo head coach Brian Bacharach announced the recruiting class for the Fall of 2025, adding eight players to the roster.
This year’s class includes Matthew Bonello DuPuis (Sliema, Malta/St. Martin’s), Mark Dyck (Berlin, Germany/Sportschule im Olympiapark), Gianni Farrugia (Iklin, Malta/St. Martin’s), Soren Jessen (San Rafael, Calif./Terra Linda), Charlie Martin (San Diego, Calif./The Bishop’s School), Alessandro Salipante (Brindisi, Italy/Liceo Scientifico Fermi Monticelli), Kyle Thomas (Covina, Caif./Loyola) and Diego Tresa (Rome, Italy/Istituto Santa Maria).
“Our goal throughout the recruitment process over the last year has been to help add back some of the depth we enjoyed during the 2024 season. We graduated great athletes at just about every position,” said Bacharach. “I believe we have accomplished all our goals with this recruiting class, and are adding the next group of Rams that are going to be phenomenal student-athletes for Fordham water polo and the university at large.”
A 6-3 goalkeeper, Bonello DuPuis is one of two Malta natives in this year’s recruiting class that attended St. Martin’s in Msida, Malta as well as graduated from the University of Malta. He played club water polo for Sirens ASC for many years. In a mid-season switch last winter, he led San Giljan ASC to the 2025 Winter League Championship. As the starting goalie for the Maltese Junior National team, his squad finished tenth in the 2022 U19 European Championship held in Podgorica, Montenegro, which was the highest finish for a Maltese team. He has also been a part of the Maltese Senior National Team.
Bacharach on Bonello DuPuis: “The goalie position has been a spot we have not had to worry about for a long-time, as Thomas Lercari took over for Bailey O’Mara before that, both All-American goalies for our program. Matthew has all the skills to be the next great goalie for our program – long, great leg strength, and quick reflexes. He has top level experience having played in the Senior League of Malta and with their Senior National Team. We are very excited he decided to join us for his graduate school experience.”
Dyck, a 6-2 center defender/utility player, is a graduate of Sportschule im Olympiapark in Berlin, Germany. He played club for Spandau 04 Berlin, where he has been a part of the men’s team since he was 15, winning the National Championship and Cup multiple times, while also being a part of the German Senior National Team since he was 17. He has participated in the European and World Championships at both Juniors (U15, U17, U19, and U20) and Senior Men’s levels, reaching the top eight at the U19 European Championship. He has also taken part in the Champions League and EuroCup.
Bacharach on Dyck: “Mark has been the youngest member of the German Senior National team as well as the senior level team for his Spandau club for several years. He has experience playing against all the best players in the world, and is another member of this recruiting class that can play several different positions for our program. We look forward to him bringing his extensive international experience to our program and being a major difference maker.”
Farrugia, a 6-1 center defender/utility, is the second of two Malta natives in this year’s recruiting class that attended St. Martin’s in Msida, Malta as well as graduated of the University of Malta. He was selected to the Maltese Senior National Team for the 2024 European Championship, held in Croatia, as well as to the 2022 U19 European Championship in Podgorica, Montenegro, where he was the team’s MVP.
Bacharach on Farrugia: “Gianni will help our team in multiple ways. He has a strong shot from the outside allowing him to play on either side of the pool, but he also has very long arms which make him a effective center defender as well. His versatility as a player combined with his extensive experience at every level of the Maltese National team pipeline makes him a perfect addition to our program. Similar to Matthew and Kyle, he will be a two-year graduate school addition to our roster.”
A 6-2 utility, Jessen is a highly decorated player at Terra Linda High School in California, where he was a three-year captain of the water polo team and graduated with highest honors. He earned MCAL First Team All-League honors three times from 2022-24 and Honorable Mention All-League in 2021. A two-time team MVP in 2023 and 2024, he helped Terra Linda to the NCS Division 2 Championship in 2022. Jessen played club for Sleepy Hollow Aquatics and has been a part of the USA Water Polo Development, Cadet, and Youth National Teams.
Bacharach on Jessen: “I had the pleasure of watching Soren in several games last summer as well as with the national team. He was the most dominant player in the pool each time and the unique thing about him is his ability to impact the game in so many different ways. From posting up to driving offensively or guarding the center or other team’s best player, he is a true utility player in every sense of the word. We are excited he chose Fordham for his college experience.”
Martin, a 5-11 attacker, was a four-year member of the water polo team at The Bishop’s School in California. He received All-Western League and San Diego All-CIF honors three times each, earning First Team accolades twice in 2023 and 2024. He played club for San Diego Shores, where he was a two-time Junior Olympics First Team All-American (2019 & 2023), while earning Second Team honors in 2021. Martin was also the 2023 Club Championship MVP and earned bronze medals at the 2018 and 2022 Junior Olympics. He was also a member of the Cadet Future’s National team that went to Hungary in 2022. In the classroom, he was a member of the Spanish Honors Society.
Bacharach on Martin: “Charlie is one of the top talents coming out of San Diego this recruiting class. He has a great understanding of the game and is a natural scorer. His San Diego Shores and Bishops teams have won major championships at every level. He will bring talent combined with a winning pedigree to our program. We look forward to getting him to New York.”
Salipante, a 6-3 attacker, split his academic career between Liceo Scientifico Fermi Monticelli in Brindisi, Italy and Istituto Santa Maria in Rome. He has on two occasions been called up to the Senior Italian National Team, while playing club for Roma Vis Nova, which won the U16 and U18 National Championships in 2022. He has taken part in three European Championships (U15 – 2021, U17 – 2023, and U19 – 2024) as well as two World Championships (U16 – 2022; U18 – 2024). At the 2024 U18 World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Salipante helped his team to a fourth place finish.
Bacharach on Salipante: “Alessandro has been a top lefty in the Italian National team system for his whole high school career. He brings size, shooting ability, and a strong feel for the making the right play. These are such important skills for a left handed player because so much of the offense inevitably goes through that side of the pool. We are excited that an athlete with his skill set will be with us for the next four years. We believe he will fit in perfectly with us in New York City.”
A 6-2 attacker, Thomas was a four-year water polo player at Loyola High School in California. A talented scorer, he netted over 80 goals in his senior campaign, which earned him First Team All-Mission League honors after receiving Third Team honors as a junior. He played club for Rose Bowl Water Polo for ten years and CC United for two. A part of the USA ODP National Team from 2017-19, he helped his team take gold at the 2021 Junior Olympics after finishing third in 2017, when he was an All-American. He went on to play at Pepperdine University for two seasons (2021-22), posting 20 goals and 23 assists over 38 games.
Bacharach on Thomas: “Kyle is unique addition to our recruiting class. As a graduate student, he brings a certain level of maturity and experience, but is also as hungry as ever to start anew in NYC and revive his collegiate career. Out of high school, Kyle had one of the top resumes in the country. This talent combined with his size and left handed shooting ability adds another unique element to our attack. We are excited that he chose to spend his two-year graduate experience in New York.”
Tresa is a 6-7 Center/Utility, who graduated from Istituto Santa Maria in Rome, Italy. He has twice been called up to the Senior Italian National Team. Additionally, he has competed for the Italian U19/U17 teams at the European Championship as well as the U16 World Championship. He played club for S.S. Lazio Nuoto, which won the Italian U18 Championship.
Bacharach on Tresa: “Diego is a unique talent, due to his size and athleticism that allows him to play every position in the pool. We expect that he will be able to help add some needed size to our team up the middle at the center and center defender positions, but we also plan to utilize him on the perimeter. We are excited to have such a dynamic talent joining our program.”
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