CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Six Longwood men's soccer players have been named to the Big South Top Returners Watch List, the league announced on Tuesday.
On the watch list — which includes selections from each of the league's head coaches and returning all-conference honorees — are forward Brando Bedolla, midfielders Aaron Asamoah and Aristhid Kamdjin and defenders David Ambaek, Jesus Macaya and Joshua Yoder.
Bedolla was named to the Big South All-Freshman Team after scoring two goals and three assists for seven points, while appearing in all 18 matches. Both of his goals came in an 8-2 rout of USC Upstate at home on Sept. 27 which led to the Greenville, S.C., native earning Co-Big South Freshman of the Week accolades.
Asamoah earned Big South First Team and Big South All-Tournament Team honors a year ago. He scored two goals and two assists in 16 matches. His first goal at Longwood came against Liberty on Aug. 26, and he also tallied in the Lancers' 4-3 Big South tournament victory at UNC Asheville on Nov. 6.
Kamdjin played 15 matches with 13 starts in his first year at Longwood, scoring a goal and an assist. He potted the game winner in the 79th minute, helping the Lancers' to a 2-1 home victory over Navy on Sept. 7. He also assisted on the opening goal in Longwood's 2-2 draw against Radford on Nov. 2, a result that ensured its first Big South tournament appearance since 2021.
Ambaek started all 13 matches in which he appeared, helping to anchor a backline that surrendered less than two-and-a-half goals per game. He played 79 minutes in Longwood's 1-0 clean-sheet victory at Wofford on Oct. 15. He played a full 90 minutes nine times on the season.
Macaya started all 18 matches in his first season in Farmville, notching two assists. Macaya earned helpers in the home victories over Navy and USC Upstate. He logged a career-best 1,513 minutes on the season after spending his freshman season at Cumberlands (Ky.) in 2023.
Yoder started all 15 matches he played as a junior last season, playing all 90 minutes in each outing. He posted his first career point, an assist, on Longwood's 89th-minute goal in a 2-1 loss at Winthrop on Oct. 15.
Longwood, which advanced to the Big South semifinals for the first time since 2016 last season, opens the 2025 regular season Sept. 21 at the Longwood Athletics Complex against Mount Olive at 7 p.m.
