Switchbacks players: 2021 roster and bios
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May 16—Switchbacks Roster and Bios 2021
Name: Sean Melvin
Jersey number: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 26
Height: 6-4
Country: Canada
About Melvin: Melvin is in his second season with the Switchbacks. He played three college seasons with the University of North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks from 2013-15. While there, Melvin played in 2013 — 2014 with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 in the Premier Development League. In 2015, he was loaned to Calgary Foothills in the United States League PDL where he became the No. 1 starter until returning to UNC-Wilmington for their 2015 season. Melvin signed his first professional contract with Whitecaps FC 2 of the USL in February 2016. He joined the USL Championship side with the Switchbacks in January 2020 and started 11 games.
Name: Austin Dewing
Jersey number: 3
Position: Forward
Age: 24
Height: 5-8
Country: United States
About Dewing: Dewing is in his third season with the Switchbacks. He is a graduate of nearby Air Academy High School, where he led the Kadets to the 2014 Class 4A state title and a 20-0 record. He also was a three-year starter on the school's baseball team. Dewing graduated from the Air Force Academy, where he was a four-year starter on the soccer team. He made 78 appearances, scoring 29 goals and tallying 19 assists. While at college, Dewing also appeared for the USL PDL team Colorado Pride Switchbacks U23 team during their 2018 season. He made his professional debut when he joined the USL Championship side Switchbacks in June 2019. He has appeared in 27 matches with the Switchbacks.
Name: Matt Mahoney
Jersey number: 5
Position: Defender
Age: 26
Height: 5-11
Country: United States
About Mahoney: This is Mahoney's first season with the Switchbacks. He played four years of college soccer at Temple University between 2013 and 2016, where he made 78 appearances, scoring five goals and tallying three assists. Mahoney also played with the PDL side Jersey Express during his time at college. He signed with the USL side Bethlehem Steel in March 2017. He played with the Sacramento Republic in 2019-20.
Name: Rony Argueta
Jersey number: 6
Position: Midfielder
Age: 30
Height: 5-8
Country: United States
About Argueta: Argueta is in his sixth season with the Switchbacks. He has played with the team every year, with the exception of 2018 when he was with Fresno FC. Argueta has appeared in 46 matches and scored one goal with the Switchbacks. He turned professional in 2015 when he signed with the Switchbacks. In his first season, he made 24 appearances and scored twice. He was re-signed for the following season and won the Back Chat Supporters 2016 Young Player of the Season award. He also played for the Switchbacks in 2017 and rejoined them in 2019 after one season with USL side Fresno FC.
Name: Jose Francisco Torres
Jersey number: 7
Position: Midfielder
Age: 33
Height: 5-5
Country: United States
About Torres: Torres is in his first season with the Switchbacks. He has played with the U.S. national team. After his sophomore year of high school, he was recruited and signed by Mexican club Pachuca. He played for them from 2006-13. He appeared in all three matches at the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup for Pachuca, starting twice. In November 2012, he was transferred to Tigres UANL and played for them through 2019. He is popularly known by his nickname, "Gringo."
Name: Zach Zandi
Jersey number: 8
Position: Midfielder
Age: 24
Height: 5-6
Country: United States
About Zandi: Zandi is in his first season with the Switchbacks. He played college soccer for Villanova University. In four seasons he made 63 appearances, scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists, leading the team with seven goals scored in 2018. He joined Reading United in 2016 while in college where he made 24 appearances. He was acquired by Philadelphia Union in 2019 and made his club debut for the then Bethlehem Steel. He joined the Switchbacks in December. His sister, Sydney Zandi, plays college soccer for the University of Virginia and has played for the United States women's national U-17, -18 and -19 soccer teams. His father, Karl Zandi, played college soccer.
Name: Hadji Barry
Jersey number: 10
Position: Forward
Age: 28
Height: 6-2
Country: Guinea
About Barry: Barry is in his first season with the Switchbacks. After four college seasons at the University of Central Florida, he was selected 13th overall in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft by Orlando City. In December 2018, Barry joined Israel Premier League side Irono Kirvat Shmona on a 2 1/2 -year deal. He rejoined the USL Championship by signing with the Ottawa Fury in July 2019 and moved to USL Championship side North Carolina FC in January 2020. Barry signed with the Switchbacks in January 2021.
Name: Michee Ngalina
Jersey number: 11
Position: Forward
Age: 21
Height: 5-11
Country: Congo
About Ngalina: Ngalina is in his first season with the Switchbacks. He spent time with the Florida-based Montverde Academy before going on trial at USL side Bethlehem Steel in 2018. In May 2019, Ngalina signed with MLS Philadelphia Union and was released by Philadelphia following its 2020 season. He signed with the Switchbacks in December 2020.
Name: Lamar Batista
Jersey number: 14
Position: Defender
Age: 23
Height: 6-5
Country: United States
About Batista: Batista is in his first season with the Switchbacks. he played one season of college soccer for UC Santa Barbara in 2016. He signed with the United Soccer League side Portland Timbers 2 in March 2017. In February 2019, Batista signed with the MLS Los Angeles FC and spent the majority of the season on loan to the Phoenix Rising FC in the USL Championship and FC Tucson in USL League One. He played for North Texas SC in the USL League One in 2020.
Name: Philip Mayaka
Jersey number: 20
Position: Midfielder
Age: 20
Height: 5-7
Country: Kenya
About Mayaka: Mayaka was selected third overall in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft out of Clemson University. In 2019, he was named the ACC Freshman of the Year and was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded annually to the top men's and women's college soccer players. He was a key part of Clemson's 2020 ACC Tournament championship squad.
Name: Dillon Serna
Jersey number: 23
Position: Midfielder
Age: 27
Height: 5-7
Country: United States
About Serna: Serna is in his first season with the Switchbacks. He joined the U.S. Soccer Development Academy with the Colorado Rapids' academy in 2009. After graduating from Horizon High School in Thornton, he played one year of college soccer for the University of Arizona. He signed with the Rapids as a homegrown player in January 2013. Serna made his MLS debut in a 3 — 0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2013 regular season finale. He scored his first professional MLS goal on April 26, 2014, in a 4 — 1 loss to the Seattle Sounders. He played with the Rapids through 2019 and appeared in 105 matches, scoring nine goals. In 2020, the MLS veteran signed with USL Championship side Sporting Kansas City II.
Name: Bienvenue Kanakimana
Jersey number: 25
Position: Forward
Age: 21
Height: 5-9
Country: Burundi
About Kanakimana: Kanakimana is his first season with the Switchbacks after playing primarily in his home country of Burundi since 2018. In 2019, he was loaned to the USL Championships Atlanta United II for the remainder of the season. Kanakimana played professionally in Austria and China in 2020. In September 2019, Kanakimana was called into the Burundi national team for its 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Tanzania.
Name: Sebastian Anderson
Jersey number: 27
Position: Defender
Age: 18
Height: 5-9
Country: United States
About Anderson: Anderson is in his first season with the Switchbacks on loan from the MLS Colorado Rapids. He appeared in six games for the Rapids in 2019 and scored one goal. He was previously on loan to the Switchbacks in 2019 and 2020. Anderson played for Real Colorado's academy from 2012 to 2017. He joined the Rapids Academy in 2017. On April 3, 2019, Anderson signed a homegrown player contract with the Rapids, becoming the youngest homegrown signing in club history. Anderson has played for both the United States U-15 national team and United States U-17 national team and was a member of the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup team in Brazil.
Name: Abraham Rodriguez
Jersey number: 28
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 18
Height: 5-9
Country: United States
About Rodriguez: Rodriguez returns to the Switchbacks for his third season. He appeared in 21 USL Championship games over the previous two years. The Colorado Rapids Homegrown product made his Switchbacks' debut March 30, 2019, against Phoenix Rising. In that match, Rodriguez made 11 saves, including a penalty, and was named the USL Championship Player of the Week, becoming the second-youngest player to earn the award. The 18-year-old from Thornton also earned recognition as one of the USL Championship's top 20 U-20 in 2019.
Name: Matt Hundley
Jersey number: 29
Position: Forward
Age: 20
Height: 5-10
Country: United States
About Hundley: Hundley is back for his second stint with the Switchbacks after joining the club on loan in 2019 from the MLS Colorado Rapids. He made 29 appearances for the Switchbacks in 2019 and scored one goal. A graduate of Arapahoe High School in Centennial, he spent the 2020 season on loan to Memphis 901 FC in the USL Championship, scoring two goals in 10 appearances. Hundley was the 10th Rapids Academy product to sign a Homegrown contract with the Colorado Rapids in January 2019. He played one season of college soccer for UCLA in 2018, scoring five goals in 19 matches.
Name: Andrew Pannenberg
Jersey number: 30
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 22
Height: 6-3
Country: United States
About Pannenberg: Pannenberg was the 49th overall selection in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. He was the second goalkeeper taken in the draft. He played three seasons at Wake Forest University, recording 79 saves and 13 clean sheets in 32 appearances for the Demon Deacons.
Name: Deshane Beckford
Jersey number: 31
Position: Forward
Age: 22
Height: 5-9
Country: Jamaica
About Beckford: Beckford is on loan to the Switchbacks from Montego Bay United. He began his career with Montego Bay of the Red Stripe Premier League in Jamaica and scored three goals in 11 appearances during the 2018-19 season. He spent 2019 and 2020 with Rio Grande Valley FC after joining the Toros on loan in late 2019. In 22 USL Championship games, he has recorded three goals and an assist. The winger joined the Jamaican U-23 squad at the 2019 Pan American Games where he scored three goals in three matches.
Name: Michael Edwards
Jersey number: 34
Position: Defender
Age: 20
Height: 6-3
Country: United States
About Edwards: Edwards is in his first season with the Switchbacks after being on loan from the MLS Colorado Rapids. He came to the Switchbacks from German side VFL Wolfsburg after Colorado acquired his Homegrown Priority from D.C. United. He made 14 appearances for Wolfsburg's U-19s before being promoted to Wolfsburg II in the Regionalliga Nord, the German fourth tier, in July 2019. Edwards made 17 appearances for the reserve side, all of them starts, and also trained with Wolfsburg's Bundesliga squad during his time with the club.
Name: Jordan Burt
Jersey number: 44
Position: Defender
Age: 30
Height: 6-1
Country: United States
About Burt: Burt, along with Argueta, are the only players on the Switchbacks from the club's inaugural 2015 squad. Burt has made the most appearances in club history with 155 and is three goals shy of the franchise record for most goals with the club in all competitions with 27. He is the team captain. Burt played five years of college soccer for Butler University from 2009-13. While at college, he appeared for various USL PDL clubs, including Real Colorado Foxes. In 2014, he signed with the North American Soccer League club Carolina RailHawks, where he appeared in seven matches.
Name: Tristan Hodge
Jersey number: 55
Position: Defender
Age: 26
Height: 6-0
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
About Hodge: Hodge is in his first season with the Switchbacks. From 2015-21, he was with W Connection Football Club, a club from Trinidad and Tobago which plays in the TT Pro League. After two seasons on loan to USL Championship side Memphis 901 FC, Hodge moved permanently to the Switchbacks in January of this year.
Name: Andre Lewis
Jersey number: 77
Position: Midfielder
Age: 26
Height: 5-10 1/2
Country: Jamaica
About Lewis: Lewis is in his second season with the Switchbacks, having appeared in 11 matches in 2020. Lewis began his career with Cavalier and later played for Jamaican club Portmore United before being spotted by MLS scouts and was entered in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, where he was selected in the first round (seventh overall) by the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He was loaned to Vancouver's USL Pro affiliate Charleston Battery. He has played in 128 professional games and was a member of Jamaica's senior national team versus Honduras in February 2017.
