Former Pfeiffer Falcon defensive player Nico Mendoza-Soriano is now an assistant coach for the team. Photo courtesy Pfeiffer Athletics

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

MISENHEIMER — Pfeiffer University’s new assistant men’s soccer coach will be a familiar face to fans of the Pfeiffer Falcons soccer team.

The program announced last week that former Falcon soccer standout defensive player Nico Mendoza-Soriano is returning to Miseheimer to be an assistant under eighth-year Pfeiffer coach Tony Faticoni for the upcoming 2025 fall season.

The Concord native has played semi-professional soccer at both Mint Hill FC and Stars FC since his Falcon playing days.

As a five-year starter and captain on Pfeiffer’s soccer team from 2019 to 2023, Soriano recorded 63 starts (65 total games played) with eight goals and two assists at the center back position.

“We are extremely excited to welcome former Falcon Nico Soriano back to The Village,” Pfeiffer Athletics said in a statement.

Following the 2021 season, Soriano was named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) College Division All-State Men’s Soccer first team, in addition to landing a spot on the USA South Athletic Conference’s All-Conference Team.

He was also responsible for scoring the impactful goal against Mary Baldwin during the 2023 season that sent Pfeiffer to its playoff appearance in NCAA Division III history.

Last season, the Falcons finished their 2024 campaign with a 4-8-3 overall record (1-5-1 conf.), coming up short of the 7-6-3 (3-3-1 conf.) mark the program set during the 2023 season with Soriano still on the player roster.

Pfeiffer’s soccer program is still chasing the high of its undefeated 2015 season a decade ago where the Falcons rode an undefeated 25-0 campaign all the way to a NCAA Division II national championship; that squad was later inducted into the Pfeiffer Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Working as an assistant under coach Bob Reasso during that perfect 2015 season, Faticoni has coached the Falcons to two winning seasons since taking over as the team’s head coach in 2017.

Looking ahead to Pfeiffer’s 2025 season that begins with a scrimmage at Montreat on Aug. 20, the Falcons have recently announced a group of signings to complement their fall roster of players.

Cleodaldo Alejandro Bastidas Morloy (Indian Land High School and Charlotte Soccer Academy), Adrian Carmona (A.L Brown High School and Charlotte Independence), Isaac Barefoot (Enloe High School), and Marc Shroeder (Creekside High School and Florida Elite Soccer Academy) are among the new signees announced by the university during the past two weeks.