KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's soccer team and head coach Chad Wiseman announce the additions of Philip Smith, Vianney Durand and Giovanni Covelli prior to the start of the 2021 season.
 
Philip Smith | Defender | 6'1, 190lbs | Durham City, England | Saint Peter's University
Smith joins the Broncos as a graduate transfer after a successful four-year career at Saint Peter's University of the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference out of New Jersey. The defender was a Second Team All-MAAC selection in 2019 and helped the Peacocks to a regular season championship. Smith captained SPU and was named the school's Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year in 2020. He was a four-time All-MAAC Academic Team selection and graduated summa cum laude with a double major in international business and trade and marketing management.
 
Smith on why he chose WMU - "WMU was immediately a standout for me, I wanted to further my education and increase my chances of making it in the professional soccer world, at a respected institution, both on and off the field. After speaking with the coaching staff and a number of the players, I was able to see not only the family environment that has been cemented there, but the desire for greatness. I can't wait to get started, and challenge for a MAC championship!" 
 
Coach Wiseman on Smith - "Philip is a player we are very happy chose to make WMU his last stop as a graduate transfer. He is what you would call the prototypical English style center back. He has great size and strength and is very tough on the tackle. His feet are very clean, and he is a very good organizer and leader from the back.  He has always proven that he can find goals off set pieces and brings a ton of experience to our program. Philip is a proven top Division I soccer player. He gets it done both on the field and in the classroom. Philip's time as a Bronco will be brief with only one year of eligibility left, but we are quite sure he will find a way to leave his mark in Kalamazoo.
 
Vianney Durand | Defender | 6'1, 170lbs | Hudsonville, Mich. | Muskegon Community College
Durand joins the Broncos after a year at Muskegon Community College, where he was Honorable Mention All-MCCAA and a NJCAA Great Lakes All-Region selection. Durand also competed for the Cameroon U16-17 National Team.
 
Durand on why he chose WMU – "I believe that WMU was a great environment for me to grow more in soccer and also academically. I plan to major in business and the Haworth College of Business is tremendous. I learned about the winning tradition at WMU and the intense competition that they face each year in the MAC. From watching the team play last year, I have grown to admire the tactical formation WMU use and how the use players. I believe with my skill set I will be a valuable asset to WMU soccer program for many years."
 
Coach Wiseman on Durand – "We are very proud to be able to announce that Vianney will be joining our program. His path to get here has been difficult and winding, but he has proven he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. As simply as I can put it, Vianney is a next level athlete. His speed and strength are incredible and fun to watch. He is an attack minded outside back that can fly up into the attack and create dangerous chances. His skill set is one that will give our opponents all they can handle trying to slow him down. We are excited to see what Vianney can achieve in a Bronco uniform."
 
Giovanni Covelli | Midfielder | 5'11, 165lbs | Dearborn Heights, Mich. | Michigan Wolves U19
Covelli has spent three years as an academy player with the Michigan Wolves U19 MLS Next Academy program.   
 
Covelli on why he chose WMU - "I feel it provides a great opportunity for me to expand my soccer career even further. Something that also stuck out to me is what a tight bond the players on the team have with one another. The atmosphere within the group on and off the field is exactly what I'm looking for and I'm very excited for that as well."   
 
Coach Wiseman on Covelli - "Gio is a guy that arrived on our radar later in the process and we are very pleased that he did. He is an out and out attacking winger who is very talented in one-on-one situations. He has a great change of pace on the outside to lose defenders, and also serves a very dangerous balls from wide areas. He has a terrific engine allowing him to get up and down the flanks and do the job that is required from that position. He likes to run at defenders, often multiple defenders. His skill set offers something unique to our roster, and that confirmed for us that he needed to be a Bronco."