Northwestern coach Russell Payne has landed a pair of transfers ahead of the 2024 season. Maryland midfielder Joe Suchecki and Louisville defender Bryce LeBel will don the purple and white next fall.

Suchecki, a 6-foot-3 central midfielder, played 40 games during his 4-year career with the Terrapins. The NYCFC Academy product won a U-19 US Soccer Development Academy National Championship before he arrived in College Park and helped his squad win the 2022 Big Ten regular season championship as a redshirt sophomore.

Apart from his box-to-box prowess, Suchecki earned a black belt in the Seido Karate system at just 14.

LeBel played his academy ball for the New York Red Bulls’ youth system and has even participated in regular training sessions with the Major League Soccer club’s first team. He saw immediate play time as a true freshman with the Cardinals in 2020, logging a team-high 1,304 minutes.

The Sparta, New Jersey, native’s primary position lies in central defense, but he’s also capable of slotting into a center defensive midfielder role. During a standout four-year career at Louisville, LeBel made 65 appearances, scoring four goals and adding three assists.

After the Wildcats fell just short of their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014, Payne’s portal acquisitions provide a statement of NU’s intent to make waves in the national landscape next season. Both players possess postseason appearance and look to play vital roles on an up-and-coming Big Ten squad.

With forward Justin Weiss transferring to Indiana for his final season of college ball, Payne and the ’Cats will likely look to find another striker to fill his lofty shoes before the 2024 campaign.

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