The Red Bulls have signed defender Matt Nocita to an MLS contract through Dec. 31, with club options for 2023, 2024, and 2025, the club announced on Thursday.

The 6-8, 205-lb. Nocita was selected by the Red Bulls with the seventh pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Nocita, 22, was a four-year letterman at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he made 59 appearances and logged 5,389 minutes.

“We were really impressed with Matt in his time with Navy,” sporting director Denis Hamlet said in a statement. “We are looking forward to having Matt with us and having him help us accomplish our goals on the field.”

The Porter Ranch, Calif. native was a three-time Patriot League defensive player of the year, 2021 FCAC defensive player of the year, and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. Nocita scored six goals and added two assists in 59 starts for Navy.

“We have been really happy with what Matt has shown over the last month,” Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber said in a statement. “We are really excited to add him to our roster.”

 

 

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.