ST. LOUIS --- Biola Men's Soccer has added more skill and savvy to its roster in one fell swoop with the signing of grad transfer Brandon Santel.

The son of former MLS and U.S. National Team player Mark Santel, Brandon has played with teams across the country since joining the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Academy in 2013. He comes to Biola after A-10 Tournament appearances with the St. Louis Billikens each of the last two seasons and brings more of the character Head Coach Torrey Stricklin wants to add to the program. 

"Brandon is a great fit for our program on and off the field and we are excited to welcome him this spring. He is a quality person and player who brings in a ton of experience and pedigree," said Coach Stricklin. "He is another great competitor and I believe he will have a tremendous impact on our program over the next year." 

Santel showed promise early, as evidenced by his participation in the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy and his USSDA Mid-America Conference Championship in 2013. He was eventually named to the IMG Academy Top 150 Player Pool before signing with Lipscomb, alongside Biola newcomer Malik Shaheed, and playing 10 matches in his first year of collegiate soccer. 

Then the center mid really started to cast his net wide after his year in the ASUN. In the three summers after his 10-win freshman season at Lipscomb, Santel earned opportunities to play with the Colorado Rapids U23 team in the Premier Development League and the Los Angeles Galaxy-affiliated San Diego Zest FC in USL League 2. He also spent his time between those summers in the St. Louis-area, training with STLFC and playing two seasons with the Billikens. 

Santel appeared in 31 matches in two years with St. Louis, accumulating over 1,000 minutes and scoring a goal in a 4-2 victory over La Salle. Additionally, the Billikens only lost three regular season conference matches during Santel's stint on the team, paving the way to the two previously mentioned appearances in A-10 tournaments. But he'll be chasing more than a repeat of regular season success during his time at Biola.

"I was immediately drawn to Biola once I heard from Coach Stricklin, he is a great coach with an even better resume and I know he is going to take this program far. I feel like I can excel under him and at Biola on and off the field," said Santel. "I love everything Biola represents in terms of education and faith, and I can't think of a better place to finish my collegiate career."
 
Academically, Santel has been named to the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll twice and already completed his undergraduate degree. He plans to pursue a masters in public relations at Biola and aspires to build his career around professional soccer, first as a player and then in an administrative capacity thereafter. 

Brandon Santel plans to join Biola Men's Soccer in Spring 2021. More information on the rest of the student-athletes that will join him at Biola in 2021-22 can be found on the Committed Athletes page.