Goalkeeper, Two Defenders Shore Up Inaugural Roster
Har-Ber goalkeeper Angel Calix joins defenders Santiago Goncalves and Mikey Murphy as finishing touches on NWACC's back line
BENTONVILLE - Three final pieces were put in place Friday on the defensive side of the ball for NWACC Men's Soccer head coach Dean Johnson.
Local goalkeeper Angel Calix of Har-Ber High School joins Portuguese defender Santiago Gonçalves and FC Dallas academy product Mikey Murphy.
ABOUT ANGEL
Calix comes from Har-Ber High by way of Rogers Heritage High School. After two years as a goalkeeper at David Gates Stadium, Calix switched to Har-Ber and spent two years between the sticks in Springdale.
"Angel is another local goalkeeper, following Heritage graduate Nicolas Moreno," Johnson said. "He is very good with his feet and will be an asset for us throughout the year."
ABOUT SANTIAGO
Gonçalves is a native of Tavira, a southern coastal town in Portugal. This season, in just short of 2,000 minutes this season in the Portuguese league system with AD Tavira U19, Gonçalves has three goals and 23 appearances.
"Santi is comfortable as a defender and also a defensive midfielder," Johnson said, "so he gives us great options."
The right-footed defender came up in local academy system CB Tavira before spending a year with CB Albufeira U13. He then spent four years in Olhanense's youth setup before reaching the B team at Quarteirense U19 in 2024-25.
ABOUT MIKEY
Murphy heads to the Natural State from Frisco, Texas, where he has most recently spent time in the prestigious FC Dallas academy, including representing the club at the 2023 Generation Adidas Cup.
"Mikey is a big-time defensive player," Johnson said. "He has consistently been ranked as one of the top players in his class."
After having lived in Louisiana, Virginia and California before his time in Texas, Murphy will now add Arkansas to the list of home states when he arrives in Bentonville in August.
"We have big expectations for Mikey and anticipate he will have a massive impact on the team," Johnson said.
CURRENT SQUAD
Goalkeepers (3): Jack Munson, England; Nicolas Moreno, Arkansas; Angel Calix, Arkansas
Defenders (10): Brandon Lawson, Arkansas; Evan Rees, Wales; Ethan Twine, Wales; Oliver Okeh, England; Jack Peters, England; Ivan Contreras, Arkansas; Clayton Butler, North Carolina; Sota Asano, Japan; Santiago Gonçalves, Portugal; Mikey Murphy, Texas
Midfielders (12): Damian Carranza, Arkansas; Byron Adams, England; Tino Le, Vietnam; Jack Bagnall, England; Alan Mendoza, Missouri; Jorden Moore, Louisiana; Christian Soto, Arkansas; Francesco Turbati, Italy; Tazizwa Kasambara, Malawi; Haşim Köksal, England; Luc Fangan Hall, England; Costa Barlas, North Carolina
Forwards (7): Aukele Paikuli-Campbell, Hawai'i; Jodon Grey, Jamaica; Hari Lambe, Wales; Kyan Okoli, England; Josiah Wilson, Trinidad and Tobago; Takumi Hirokawa, Japan; Rei Tomita, Japan
MORE INFO
The 2026 NJCAA Region 2 Schedule is available to view now here.
