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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest men’s soccer head coach Bobby Muuss announced the addition of defender Luke Kirilenko to the Demon Deacon roster ahead of the 2026 season.
Bolstering the back line 💪
📰: https://t.co/YsQEx5O5Hd pic.twitter.com/dQFVI9MTSm
— Wake Forest Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) May 21, 2026
Kirilenko joins Wake Forest after spending the spring semester at Hofstra following a three-year career at Rider, where he developed into one of the MAAC’s most established defenders. Across 54 career appearances with the Broncos, Kirilenko totaled 24 starts, three goals, two assists and more than 2,500 minutes played.
One month away until our first camp of the summer, secure your spot now before spots fill up! ⏳
🔗: https://t.co/N84rOTs61h pic.twitter.com/cauRSxp2ck
— Wake Forest Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) May 1, 2026
“Luke brings valuable Division I experience, competitiveness, and maturity to our program after playing over 2,000 minutes at Rider and helping lead a conference championship team,” Muuss said. “He is a player that understands what it takes to compete and win at a high level. What excites us most is his desire to continue growing and developing both on and off the field. We are excited to welcome Luke and his family to the Wake Forest soccer family.”
Please consider donating to her lovely family below.
🔗: https://t.co/ij7x6O2xDU https://t.co/h9YDs4RJlU
— Wake Forest Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) May 4, 2026
During the 2025 campaign, Kirilenko appeared in 15 matches with 11 starts. He logged 977 minutes throughout the campaign and led the squad to a pair of clean sheets and contributed two assists while helping stabilize Rider’s defensive unit.
Stephen A. Smith’s FIRST assignment as a sports reporter was covering soccer at Wake Forest 🤝
He didn’t know much about soccer back then, but the head coach and the rest of the team made sure he learned everything about the beautiful game ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/OMB4P8tIlw
— The Late Run (@TheLateRunShow) May 8, 2026
Kirilenko also earned recognition for his work in the classroom throughout his collegiate career. In 2024, he was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team and earned CSC Academic All-District honors after appearing in all 20 matches with nine starts.
— Wake Forest Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) May 14, 2026
That season, he also helped lead the program to its best winning percentage (.725) since 1992 with a 14-5-1 record and a trip to the MAAC Championship match.
Congratulations to our Wake Forest graduates! 🎩 pic.twitter.com/BKNVYk8hjR
— Wake Forest Men's Soccer (@WakeMSoccer) May 18, 2026
In 2023, Kirilenko appeared in 19 contests and scored three goals, the third-most on the team. He netted the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Siena and also added goals against Canisius and Marist in the MAAC Quarterfinals.
Before arriving in the United States, Kirilenko spent three years competing at the academy level in Spain before continuing his development in England.
Gemeinsam für Deutschland: Unser Kader für die WM 2026! 🖤❤️💛#dfbteam #fifaworldcup2026 pic.twitter.com/zaxWgXsGGv
— DFB-Team (@DFB_Team) May 21, 2026
A native of Cambridge, United Kingdom, Kirilenko becomes the latest addition to a Wake Forest program that currently sits ninth in TopDrawerSoccer’s recruiting rankings.
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