DURHAM, N.H. \u2013 The University of New Hampshire men’s soccer program has announced the signing of sophomore back Mikael Pulkkinen (Helsinki, Finland). <\/p>\n
“Mikael joins our program as a transfer from UCF, bringing maturity, professionalism and valuable collegiate experience from the left back position,” said head coach Rich Weinrebe<\/a>. “During his time there, he appeared in multiple matches as a freshman defender, earning starts against top national competition. Mikael brings composure in possession, strong game intelligence, and the ability to contribute on both sides of the ball. Comfortable building play from the back while remaining defensively disciplined, he has the qualities and experience needed to make an immediate impact. His professionalism, competitive mentality and commitment to growth make him a terrific addition to our squad, and we’re thrilled to welcome him this fall.”<\/p>\n Pulkkinen appeared in six matches with three starts as a freshman at Central Florida, totaling 227 minutes. He played in both games during the season-opening road trip against North Carolina and No. 6 Wake Forest, while he saw time versus nationally ranked teams such as No. 23 UNC Greensboro, No. 22 Kentucky and No. 17 Marshall. \u00a0
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\nBefore college, Pulkkinen was selected for Finland U18 in 2022 and played in Finnish second tier for over two years with K\u00e4pyl\u00e4n Pallo. He won the Finnish championships with his U15 and U17 clubs during 2019 and 2021, respectively, before joining K\u00e4pyl\u00e4n Pallo, a team with which he then scored three goals and added three assists over 11 matches.<\/p>\n