PAPILLION, Neb. – Recent UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team graduate Marco Milanese recently signed with Union Omaha last week.

Union Omaha announced last week the signing of defender Marco Milanese, pending league and federation approval. Milanese reunites with Assistant Coach Kevin Nuss, who he played under in his time with the USL League Two side Ocean City Nor'easters.

"Marco is a cultured defender that can fill a couple of different positions on our backline," Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. "He joins us off the back of a stellar college career at the University of Akron and UNC-Greensboro and arrives in Omaha with great pedigree having played for Napoli in the UEFA Youth League during his formative years."

"Marco is a versatile player with a ton of upside as a professional," Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette said. "He's exactly the type of signing we hope to make out of the college game, and I'm really excited for what he'll bring to us in Omaha this season."

The Isernia, Italy native has spent time with multiple landmark Italian clubs, including S.S.C. Napoli U-19 and Torino F.C. U-19 in Serie A, as well as Parma Calcio U-17 in Serie B. He also made 6 appearances for Napoli's first team, as well as appearances with the Italian youth national team at the U-15 and U-17 levels. Milanese then put up a stunning collegiate career in the United States, first at the University of Akron, making 41 starts and helping the team to two Mid-American Conference titles and a 2018 NCAA College Cup runner-up finish.

"I am very excited to join this fantastic club and it's amazing fans," Milanese said. "Looking forward to giving everything I have on the field to make this club successful."

He continued on to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where he earned back-to-back All-Southern Conference First Team selections and recorded 16 clean sheets in 40 appearances. Milanese was the lone representative of the Southern Conference to earn the honor. He is the third Scholar All-American in UNCG history and second second team selection. The most recent was Leeroy Maguraushe who was named to the second team in 2018 and then Scott Jones who was voted to the first team in 2006. Milanese was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region second team.

He was one of two Spartans to earn College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American Second Team recognition, as well as one of four Spartans named to the CSC Academic All-District® Team. This year he was voted to the All-SoCon first team as a defender after playing in 21 games, starting in 20 of them totaling 1848 minutes to lead the team. The 2022 captain scored one goal and had two assists for four points this season.
 
A key piece of the Spartans' defense, Milanese won SoCon Defensive Player of the Week once this season. He assisted UNCG to allowing just 19 goals this season in 21 games for 0.89 goals against. The Spartans also totaled six shutouts this season.

UNCG earned their ninth Southern Conference (SoCon) Regular Season title after a 4-0-1 conference mark and then won their fifth SoCon Tournament Title. The undefeated SoCon record was the first time since 2004, when the Spartans went 6-0-1.
 
The Tournament title helped the Spartans punch their 12th NCAA Division I Tournament bid. It was their 21st time in a NCAA Tournament, earning seven appearances in Division III and two at the Division II level.
 
After hosting Ohio State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and tying 1-1, but advancing on penalty kicks 6-5, the Spartans faced No. 5 Stanford in California also tying, 1-1, but advancing on penalty kicks, 3-1. UNCG, never reaching the NCAA Division I Quarterfinals before, fell to No. 13 Indiana in Greensboro with a score of 2-0.
 
The 2022 campaign came to a close with UNCG's fourth double crown in program history. The last time the Spartans won the double was 2006. The Spartans also won it in 2005 and 1998. UNCG concluded the season with a 13-2-6 overall mark.
 
ABOUT UNION OMAHA?
Union Omaha, the 2021 USL League One Champions, is the only professional soccer team in the state of Nebraska. USL League One is a United States Soccer Federation-sanctioned professional men's soccer league that occupies the third tier of the American soccer landscape, below USL Championship (tier two) and Major League Soccer (tier one). Union Omaha plays its home matches at Werner Park in Sarpy County, also home to the Omaha Storm Chasers of Minor League Baseball. The team is led by General Manager Peter Marlette in the front office and Head Coach Dominic Casciato on the field.