Yale Athletics

Since 2021, the Yale men’s soccer team has played 68 games. Defender TJ Presthus ’25 started in every single one. 

Now, the senior standout is moving up to the professional United Soccer League, where he will “Defend the Fortress” for Hartford Athletic after signing with the club Wednesday.

“All I can think about is how proud my 5 year old self would be right now,” Presthus wrote to the News. “Yale has changed my life and it has been a privilege to represent this university on the soccer field.”

Presthus credited this opportunity with the support of his family, all of whom play soccer. Both of his parents captained soccer teams at Southern Methodist University, and his father went on to play professionally at DC United and Columbus Crew. He won two MLS Cup championships and was an MLS all-star. Presthus also grew up playing soccer with his two younger brothers, one of whom is also a professional now. 

A news release from Hartford Athletic described Presthus as “a formidable presence in collegiate soccer,” and his collection of athletic honors from his time as a Bulldog certainly agrees. Not only was Presthus elected team captain his senior season, but he is also a two-time all-Ivy League first-team selection, the 2023 Ivy League defensive player of the year and a two-time United Soccer Coaches all-region second-team selection. Presthus was also the first Bulldog to make the United Soccer Coaches’ scholar all-America team since 2018.

While Presthus’ defensive prowess on the field has been celebrated through a number of honors, he has also proven his ability to convert on the attack, scoring eight goals throughout his collegiate career, including four in his final season. 

“TJ is a talented and versatile young player whose strong work ethic aligns well with our team’s identity,” Hartford head coach and general manager Brendan Burke said in the news release. “He’s sharp on both sides of the ball and brings a combination of leadership, athleticism and composure that will be invaluable throughout the long season.”

So far, Presthus is the only one of the Green and Blue’s 2025 signees to come from directly a collegiate program. He joins a group of five other new players, each of whom comes from a professional league, including USL, Major League Soccer, MLS Next Pro and a Lithuanian second-tier league.

He has already begun practicing with the team and is looking forward to getting started with regular season games in the next few weeks. 

“Truthfully, I want to keep playing soccer for as long as I can and reach the highest level I am capable of,” Presthus wrote. “With that being said, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking about the future too much, so I am just trying to take things one day at a time.”

Hartford Athletic, the only professional soccer team in Connecticut, was founded in 2018 and joined the United Soccer League, a Division II league directly below Major League Soccer, in 2019. Of the six seasons Hartford has played, it only made the USL playoffs once, in 2020. With Presthus on the field, perhaps that number will soon change.

“Hartford is a perfect fit that allows him to make this transition smoothly,” head men’s soccer coach Kylie Stannard wrote to the News. “I think it’s also a great fit for Hartford because they are getting a top player, a top competitor and a top person that is only getting started.”

Presthus’ Yale teammates have rallied behind him since the announcement of his signing, with midfielder Andrew Seidman ’26 describing him as an “inspiration” on and off the field.

Ryan Cote ’25, another senior who began playing for the Bulldogs at the same time as Presthus, explained that his impact on the team “was immediate and immense when we first came to Yale,” and Jamie Orson ’25, who played center back with Presthus, described him as “the most passionate and determined center back partner I could have ever asked for.”

“He is always someone you trust to give one hundred percent and be consistent every time he steps on the field,” Cote wrote to the News. “He is someone you always want to listen to because of his natural understanding of the game and his performance, and you can never count out a late winner off of a set piece from him.”

Hartford Athletic will kick off its 2025 season in South Carolina against Lexington Sporting Club on March 8.