Wake Forest Athletics
Demon Deacons Announce the Addition of Luke Kirilenko
5/21/2026 3:05:00 PM | Men's Soccer
The defender joins the program after three seasons at Rider.
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.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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