West Texas FC (WTXFC) has announced the signing of two new players, fullback Caden Maldonado and striker Kanata Taira, to bolster the club's scoring capabilities.
According to a Facebook post from April 9 by Faulkner University, Maldonado hails from Lakeland, Florida, and has been the captain of the Eagles men's soccer team. Under his leadership, Faulkner achieved an 18-11-2 record over the past two seasons.
WTXFC also reported that Maldonado gained additional experience by playing summer ball with Lakeland United in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL).
Taira, originally a high school soccer standout in Japan, joins West Texas FC after an impressive first season at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. According to WTXFC's Facebook post about him, Taira contributed significantly to UH Hilo's attack, leading to an 11-6-1 record and a conference semi-final appearance in the challenging PacWest Conference.
West Texas FC is set to enter its third season in 2025 as the reigning Lone Star Conference champions. The team will commence its campaign on May 17 with an away game against Fort Worth Vaqueros and will host its home opener against Oklahoma United FC at Astound Broadband Stadium on May 25.