COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew 2 announced today the signings of four players — Quinton Elliot, Keesean Ferdinand, Cristian Ortiz and Luke Pruter.
Elliot rejoins the Club after being a member of the Academy from 2017-2022 before opting to play college soccer. The 20-year old appeared in seven matches (all starts) for Crew 2 in 2022, helping the squad win the first MLS NEXT Pro Cup.
The defender spent two seasons with the University of Louisville before transferring to Indiana University. With the Hoosiers, he was named First Team All-Big 10 in 2024 and helped Indiana advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-1 overtime win against Akron on Nov. 24, 2024.
Ferdinand, a defender, joins Crew 2 after most recently competing in MLS NEXT Pro with Portland Timbers2. The Montreal, Quebec native joined Timbers2 in 2023, when he made 28 appearances (26 starts) and provided three assists in MLS NEXT Pro play. Ferdinand featured in 27 matches for the club in 2024 and scored his first goal against North Texas SC on May 18.
Internationally, Ferdinand made four appearances (two starts) for the Canadian U-20 Men’s National Team at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship. He also started five games for the Canadian U-17s, including two during the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, held in Brazil.
Ortiz comes to Crew 2 from the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship. In 2024, the 17-year old logged nine appearances and 100 minutes, including two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup games.
Internationally, Ortiz made his senior debut at 17 years old with the Dominican Republic in Concacaf Nations League play on Sept. 10, 2024 during a 2-0 win over Dominica in Group D, League B action. With the Dominican Republic U-20 Team, he recorded 215 minutes in three starts of the 2024 Concacaf U20 Championship.
Pruter joins Crew 2 after being selected as the 87th overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. The 23-year-old goalkeeper appeared in 53 matches (51 starts) during his five-year career at University of California, Irvine. He registered 4,667 minutes, 166 saves and 14 shutouts for the Anteaters.
In 2024, Pruter entered UCI’s top-10 all-time goalkeeper ranks with 19 wins (6th), 14 shutouts (T3rd), 166 saves (8th) and a 1.35 goals-against-average (9th) in 53 matches (T5th).
Crew 2 begin the 2025 campaign on the road against Orlando City B on Sunday, March 9 at 7 p.m. at Osceola Heritage Park. Crew 2’s home opener is slated for Sunday, April 6 at 6 p.m. against Crown Legacy FC.
Crew 2 single-match tickets are on sale now for the affordable price of $10 per match. First Team Season Ticket Members will have exclusive access to discounted prices through the Membership Team at MembershipTeam@ColumbusCrew.com.
The majority of Crew 2 and MLS NEXT Pro matches will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, and the remainder will be on MLSNEXTPro.com. Additional broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
