STATESBORO, Ga. – South Georgia Tormenta FC has announced the signing of former Charleston Battery defender Preston Kilwien to its 2023 USL League One roster on a two-year deal, pending league and federation approval.
“Preston is a player I’ve watched live on numerous occasions dating back to his FGCU days. He remains in that age bracket where he can and will have a big career ahead of him, as long as he develops this season into the player his potential deserves. Our staff are excited to help him achieve that goal. A stable environment will also help him, along with being part of a group aiming to achieve silverware. We have built success on the back of strong, dependable central defenders, and Preston joins Jake and Deshawon in a group that gives us peace of mind that we can go away to hard environments and find solutions to win.”
Ian Cameron, Tormenta FC Head Coach
With nearly a century of games played in the USL Championship (94), Kilwien brings a plethora of experience to the defensive line after several seasons spent with New York Red Bulls II, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and the Charleston Battery.
Kilwien featured in 28 games for the Charleston Battery of the USL Championship in 2022, playing in a majority of the Battery’s fixtures and captaining the Charleston-based side the first half of the season.
With the Battery, Kilwien quickly became one of the Battery’s best defenders, racking up impressive stats in 2022. Alongside Tormenta FC alum, Leland Archer, the duo partnered up to be a shining light in an off year for the historic Battery side. Now with South Georgia, Kilwien looks to tower the defensive unit with his 6-foot-4 frame, partnering up with one of the best defenders in the league, Jake Dengler, who stands at 6-foot-5.
“I’m very excited to join the club. The players are treated pretty nicely and we have a history of winning. You can’t really complain too much when those are on the table. The goal for the year is definitely to win the championship, regular season and playoffs and keep the winning tradition going.”
Preston Kilwien, Tormenta FC Defender
Collegiately, Kilwien spent four years with Florida Gulf Coast University, where he appeared in sixty games for the program. At FGCU, Kilwien helped lead the Eagles to a 2016 ASUN conference title and into the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
The growing 2023 roster features a strong core of seven returners ready to fight for a second League One title with the added power of new midfielders Matheus Cassini and Elijah Amo, first-year professional Collin Mocyunas and many new additions to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tormenta FC fans can secure their seats at the new Tormenta Stadium ahead of 2023, with Season Tickets now available for purchase.
For additional information and scheduling interviews, call (301-237-0539) or email epintor@tormentafc.com.
Player Profile
- Name: Preston Kilwien
- Pronunciation: Pres-ton kil-wine
- Position: Defender
- Number: 23
- Height: 6’4
- Weight: 205 lbs.
- Birthdate: November 25, 1996 (Age: 26)
- Hometown: Lubbock, Texas
- Citizenship: United States
- Previous Club: Charleston Battery
- Instagram: @preston_kilwien
- Twitter: @preston_kilwien
