IRVINE, Calif. – Orange County SC announced on Friday it had signed veteran defender Sola Abolaji and rookie goalkeeper Casey Beyers ahead of the 2017 USL season. Abolaji joins Orange County following an extensive career in the USL and Scandinavia, while Beyers arrives after competing for the University of Wisconsin.

Abolaji, 31 returns to the United States following an extensive spell playing in Scandinavia. The Chicago native played collegiately at the University of Buffalo before beginning his professional career with the USL’s Carolina RailHawks in 2007. He was traded midseason to Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which then was part of the USL, before making the transition to Europe, joining Norwegian first division side Ullensaker/Kisa IL. 

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The 31-year-old spent two years with the Norwegian outfit before swapping Norway for Sweden, competing for a number of different sides in Sweden over a four year period and most recently with Roruik IF. The robust center back had competed most recently for the Premier Development League’s Ventura County Fusion, for whom he appeared in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2015 when they defeated the USL’s LA Galaxy II in the second round.

The 22-year-old Beyers joins Orange County following a successful trial spell with the club. A native of Columbia, Md., the 6-foot-5 goalkeeper recorded 25 appearances for the Badgers in his collegiate career.