Joey Calistri

PLAYER PROFILE:  JOEY CALISTRI

By: PXI STAFF (@ProspectXI)

Position: FWD
Primary Role:  Center Forward
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 150
DOB: 11-20-1993
Nationality: United States
Preferred Footed: Right
Club: Chicago Fire (MLS)

No experience with the US national team.

Senior at Northwestern (NCAA –D1), Signed Homegrown contract with Chicago Fire.

2010-2011: Chicago Fire U18 (USSDA) – 15 games, 7 starts, 3 goals
2011-2012: Chicago Fire U18 (USSDA) – 24 games, 7 starts, 16 goals
2012: Chicago Fire U23 (PDL) – 2 games, 90 minutes, 1 assist, 1 total shot
2012: Northwestern (NCAA – D1) – 23 games, 21 starts, 9 goals, 2 assists, 27 shots on target,
2013: Chicago Fire U23 (PDL) – 3 games, 254 minutes, 1 goal, 2 total shots
2013: Northwestern (NCAA – D1) – 21 games, 21 starts, 12 goals, 3 assists, 28 shots on target, 1 yellow
2014: Chicago Fire U23 (PDL) – 7 games, 517 minutes, 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 total shots
2014: Northwestern (NCAA – D1) – 19 games, 18 starts, 6 goals, 2 assists, 21 shots on target
2015: Northwestern (NCAA D-1) – 18 games, 18 starts, 3 goals, 6 assists, 14 shots on target

From Deerfield, Illinois, Joey scored 89 goals and added 41 assists for Deerfield High and was Illinois First Team All-State two times. He also played for the Chicago Fire U-18 USSDA team for two seasons, scoring 19 goals in 39 games despite coming in off the bench 25 times and played twice for the Fire’s U-23 PDL side before attending college.

Calistri had options to sign with Xavier and Indiana, but decided to attend Northwestern University where Northwestern’s Head Coach Tim Lenahan said, “Joey caught our eye four years ago actually at our youth camp and then at subsequent camps over the past few years. He has Cseparates Joey from most forwards is that he works as hard defensively as he does in trying to score goals.”

In three years with Northwestern, Joey has played 63 games, starting 60 of them. He has scored 27 goals, scoring goals from multiple areas including six via headed goals and added seven assists. He won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012 and All-Big Ten teams in 2013 and 2014. Calstiri also played PDL soccer in the summer with the Chicago Fire U-23, scoring three goals and adding three assists during the summer of 2013.

Calistri is a smaller and under athletic forward, which doesn’t translate well for his impact in the MLS, but he has very good soccer experience including five seasons in a Major League Soccer development system. Chicago Fire signed Calistri to a homegrown contract, adding depth to the midfield of the first team. Expect him to split time between MLS and with the clubs USL affiliate Saint Louis FC.

+ All-State player in High School
+ Played with Chicago Fire U-18 in USSDA
+ Three year starter with Northwestern University (NCAA-D1)
+ Played four season with Chicago Fire U-23 in PDL
+ Signed Homegrown contract with Chicago Fire