Posted: 02/26/2013 | Last updated: February 26, 2013 at 09:31 AM
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Head Coach Dean Koski has announced the addition of seven student-athletes who will join the men’s soccer program in the fall. The seven members of the Class of 2017 hail from five different states and is well-balanced with forwards, midfielders and defenders.
“We are excited about this group of incoming freshmen for many reasons, but mostly because they all distinguished themselves as thoughtful, personable and intelligent young men”, offers Koski. “Of course, aside from being very good s
tudents we happen to think they are all very good soccer players, some of who will contribute significantly as freshmen.”
“With five recruits coming from the mid-Atlantic region, one from Virginia and one from Arizona we met our geographical recruiting objectives,” added Associate Head Coach Mike Benn. “The other priorities were to bring in a good balance of attackers and defenders and we feel good about that as well.”
“All of our recruits come from excellent high schools and highly regarded club programs and they’ve spent the last four years competing against some of the best clubs and high schools in the country,” Koski said. “Aspiring to be Division I players was a goal for all of them and we are confident that they all will be great contributors to our program and the Lehigh community.”
Here are the newest additions to the Men’s Soccer Program:
Brandon Fuerst - Marlboro, N.J. - Marlboro HS - Freehold Legacy - Midfield/Defender
Left sided, dynamic player who can play as an outside back or in midfield…Captain of Marlboro HS team as a senior…plays as a left back for Freehold Legacy…has played for the New Jersey ODP team…played for the Region 1 ODP team at the College Cup this December…attended Lehigh University Soccer one day clinic last May…will enroll in IBE program.
Gianfranco Giammatteo - Summit, N.J. - St. Benedict’s Prep - PDA - Defender
Competitive, passionate player …played for St. Benedict’s Prep and won two National Championships as well as four N.J. Prep School Championships…team finished ranked No. 1 in the country in Elite Soccer Report’s National Rankings…Captain for team in his senior year…was named first team All Prep and first team All State…plays club soccer for PDA in the US Soccer Academy system…in 2012 he played in 27 matches, started 23 as PDA won the Liberty Division…will study Engineering at Lehigh.
Danny Gonzalez - Berwyn, Pa. - Conestoga HS - FC Delco - Midfield
Good technical skill and a very good passer…played four years of varsity soccer at Conestoga…overall record was 73-10-3 and the team won three Central League Championships…won the PIAA State Championship in 2011…was named Central League MVP, PA All-State and Regional All-American…member of FC Delco in the US Soccer Academy system…played in 26 matches, started 18 last season as team finished second in the Mid Atlantic Division…will enroll the College of Business and Economics.
Matt McCombs - Phoenix, Ariz. - Barry Goldwater HS - Sereno SC - Forward
Good size and ability to play with his back to goal…named to All-Region team for Barry Goldwater HS three times… Captain of varsity team in 2012… plays club soccer for Sereno SC… team won state championships in 2011 and 2012…team also captured the USYS Region 4 championship in 2012… attended a Lehigh University Soccer one day clinic this past October…will major in Business.
Conor Smith - Sterling, Va. - Gonzaga College HS - Reston SC - Forward/Midfield
Left sided attacking player with a good feel for the game…varsity player for Gonzaga and led team to 18-1-1 record this past fall… helped team win WCAC championship as a senior by defeating rival DeMatha… Gonzaga finished No. 7 in the country in Elite Soccer Report’s National HS rankings… Plays as a forward for Reston FC…attended a Lehigh University Soccer one day clinic last spring…will study Engineering.
Stefan Woort-Menker - Rye, N.Y. - Choate Rosemary Hall - FC Westchester - Forward
Athletic attacking player with good size…enrolled for a postgraduate year at Choate after attending Rye High School…Choate finished 11-4-1 this fall and finished No. 8 in Elite Soccer Report’s final prep school rankings…captained Rye HS in his senior season…captained FC Westchester for 2 years…attended two of Lehigh University Soccer’s one day clinics…will study Business at Lehigh.
Justin Worley - Reading, Pa. - Muhlenberg HS - FC Lehigh Valley United - Defender
Defender with great range, presence and leadership abilities… was captain for Muhlenberg HS… named to all-division team three times… five year captain for FC Lehigh Valley United… LVU has won six consecutive EPYSA state championships… LVU won USYS Region 1 Championships in 2010 and 2012… led the Eastern PA Olympic Development Program to a regional championship in 2012…will enroll in the College of Arts & Sciences.