LEXINGTON ? The Kentucky soccer program, which has won four conference championships in the past five years, announced its 2005 recruiting class on Tuesday.
The Wildcats will welcome eight newcomers to the fold, including two National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region award winners. The group will help offset the loss of a senior class that included All-American Jamal Shteiwi.
?We are very excited about this incoming group of players. They are all proven winners and have a great desire to succeed,? said head coach Ian Collins. ?I think they all have shown tremendous dedication, commitment and effort in all of their endeavors.?
The group will headline Kentucky?s move from Mid-American Conference to Conference USA for the 2005 season.
?As we get ready for our first season in Conference USA, this class will have an immediate impact on our program and help continue our success both on the field and in the class room,? Collins said. ?We believe this group will complement our current players and will help keep us among the elite group of college soccer programs.?
Patrick Conyea was a first-team All-State and NSCAA All-Region IV honoree during his senior year at Mayfield High School in Hickory, Ky. Conyea possesses great speed, which he displayed by posting the state?s third fastest 800-meter time as a junior. His knack for scoring has been on display in the past two years as he tallied 60 goals en route to his school-record 77 for a career.
?Patrick has an unmatched zest for the game,? said Collins. ?He is one of the most prolific goal scorers in Kentucky high school history and we think that will translate to the college game. He has a contagious personality and enthusiasm for everything he does.?
Brad Frederick, a Jefferson, Ind., native, led Saint Xavier High School to back-to-back state championships while anchoring the defense and was a team captain in 2004. Playing club soccer, his squad won five state championships in six seasons and reached the national semifinals in 2003.
?Brad is an efficient defender that takes great pride in doing all of the little things,? Collins said. ?He gives a consistent effort game in and game out and makes very few mistakes. His versatility will be important and he can be counted on for maximum effort wherever he is needed.?
Bingy Lara earned first-team All-State honors after leading Las Cruces High School to the 2004 state championship. Lara earned most of his recognition playing club ball for the New Mexico Strikers IV, which won five state championships and was a region runner up twice. He also spent four years as a member of the New Mexico Olympic Development Program. Lara?s older brother was a two-time Division II All-American and now plays for the Minnesota Thunder in the Major Indoor Soccer League.
?Bingy plays with great skill, vision and composure. He is an extremely intelligent player that has the ability to make others around him better,? Collins said. ?He is mature beyond his years and has the qualities to be a leader on our team immediately. I think he?ll be a fan favorite right away.?
Jess Mitchell comes to Kentucky after spending the past two seasons as the team captain at Plano High School, where he helped his team to the Texas state semifinals as a sophomore. He competed in the ODP at the state level for six years while being a member of the ODP Region III team for five years.
?Jess is a crafty, skillful player who is very dangerous around the penalty area,? Collins said. ?He can get behind people and will be difficult for defenders to deal with. He is a person who has high expectations of himself and is committed to reaching his potential in all areas.?
A Richmond, British Columbia, native, Masumi Turnbull has been an offensive force during his time at McMath Secondary. He set school records with 31 goals and 23 assists in his career and led McMath to three Richmond Championships and one Lower Mainland AA crown. He has also spent time playing for the Canadian U-17 National Team, becoming the fourth Wildcat with international experience via a Canadian National Team.
?Masumi has a wealth of experience at the international level and he is a player who has the ability to take over a game single handedly,? Collins said. ?His talent level is matched by his attitude, work rate and dedication. He will have an immediate impact at the top collegiate level.?
Robert Victor, the 2004 Aiken Standard Player of the Year out of Aiken High School in South Carolina, has scored 28 goals with 24 assists in past two seasons. Victor, who?s senior season takes place this Spring, led Aiken to the state final four as a junior and was named the Region MVP.
?Rob is a great physical presence who understands how to utilize his strength and athleticism effectively,? Collins said. ?He covers every blade of grass on the field and we are counting on him to be a dominating ball winner.?
A St. Louis, Mo., native, Tim Walters was unstoppable as a striker in his final two seasons at Lafayette High School. Walters scored 43 goals as a junior before netting 35 a year ago to finish his career with a school-record 97. He was a two-time All-State honoree and was named NSCAA All-Region V in 2004. In club action, he led Scott Gallagher to the 2004 national championship and scored a pair of goals in the final.
Walters father, Tim, starred at the University of Indiana before spending eight years playing soccer professionally.
?Tim is a proven goal scorer at all levels and has a knack of being in the right place at the right time as all good goals scorers do,? said Collins. ?He is the product of a highly successful youth program and comes from an outstanding athletic family. He is a driven person who understands what it takes to get the job done.?
Rounding out the class is Raleigh, N.C., native Travis Young, who led the Ravenscroft School to four consecutive Triangle Independent School Athletic Conference championships and was named the TISAC Player of the Year as a senior. A talented athlete, Young also ran track and played football during his high school days.
?Travis? pace makes him a threat to score at any moment. He is a very dangerous one-one-one player and has the ability to break down defenses,? Collins said. ?He is very coachable and his best years of soccer are ahead of him. He will be valuable at any position in the attacking third of the field.?
2005 Recruiting Class Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Patrick Conyea MF 5-9 135 Hickory, Ky. (Mayfield) Brad Frederick D 5-8 155 Jefferson, Ind. (Saint Xavier) Bingy Lara MF 5-10 140 Las Cruces, N.M. (Las Cruces) Jess Mitchell MF 5-8 145 Plano, Texas (Plano) Masumi Turnbull MF 5-11 172 Richmond, British Columbia (McMath) Robert Victor D 6-2 184 Aiken, S.C. (Aiken) Tim Walters F 5-6 130 St. Louis, Mo. (Lafayette) Travis Young MF 5-9 157 Raleigh, N.C. (Ravenscroft School)
