UWM Men's Soccer Team Announces 2008 Recruits
Feb. 11, 2008
MILWAUKEE - Head coach Jon Coleman announced his 2008 recruiting class today, as 11 players will enroll at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and compete next season for the UWM men's soccer team. "We are all really excited about our new Panthers," Coleman said. "The staff has worked hard to identify a committed and talented group of players with strong academics as well as great personalities. Once we integrate the new Panthers with the existing Panthers and start developing team chemistry, this will be a very strong team. It is a diverse group that will give a lot of character and flavor to the current squad." The 11-member group includes players from across the country. Five come to Milwaukee from Illinois, two from Texas and one each from Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Ohio. They are D.J. Alexander of Allen, Tex., Josh Barnes of Batavia, Ill., Evan Bartzis of Northfield, Ill., Nick Dundon of Ambler, Penn., Lucas Eichhorn of Dublin, Ohio, Eric Frazier of Flower Mound, Tex., Tony Maxey of Sioux City, Iowa, Stephen Romanello of North Prairie, Wis., John Shakon of Oak Brook, Ill., Ross Van Osdol of Peoria, Ill., and Joe Wehrli of Naperville, Ill. "This year's incoming class has a lot of promise," Coleman said. "We are really looking forward to getting these guys in the mix to help strengthen next year's squad. The 2008 class consists of a wide variety of talent with a lot of passion and love for the game. It is a hard-working group that understands that commitment and dedication is what Panther soccer is all about. They are working hard to come in ready and will be hungry to compete for playing time."
"D.J. has great character and all the right tools to become a very good NCAA Division I player," Coleman said. "He has great defensive awareness, is very quick and relentless and has great ability to get forward. D.J. is a very quiet and humble young man, but once he steps on the field he is a dominant player that takes charge."
"Josh makes the best of every situation and opportunity," Coleman said. "He is a very composed player and doesn't let anything affect him. He has great leadership qualities and carries himself well on and off the field. Josh gives you stability and a strong presence on the field and is a player that could play in many positions for the Panthers and would excel."
"Evan is a very talented forward and will be a real threat on the attacking end," Coleman said. "Evan is an optimistic player with good technical skills and is a quality finisher. He has the ability to hold the ball in pressure situations and either turn and beat defenders or lay if off to a teammate to start an attack."
"Nick is a strong player and is a very focused individual," Coleman said. "What I like about Nick is he is all business. He is very determined to be the best player he can be. He will give us some size in the back and should be a dominant defender in the air and on the ground. He is a serious-minded player that is very intelligent and should be a leader in the back."
"Lucas is a crafty player with a very good soccer sense," Coleman said. "He reads the game very well and puts himself in good position. Every time I have seen Lucas play he continues to get better and better. He has the ability to play on both ends of the ball, is very crafty and has the skill to beat defenders 1v1 and get some quality services."
"Eric is an all-around sound player," Coleman said. "He is tenacious and quick in and around the ball. Eric has the ability to cause havoc on opposing defenses. He is a serious-minded player that has great technical skills and could either play upfront or in midfield and make a difference for us."
"Tony has the ability to take charge on the defensive side of the ball," Coleman said. "He has great presence on the field and is a ball-winner with an appetite to start the attack. What I like about Tony is his competitiveness and desire to get better everyday. He is a strong player that has a calm, but determined, approach to what he does. Tony can take control of a game and make things difficult for the opposition."
"Stephen reminds me of one of our alumni, Kyle Lance," Coleman said. "He is a hard-working midfielder/forward with great speed and acceleration. He is a tricky player that will give us some excitement in the attack. Stephen is one of our hometown kids and is someone who makes the most of his opportunities."
"Ross reminds us a lot of a local talent and ex-Panther, Scott Kreitmeir," Coleman said. "Ross has good touch and great vision. It's also been good to have Ross here training with the squad to help him get acclimated with the college game and academics. He has adapted well and has shown he will fit in well with the squad. He is very excited to be here and is working hard to make an impact."
"Joe is a talented forward that has a real knack for the goal," Coleman said. "Joe is a `buzz' player that can create scoring opportunities. He is an opportunistic forward and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He is a blue-collar player that fits the bill of a UWM forward." The Panthers overcame a slow start in 2007 to record a 5-2-1 record in Horizon League play that was good enough for a second-place finish. They then took UIC - which went on to advance to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight - to overtime in the semifinals of the league tournament before falling, 1-0. "This is a group of quality players and people and we are looking forward to working with them to help develop them into great players and people," Coleman said. "They are serious-minded soccer players and are always looking for the next opportunity to play. We are looking for players that have the commitment level, talent and character to make Milwaukee soccer one of the most important things in their lives and this group will have the opportunity to continue to make this program something special."
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