West Hartford, CT - Head Coach Dan Gaspar announced this week the signing of six additional athletes to join the incoming class for next season. These six will join two announced last week, Mike Chere and Grant Engrav. This brings the total athletes signed in the first recruiting class for the second year coach to eight, who will join a returning core of 13 players.
Coach Gaspar adds to the roster Corey Patrick (Woodbury, Conn.), Matt Glaeser (Fredericksburg, Va.), Dan Lowe (Gilbert, Ariz.), Gary Muir (Glasgow, Scotland), Cole Davidson (Needham, Mass.) and Daniel Antunez (Flint, Texas).
Patrick will transfer in from UMass after redshirting last season. He also played one year of junior college soccer at Yavapai College where his team finished fourth in the National Junior College Association of America Championships in 2004. Patrick graduated from Nonnewaug High School where he played three years of varsity soccer. His high school team won the Class M state championship in 2003 and he was named to the All-Berkshire League in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
A transfer from James Madison University, Glaeser will come in fighting for a spot in goal. At James Monroe High School he played four years of soccer and was named to the All-State second team, All-Region first team and Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star All-Area first team as a junior and senior. He also played for the Stafford Shadow club team who was NCS1 Division I fall champions in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Glaeser has also played for the State Olympic Development team (2002, 2003) and the Braddock Road Condors Club team.
Lowe will also transfer in from Yavapai College where he was a member of the NJCAA Runner-up and Region I Champions in 2005. He attended Highland High School where he started all four years he played. He was named team captain for his junior and senior season and also received Most Valuable Player honors both years. He has played for the Bayern Mesa 85' club team where he helped the team win three state championships. At Yavapai he was the only player in the NJCAA national tournament to score a goal in each of the team's games.
Muir is the first international recruit for Coach Gaspar. He has played two seasons of soccer at Louisburg Junior College. In his first year at Louisburg he was named an All-South American and to the All-Region 10 Team. He also led the team in assists as a freshman. Last season he was named the Region 10 Player of the Year after helping lead the team to the Region X regular season championship and tournament championship and making it as far as the NJCAA Semifinals.
Davidson has played two years of soccer at Needham High School and three years at Salisbury School. He was named a Western New England Prep School All Star in 2005 and 2006 and was also a Connecticut High School All Star in both years. Davidson is one of two keepers coming joining the team for the 2007 season and both will be fighting for the starting spot.
Antunez rounds out the 2006 incoming players. He joins the team after being named to the NSCAA/Adidas Junior College Division I All-West First Team in 2005 as a member of the Lon Morris College men's soccer team. He graduated from Robert E. Lee High School where he was named to the NSCAA/Adidas High School Boys All-Southwest Region Team.
"With this my first recruiting class, I believe we have made the first step in building for success in the future," said Gaspar. "I believe we have begun to make steps in the direction we want to go. My coaching staff and I are very excited about the athletes who are coming into our program next season and look forward to getting the season underway."
The Hawks finished last season with a 5-9-3 overall record, narrowly missing out on a spot in the America East Championship where the winner receives and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
