Men's Soccer: Recruiting Class Nationally Ranked
May 01, 2009 01:47 PM | General
May 1, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the first time in program history, a West Virginia University men's soccer recruiting class has been ranked in the Top 15 by Soccer America, the California-based publication announced today.
Under Coach Marlon LeBlanc, this marks the third-straight year the men’s soccer coaching staff has built a nationally ranked recruiting class.
“I think, on paper, it's an excellent class and we feel on the field it will be a group that will have an immediate impact because of its attacking qualities and national team experience, and it consists of players that bring great character to the team,” LeBlanc said. “At the end of the day, we will know how good this class is.”
The incoming class, which features nine freshmen, is made up of four midfielders, two combo midfielders/forwards and one forward, one defender and a goalkeeper. Tuan Doan, a freshman transfer, and Moeryhan "Peabo" Doue, Uwem Etuk, Travis Pittman and Abel “Shadow” Sebele were all mentioned in the write-up by Soccer America.
“This is a group of kids that has played at a very high level,” LeBlanc added. “Three players (Doue, Etuk and Pittman) have been in our national team pools. All come from good club backgrounds and high school careers and certainly it's a group that has had a lot of recognition before West Virginia, but we hope their best recognition is still to come.”
The Mountaineers’ 2009 campaign begins with a home exhibition match against Big Ten squad Michigan on Aug. 23. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is slated for 1 p.m.
Soccer America’s Top 15 Recruiting Classes 1. Akron 10. Saint Louis 2. Maryland 11. UC Santa Barbara 3. UCLA 12. West Virginia 4. Stanford 13. Santa Clara 5. California 14. Georgetown 6. North Carolina 15. Indiana 7. Michigan 8. Virginia 9. Notre Dame
