June 8, 2006
ORLANDO - UCF head men's soccer coach Brent Erwin announced that freshman Seung Tak Nam and Clemson transfer Ryan Roushandel are set to join the Golden Knights during the 2006 season.
Tak Nam signed a national letter of intent to play with the Golden Knights. A midfielder who trained at the IMG Soccer Academy, he was named team most valuable player and captained both his IMG squad and the Bradenton Academics of the Professional Development League (PDL). He helped his squad capture the Dallas Cup and Sun Bowl Championship as well as second place in the state cup.
"Nam is a player I've known for a long time," said Erwin. "I see him play often with his IMG team and am always impressed with his work ethic and technical ability. He plays for one of the top coaches in the country and is in an environment where he trains everyday with both his club team and his PDL team. That experience is great preparation for the college game. I think Nam has a chance to help us right away and will continue his development in the college game."
A sophomore midfielder/forward, Roushandel joins former teammate and Clemson transfer James Georgeff on the Golden Knights. He played in 21 matches with five starts and recorded two goals and one assist as he helped the Tigers advance to the College Cup Semifinals in 2005. A four-year starter at the Marist School, he still owns the school records for most goals scored in a game and in a single season. With his club team the Concorde Fire, he won the 2002 national championship and captured three regional titles. Roushandel was also a member of the Georgia State ODP Team, USYSA Region Pool and the Super Y League ODP Region Team.
"Ryan is a very important addition to our team as he fulfills our needs at central midfield and also brings veteran experience," said Erwin. "He is a very technical player who is great going forward but has the work ethic and tactical awareness to also organize the center of our midfield. It also helps us to have a player of his size and stature in the middle of the field to compete for balls in the air. He is a very good fit for our style of play."
Roushandel and Tak Nam are two of 17 newcomers to the 2006 UCF men's soccer roster that includes freshmen Akin Akinrinade, Hunter Dorton, Cam Jordan, Allen McIntyre, Andy Masteller, Nico Mosquera, Dex Norman, Kyle Pascioni, Matt Penn, Sonny Renner, Jamal Robinson and Juan Schmid.