Feb. 27, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Ten soccer standouts have signed National Letters of Intent to play for UCF in the 2008 season, second-year head coach Bryan Cunningham announced Wednesday.
"I am extremely elated with this recruiting class," Cunningham said. "Countless hours were poured into every one of these players to ensure that we are getting great soccer players and great people. Character was a point of emphasis and I am confident that each of these young men possesses great character. This is a very well-balanced recruiting class in which we addressed every position on the field. Each of these players will be relied on to compete right away."
Name POS Hometown/High School/ClubZach Bove MF Sicklerville, N.J./Friends Select/FC DelcoCameron Cooksey F Marietta, Ga./Walton/Concorde FireJoe Crowley MF Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville/FC DelcoKorey Daigle MF Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett/Atlanta FireJesse Derksen GK Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock/Super NovaKyle Ellis MF Bear, Del./Caravel Academy/FC DelcoChris Feigenbaum MF Fayetteville, Ga./Fayette County/AFC LightningKevan George MF Decatur, Ga./Decatur/Concorde FireMatt Heffernan D Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff/FC DelcoMatt Hoskins D Cumming, Ga./Lassiter/Atlanta Fire
Zach Bove, MF (Sicklerville, N.J./Friends Select/FC Delco)
A technically-sound midfielder who is very consistent and makes the difficult plays look easy ... A member of the FC Delco U-18 Development Academy team ... Club coach is Alan Mezger ... FC Delco team placed third in the 2007 USYSA National Championships ... A member of the Olympic Development Program regional pool selection in 2005, after being part of the selection pool in the state of New Jersey in 2003 and in Eastern Pennsylvania in 2004 ... Attended Friends Select High School in Philadelphia, where he was a four-time All-Friends School League selection ... Was his team's leading scorer in each of his first three years ... Scored the game's final three goals and assisted on the team's first goal to help his high school team to a 4-0 win over Morrisville High School this past fall. ... Team finished in third place in the league his senior season with a 9-9-1 overall record ... Lead the team to a 5-4 league mark in 2007, marking the best league record in school history ... Coached by Chris Barker at Friends Select ... Treasurer of his senior class ... Also a member of his school's speech and debate clubs.
Cunningham on Bove...
"Zach is a left midfielder with exceptional speed and technical ability. He is consistent in his approach to the game and has a tremendous desire to succeed. He gets up and down the field with ease and is extremely reliable."
Cameron Cooksey, F (Marietta, Ga./Walton/Concorde Fire)
A potent scoring threat from the forward position, who can find the goal in a number of ways and create his own shot ... Played for the Concorde Fire club team ... His U-17 squad won their R3PL division and captured the prestigious Disney Soccer Showcase Tournament ... Team finished as a Region III Semifinalist in 2007 and won the Georgia State Cup Championship ... Helped the U-16 Atlanta Silverbacks elite team win the 2005 state championship ... U-16 coach Todd Gispert said "Cameron has all the tools to be `the man.' I have never seen a faster kid at his age." ... Played for Walton High School in Marietta, Ga. ... Helped prep squad capture the 2006 state championship ... Coached by Bucky Boozer at Walton ... As a sophomore, was one of just 11 players across the nation to be named to the Super Y North American Finals Olympic Development Program Select team ... Has been a member of the state's Olympic Development Program team since 2004, earning spots on the Region ODP team from 2004-06.
Cunningham on Cooksey...
"Cam is an explosive forward who has a knack for scoring goals. In addition to his ability to score in tight conditions, he also has a powerful shot. He has the ability to locate the ball and secure it, as well as turn and go one-on-one."
Joe Crowley, MF (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville/FC Delco)
A hard-working central midfielder who is a true student of the game ... A member of the FC Delco U-18 Development Academy team ... Club coach is Alan Mezger ... FC Delco team placed third in the 2007 USYSA National Championships ... Attends Unionville High School in Chadds Ford, Pa. ... High school team went 57-22-7 during his prep career, the winningest four-year stretch in school history ... Helped prep squad capture the 2004 and 2006 conference championship and advance to the state championships in 2006 ... A first-team all conference selection in 2004 and 2005 ... A first-time all-state selection and team captain in 2005 ... An all-district selection in 2006 ... Was named third-team all-state in 2004 ... Named to the Ches Mont League American Division All-Star team his senior year ... A member of the National Honor Society and his school's honor roll.
Cunningham on Crowley...
"Joe is a creative central midfielder with an unbelievable work-ethic. He has the innate ability to break down a game with his exceptional vision and understanding of the game. I will depend on him to enhance our play in the middle of the field."
Korey Daigle, MF (Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett/Atlanta Fire)
A versatile midfielder who causes problems for opposing defenses ... A member of the Atlanta Fire club team ... Club coach was Thomas Elliott ...Team was the 2006 and 2007 state finalists ... Attends North Gwinnett High School ... Coached by Erik Crawford .... Team was ranked in the state's top 10 for his entire senior season.
Cunningham on Daigle...
"Korey is a wide midfielder with the ability to break down defenders one-on-one. He is quick and unpredictable, which makes him a tough player to defend. His versatility, combined with his work rate, makes him an asset to UCF."
Jesse Derksen, GK (Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock/Super Nova)
A rangy goal-keeper with good shot-stopping abilities ... A member of the Super Nova club team ... Club coach is Barry Sheibley ... Was selected to participate in the Super Y League Olympic Development Program national camp ... A member of the Region I team ... Attends Susquehannock High School in Glen Rock, Pa ... Coached by Ben Kettlewell ... Kettlewell said "Jesse is just a kid who performs under pressure. He wants it; he wants the pressure on himself." ... Posted a state high school record 50 shutouts during his prep career ... A two-time PSCA All-State Soccer selection ... The 2007 East Regional Pennsylvania Male All-American ... Accomplished an extraordinary feat in his high school team's first-round playoff game this fall, making both the game-winning save and the game-winning goal after the game went to penalty kicks ... Team went 17-6-2 his senior year, advancing to the state semifinals.
Cunningham on Derksen...
"Jesse is a goalkeeper with exceptional range. His experiences nationally and internationally will assist him with the adjustment to collegiate soccer. He is a good communicator and an excellent shot stopper. He will strengthen our current core of goalkeepers."
Kyle Ellis, MF (Bear, Del./Caravel Academy/FC Delco)
A speedy midfielder who is able to deliver to his teammates on crosses ... A member of the FC Delco U-18 Development Academy team ... Club coach is Alan Mezger ... FC Delco team placed third in the 2007 USYSA National Championships ... A member of the Concord Arsenal, which claimed the 2007 Delaware state championship ... Was a member of the Hockessin Blizzard team that claimed the 2004-06 Delaware state championships and participated in the 2005 national championship series ... Attended Carvel Academy, where he was a varsity starter since the eighth grade ... He was a first-team all-state selection in 2006-08 and a five-time all-conference selection ... Team was a Delaware state championship finalist in 2006 and made it to the semifinals in 2005.
Cunningham on Ellis...
"Kyle is a right midfielder with great speed. He is very good at maintaining possession and delivers exceptional crosses. Defensively, his timing on tackles is impeccable."
Chris Feigenbaum, MF (Fayetteville, Ga./Fayette County/AFC Lightning)
A solid defensive player who is also a good ball-handler ... A member of the AFC Lightning club team ... Club coach is Steve Muccillo ... Team was the 2007 Adidas ESP Camp Champions ... Attends Fayette County High School in Fayette, Ga. ... Coached by Rick Corwin at Fayette County.
Cunningham on Feigenbaum...
"Chris is a holding midfielder who is extremely calm on the ball. He is excellent at keeping possession and moving the ball side-to-side. He is solid defensively, and does a great job of reading passing lanes and disrupting play for opponents."
Kevan George, MF (Suwanee, Ga./Decatur/Concorde Fire)
A good ball-handler at the midfielder position who is an excellent passer ... Played for the Concorde Fire club team ... His U-17 squad won their R3PL division and captured the prestigious Disney Soccer Showcase Tournament ... Team finished as a Region III Semifinalist in 2007 and won the Georgia State Cup Championship ... Participated in the 2006 adidas ESP Camp ... A member of the Region III Olympic Development Program team from 2003-06 ... Attends Decatur High School ... Coached by Doug Altizer ... Captain of his high school squad.
Cunningham on George...
"Kevan is an excellent holding midfielder who has competed at every level. His ability to disrupt play in the middle of the field is remarkable. He is excellent with his feet, which allows him to distribute the ball effortlessly."
Matt Heffernan, D (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff/FC Delco)
A strong defender who has great speed and is naturally left-footed ... A member of the FC Delco U-18 Development Academy team ... Club coach is Alan Mezger ... FC Delco team placed third in the 2007 USYSA National Championships ... Was a member of the FC Delco Dynamo III U-15 team, where he was his team's co-captain, helping to lead his squad to the state cup championship ... Has been a member of FC Delco Dynamo from age 15 to present ... Attends Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill, Pa. ... A four-year starter for Cedar Cliff at Defender ... A Mid-Penn All Stars first-team selection his junior year after being named to the second team his sophomore season ... Was a member of the distinguished honor roll his freshman and sophomore years ... Listed as a player to watch as a sophomore, junior and senior ... Earned Big 11 Honorable Mention honors as a sophomore.
Cunningham on Heffernan...
"Matt is an extremely talented left-sided defender who will bolster our defense. He possesses great speed and ability to get forward, coupled with a tremendous left foot."
Matt Hoskins, D (Cumming, Ga./Lassiter/Atlanta Fire)
A steady force on defense who is a skilled tackler and a team leader ... A member of the Atlanta Fire club team ... Club coach was Thomas Elliott ...Team was the 2006 and 2007 state finalists ... Attends Lassiter High School in Cumming, Ga. ... High school coach is Brandon Scarbrough ... Team advanced to the state semifinals his freshman year and was ranked No. 19 in the nation ... Team compiled a combined 39-13-3 record his first three seasons.
Cunningham on Hoskins...
"Matt is a steady defender who will be relied on to come in and secure our central defense. He is a tenacious tackler and his ability in the air is superior. He possesses tremendous leadership qualities, and I look for him to assert himself immediately."
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