UC Irvine Men's Soccer Announces 2010 Recruiting Class
March 3, 2010
IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine men's soccer head coach George Kuntz has announced his recruiting class for the fall of 2010. The student-athletes have each signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Anteaters this fall.
"Our program is proud of years of unparallel success," stated Kuntz. "We graduated only six seniors from a team that broke all UC Irvine records over the last two seasons winning two Big West Tournament Championships and had two NCAA Tournament seeds with a combined 30-9-6 record. Last season the team tied a school record in wins (15)."
"We are prepared to continue the tradition of excellence with the men's soccer program at UC Irvine. This class is one of the best recruiting classes in the nation this year and one of the best we have had during my fifteen years here at the University of California, Irvine."
"The 2010 season is an opportunity for our team to pursue loftier goals to become one of the elite teams in the nation. Last year marks the fourth consecutive season in which our team is ranked in the Top 20 nationally in one or more of the soccer polls during the regular season."
"We are very excited about our returning and recruited athletes in 2010. We have bolstered our program with players that are Junior College National Champions, Junior College State Champions, Club soccer National Champions, Club Soccer USYSA State Champions, and High School 1st team all State Players from California. There are additional incoming student athletes that will be mentioned as the season starts."
"Our team returns nine players who started games for us last season. Four of the players we graduated were midfielders and we feel we have filled that void nicely with new recruits and players on our squad who have experience. Many players from last years Big West Champion squad also return. We return five 2008 or 2009 all conference players from last year's squad, forward Spencer Thompson, forward Amani Walker, midfielder Gray Bailey, (Huntington Beach HS), 2008 Co-Big West Freshmen of the year and MVP of the Big West Tournament, Goalkeeper Andrew Fontein, Corey Attaway (Chino Hills HS)."
"There is great potential in our recruiting class this year. The players we have recruited fit well within our exciting attacking style of play, and complement our team in many tangible and intangible ways. We have added some strong attacking players by recruiting forwards and midfielders and filled voids left to graduation in defensive positions. This recruiting class adds size, speed, and skill to an already talented group returning next year. These student athletes will represent themselves and the university well."
2010 UC Irvine Men's Soccer Class
YUSSIF "BELLO" ALHASSAN 5'6" M Ghana, Africa
Arizona Western College, Team Captain (2008-2010)
2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America 1st Team All-American
2009- NJCAA all Region First team
2009- NJCAA all American First team
2008 and 2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America 1st Team All Region
2008 NCAA 2nd Team West Region
2008- NJCAA All Region First team
2009 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year
ACCAC First Team All-Conference in both (2008 and 2009)
Helped AWC's 2009 Set Team Records:
1. AWC's First appearance in the Region I Junior College Finals,
2. Hosted their first playoff game,
3. Received their first national ranking in Coach Kenny Dale's era, and set a new mark for total wins in a single season (16), including their first-ever victory against perennial conference and national champion Yavapai College.
Alhassan scored at least one goal in AWC's first seven games - six of them on the road. He finished the season with 16 goals and nine assists for 41 points.
Marco Franco 5'10" D / M Chino Hills, California
High School: Chino Hills High School
Club: CZ Elite FC
- 2004 Dallas Cup Finalist
- 2005 Surf Cup Champion
- 2007 Surf Cup Champion
- Captain of club team
- 2 year varsity captain
- 4 year varsity starter for Chino Hills High
- 2007 First Team All Sierra League
- 2007 US Youth Soccer Region IV Finalist
- 2008 Coach's Award
- 2008 Sierra League Champion
- 2008 First Team All Sierra League
- 2008 US Youth Soccer Region IV Finalist
- 2009 First Team All Sierra League
- 2009 Sierra League Champion
- 2009 Far West Regional Champion
- 2009 US Youth Soccer Region IV Champion
- 2009 US Youth Soccer National Champion
- Played internationally in Brazil, Costa Rica, and Spain
Christian Hernandez 5'8" F / M Palmdale, California
Taft College / Palmdale High School
2009 Taft College - Central Valley Conference - Offensive Player of the Year (9 goals 10 assist, 1st team All America
2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America 2nd Team All- American
2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America 1st Team All-Region
2009 Taft College - California State Championship Tournament 2nd Place
2009 Taft College Nationally Ranked
2007 California Junior College State Championship ranked #2 in the Nation (injured)
2009 PDL Lancaster Rattlers
2008 Leading goal scorer (16 goals 7 assist)
2008 CVC offensive player of the year
Palmdale High School - Junior
Golden league champions 1st team
Semi finals in playoffs ranked #1 in CIF division 1, 2nd team all CIF Senior - 1st team all Golden league, 1st team all CIF
Led team with 27 goals and 13 assists
Miguel Ibarra 5'8" F / M Lancaster, California
Taft College / Lancaster High School
2009 Taft College - Central Valley Conference - MVP and 1st Team
2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America 2nd All- American
2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America 1st Team All-Region
2008 Taft College NSCAA 2nd Team West Region
2008 Taft College - Central Valley Conference - 1st Team - Midfielder of the Year
2008 PDL Lancaster Rattlers - Offensive MVP
2009 PDL Lancaster Rattlers - MVP
2009 Taft College - California State Championship Tournament 2nd Place
2009 Taft College Nationally Ranked
Lancaster High School MVP
Lancaster High School 2 Time Offensive MVP
Albert Lopez - 6'0" M - Poway, California
Junior College Transfer
High School: Orange Glenn High School
Club: Poway Vaqueros Super 20's
High School: Awards
Junior Year 06-07
· Starting Varsity player for Orange Glen high school (stopper)
· Second team all league/ all CIF
· Defensive player of the year
· Won League (undefeated) 12-0
· Won CIF with Orange Glen high school against Oceanside
· Senior Year 07-08 - Team Captain
· Starting Varsity player for Orange Glen high school (center mid fielder)
· First team all league / All CIF
· Won league 11wins-1 loss
· MVP for Varsity boys soccer
OVERALL: 3 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH OGHS
1 CIF CHAMPIONSHIP WITH OGHS
35 WINS AND 1 LOSS RECORD IN LEAGUE WITH OGHS RANKED #1
Club: Poway Vaqueros: Team Captain
· Super 20's squad placed 1st in league over LA Galaxy and Chivas USA
· Traveled to Chicago for Super 20 championships
Dennis Martinez - 5'9" MF / F Palmdale, California
Real So Cal White / Knight High School
2008 All league 1st Team in Golden League
2008 Knight high school offensive MVP
2009-2010 Knight High School Captain
2008 Surf Cup champion with L.A Rampage
2009 Surf Cup champion with Real So Cal white
2009 Dallas Cup champion with Real So Cal white
Enrique "Titi" Ruiz 5'6" F / M Los Angeles, California
High School: Hamilton High School
Club: Real So Cal White
20 Goals High School
2009 Surf Cup champion with Real So Cal white
2009 Dallas Cup champion with Real So Cal white
2008 Region IV Champions
2008 National Championship Series - Third Place
2008 CYSA-South ODP team
As a member of Real So Cal he has helped his team win Far West Regional League 2008, and become Region IV BU15 2008 Champions. Also he led his team to the semi-finals at Dallas Cup, and to the finals in Surf Cup 2008. Real So Cal White 3rd in the Nation USYS Nationals BU15 2008.
Israel Sandoval 5'10" F Sherman Oaks, California
High School: Sherman Oaks CES
Club: Real So Cal-White
2009-Dr Pepper Dallas Cup 30 Champions
2009-San Diego Surf cup Champions
2009-Far West Regionals - Quarter finals
2009-Coast Soccer league-premier division
2008-Far West regional league- spring champions
2008-San Diego Surf Champions
2008-US club soccer region championship-finalist
2010 - High school MVP
2008-2009- Sherman Oaks CES Small Schools division-1st round, MVP
2007-2008- Sherman Oaks CES Small Schools division-runner up, MVP
2006-2007- Sherman Oaks CES Small Schools division- champion, high school MVP, freshman of the year
Christopher Santana - 5'11" F Bishop, California
Chivas USA Academy (U18 Academy)
High School: Bishop Union High School
As a sophomore and Junior in High school was MVP
2008 Cal North State Champions with Club Truckee Twisters
Club Team represented Cal North in USYSA Regionals in Hawaii.
2009 Chivas USA U18 (Academy)
Has played in the top international Cup in Mexico, Copa Chivas
Joel vom Dorp 6'4" D Stockholm, Sweden
Enskilda Gymnasiet, Stockholm
Club: Djurgardens IF U-19
Accomplishments:
Second Place in the Swedish Youth Championships in 2007
Fifth Place in the Swedish Youth Championships in 2009
Djurgardens IF U-19, plays in the highest division for junior players. In October 2007 team finished in second place in SM, the Swedish Championship for 16-yearolds after losing against Malmo IF in the final.
Hammarby IF (Youth Teams)
UC Irvine Men's Soccer Signings
Yussif "Bello" Alhassan - JR - Midfielder - Ghana, West Africa/Arizona Western College
Marco Franco - FR - Defender/Midfielder - Chino Hills/Chino Hills HS
Christian Hernandez - JR - Forward/Midfielder - Palmdale/Taft College
Miguel Ibarra - JR - Forward/Midfielder - Lancaster/Taft College
Albert Lopez - SO - Midfielder - Poway/Orange Glen HS
Dennis Martinez - FR - Midfielder/Forward - Palmdale/Knight HS
Enrique "Titi" Ruiz - FR - Forward/Midfielder - Los Angeles/Hamilton HS
Israel Sandoval - FR - Forward - Sherman Oaks/Sherman Oaks CES
Christopher Santana - FR - Forward - Bishop/Bishop Union HS
Joel vom Dorp - FR - Defender - Stockholm, Sweden/Enskilda Gymnasiet
