Bucknell Men's Soccer Welcomes Eight Recruits in Class of 2012
4/1/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
April 1, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - With its spring training season in full gear, the Bucknell men's soccer program is looking ahead to the fall when it will try to qualify for the Patriot League Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years. On Tuesday, head coach Brendan Nash announced the addition of eight recruits who will join the team in the fall and help replace a formidable group of seniors that will graduate in May.
"Losing as much as we did in terms of leadership and positive attitude, it was important to find student-athletes with those traits in this class," explained Nash, who will begin his 10th year prowling the Bison sidelines this August. "We wanted to find student-athletes who understand the hard work it takes to succeed in the classroom and on the soccer field at a special place like Bucknell.
"Having a state player of the year, a national team player, two regional team players and a pair of high school All-Americans leads me to believe we are heading in the right direction with the addition of his group of players. I would sum up this class as a very athletic bunch with outstanding speed. We are excited about this group and we hope for a quick adjustment to our system."
Nash inked players from six different states as well as the United States Virgin Islands in the Class of 2012.
Following is an alphabetical list of the eight Bucknell men's soccer recruits that comprise the Class of 2012:
Cory Bishop (D) - U.S. Virgin Islands/Good Hope
Thomas Caso (GK) - Phoenix, Md./McDonogh
Peter Davis (F) - Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown
Luke Joyner (M) - Dallas, Texas/J.J. Pearce
Brendan Klebanoff (M) - Bethesda, Md./St. Albans School
Andrew Powell (M) - Charlton, Mass./St. John's
Ryan Sappington (M) - Barboursville, Va./Shattuck-St. Mary's
Nader Sawtarie (D) - Bethany, W. Va./The Linsly School
Class of 2012 Bios:
Cory Bishop (U.S. Virgin Islands/Good Hope) - Defender ... member of U.S. Virgin Islands U-16 and U-18 national teams ... also a member of U.S. Virgin Islands U-18 and U-20 national teams for volleyball ... recently called up to the U.S. Virgin Islands National Team for the World Cup qualifier with Grenada ... captain of high school team ... led Good Hope High School to two consecutive St. Croix championships.
Nash on Bishop: "Cory is a big (6'3"), strong, athletic defender. He has a lot of raw talent that we think can develop quickly when he focuses on soccer year 'round. I also think having someone from the Caribbean with national team experience is going to help open some new recruiting doors in that talent-rich area down the road."
Thomas Caso (Phoenix, Md./McDonogh) - Goalkeeper ... played goalkeeper for both McDonogh High School and Casa Mia Bays club teams ... club teammate of fellow recruit Brendan Klebanoff ... broke McDonogh High School and Maryland records with 20 shutouts in 24 games last year ... high school team played one of the toughest schedules in the country ... named Baltimore Sun and Baltimore Examiner Goalkeeper of the Year ... named Second Team All-State in Maryland ... helped club team to 2006 USYSA national title.
Nash on Caso: "Tommy is a real steal. Due to the fact he played on such successful high school and club teams, it was easy to overlook him since he was rarely tested in goal. However, coming through our summer camp we were able to thoroughly evaluate his skills, and more importantly, his work rate."
Peter Davis (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) - Forward ... named first-team all-star in the Lancaster/Lebanon League in 2006 and 2007 ... earned all-state honors in Pennsylvania in 2007 ... played club soccer for Lower Dauphin Excel.
Nash on Davis: "Peter has explosive speed which enables him to create a lot of dangerous situations for our attack at both forward and on the flank. He has come through our team camp for years and we have watched him develop as a player who knows when to use his speed and when to slow the game down."
Luke Joyner (Dallas, Texas/J,J, Pearce) - Midfielder ... scored winning goal to help team to Region III title ... squad eventually won the 2007 USYSA national championship ... plays club soccer for Andromeda ... originally committed to Western Kentucky ... also an accomplished basketball player ... measures in at 6'5".
Nash on Joyner: "We were fortunate to land Luke. He was coming off an unfortunate situation with Western Kentucky dropping its men's soccer program. Luke was a target of ours early in the recruiting process, but then he committed to Western Kentucky. A 6'5" Luke can play central midfield like the quick, skillful midfielders we like to have, so he will be a nice presence both in the air and on the ground for us."
Brendan Klebanoff (Bethesda, Md./St. Alban's) - Midfielder ... played with Casa Mia Bays club team along with fellow recruit Thomas Caso ... member of Maryland ODP team since 2002 ... member of Region I team in 2004 and 2005 ... helped both club and ODP teams win 2006 national titles.
Nash on Klebanoff: "Brendan's high school career was sidetracked by injury, but now he is back to 100 percent and doing all the things he used to do with the ball. He has very big upside and wants to prove a lot to many college coaches. We sure want to give him the chance to do it."
Andrew Powell (Charlton, Mass./St. John's) - Midfielder ... named to Worcester Telegram & Gazette All-Star Super Team in 2006 and 2007 ... named all-state in Massachusetts ... also earned Region I selection ... named to NSCAA All-America team ... played club soccer for Juventus USA ... Massachusetts indoor track and field state champion in the high jump.
Nash on Powell: "Andrew is as athletic as they come. He normally plays center midfield, but we anticipate moving him around the field until we find the right fit for his size (6'2") and athleticism."
Ryan Sappington (Barboursville, Va./Shattuck-St. Mary's) - Midfielder ... MVP of 2007 Bison Soccer Camp ... member of Virginia ODP from 2003-05 ... Minnesota ODP member in 2006 and 2007 ... member of Region II team from 2006-07.
Nash on Sappington: "We have had some high-energy players come through our program over the years and I think Ryan could eventually be up there with some of the hardest workers. He can be a great flank midfielder because of his work rate and pace. However, I think he can play a variety of positions for us, so we will just have to see where he fits best."
Nader Sawtarie (Bethany, W. Va./The Linsly School) - Defender ... plays forward for high school team, but defender for club team Century V United ... named captain of the All-Valley Boys Soccer Team ... three-time all-state selection in West Virginia ... named West Virginia Midfielder of the Year in 2006 ... member of 2007 NSCAA All-America Team ... also earned NSCAA, RISE Magazine and West Virginia State Player of the Year recognition.
Nash on Sawtarie: "Nader is another big (6'1"), strong defender. He possesses outstanding speed, reads the game well and is extremely competitive. He was named Player of the Year as a midfielder his junior year and as a forward his senior season. We see him filling a role similar to what Joe Mellott did for us the last four years on defense."