Winthrop men's head soccer coach Rich Posipanko announced the 2006 recruiting class, Thursday afternoon.
The recruiting class is one of the smallest for the Eagle program in recent history as the squad returns 18 players, including nine starters from last year's team that finished 12-8-1 and suffered an overtime loss in the Big South Conference championship game.
Douglas Killebrew, Matthew Skonicki, Ted Bartels, and Stephen Nsereko, all freshmen, and Henry Kalungi, a sophomore, make the up the class of 2006.
Killewbrew, a 6-3 defender from Brenham, TX, was a four-year starter for Brenham high school and team captain for three years, where he was a 2005 First Team All-District selection. Killewbrew is on the national recruiting list for 2006 by StudentSportsSoccer.com. He helped his team to the 2004 state finals and the team is currently ranked first in the state. Killebrew plays for the highly rated Texas Soccer Club.
"Doug is a big strong defender that can dominate in the air," said Posipanko, who will be coaching his 18th season at Winthrop in the fall. "He led his team in scoring as a defender, with all goals coming off re-start situations. He is an intelligent player who will be attending Winthrop on both a soccer and academic scholarship. He has a keen understanding of the game. Doug will bring a physical presence to our team."
Skonicki, from Largo, FL, is a utility player as he can play in the back, the midfield and up top. He attended Petersburg Catholic where he was a three-year starter and all-state performer. He served as team captain his junior and season seasons. Skonicki is ranked as one of the Top 20 players in Class 3A by Floridakicks.com. He was a member of his high school team that won two district championships and a regional championship in 2005. Over the course of his varsity career he scored 60 goals and had 40 assists. He also plays for Strictly Soccer club team of St. Petersburg, FL, which is ranked second in the state.
"Matt has had outstanding training and has developed into a good player because of a high level of club soccer and competition," said Posipanko. "He is a fierce competitor who is a very versatile player. He has the ability to come in and compete at several positions. He is a goal scorer that has turned into a solid defender."
Bartels, a 5-8 midfielder out of Collierville, TN, was a four-year starter at Briarcrest Christian high school and team captain. As a junior he was the team's most valuable player, all-region, all-metro and all-state. Plays for Memphis Football Club, one of the top teams in Tennessee and has also been a member of the Olympic Development in Tennessee for the past five years. He has also attended Region III ODP camp the past four years.
"Ted comes to us with some very solid soccer credentials and having played at a high club level," said Posipanko. "He comes from a good soccer family background. His dad Chris is the former head coach at the University of Memphis. Ted will have the opportunity to challenge for a position in midfield. He has a very good understanding of the game and is sound technically."
Kalungi, a 6-2 defender from Kampala, Uganda, is one of two Ugandan players that will be joining the Eagles in 2006. He is a transfer from Uganda Royal College and played club for KCC. He was named Defender of the Year and Kibuli Footballers Association Player of the Year in 2005. He is a member of the U-20 Ugandan national team.
"For being only 18 years old he has a lot of experience," said Posipanko. "We expect big things from Henry right from the start as a defender. He will have three years of eligibility at Winthrop. We feel he will make an immediate impact for us and in the Big South Conference. Both Henry and Stephen must still meet NCAA eligibility standards for next year."
And the final recruit is Nsereko, a 5-9 forward from Kampala, Uganda. He played club ball for Villa SC and is a member of the Uganda National Team. He was named Footballers Association Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. At 19 years old, he plays for the full Ugandan National Team and is one of the top players in the country.
"Nsereko is a forward that will be a threat whenever he is around the ball," said Posipanko. "He has the ability to be one of the top players in college soccer and should be able to make a tremendous impact. He will join U-20 Kenyan National Team Player and last year's leading scorer, Saidi Isaac, and U-20 Canadian National Team Player and second leading scorer, Daniel Revivo, in the attack."
Despite being a small class, Posipanko feels this class will make as big an impact as any other he's had. "This is one of the smaller recruiting classes since I have been at Winthrop. We made a conservative effort to cut down our squad size after the conclusion of last season. We feel now we have a good talent level on our roster from top to bottom. We will also get back two players in Will Nova and David Harbin, who were both medical red-shirts in 2005, and who have both been starters in their careers. Our recruiting is still on going with two Ugandan National Team players. Both have been admitted to Winthrop and have signed scholarships, but must still be cleared under NCAA rules. Even though this is a small class it has the potential to be an excellent one and should have a major impact on our program. We feel good about meeting our needs and fulfilling the shortcomings we felt we had."
