ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop head men's soccer coach Daniel Ridenhour announced the addition of nine newcomers as part of the 2019 recruiting class.

The Eagles look to find their way back toward the top of the Big South Conference standings, as they will head into the 2019 with the nine newcomers joining 17 returners (8 starters). The returners include three of the top four scorers from 2018 and with the addition of the talented recruiting class the Eagles look to rise and once again become a force in the Big South Conference.

The class consist of players all over the field and is entirely made up of freshmen. Sam Jones will be coming in as a goalkeeper and Kyle Bardusch and Ben Goodman as defenders. Tae Jin Lee, Jacob Neely, Conor Stephens, and Paolo Tedesco will fill roles in the midfield. While up front, Cameron Thayer and Daniel Viciara Barker will be rounding out the nine-member class.

Ridenhour's Thoughts On The Newest Members –
"These young men we have picked up for 2019 really embody drive, hard work, and humility. They each have some different qualities on the field, but off the field, all are very much in the same mold as young men with good character. Our staff is thrilled with the players who have made a commitment to be part of the Winthrop family. It would go without saying that Phil Hindson and Kyle Kenney both played a major role in the process for each of these guys making the decision to attend Winthrop. I am thankful for all the hard work they put in to make sure we have the right student-athletes here representing what Winthrop University embodies."


 

KYLE BARUSCH / FRESHMAN / DEFENDER Mooresville, NC (Mooresville H.S. / Carolina Rapids DA)

"Kyle is a player we feel confident is ready to make the step into the college game. He is powerful and enjoys defending. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and has a calming presence when playing out of the back. He is coming out of very good situation with the Carolina Rapids and Coach Kyle Gookins who does a tremendous job in prepping players for the next level."

BEN GOODMAN / FRESHMAN / DEFENDER Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day / Tormenta FC Academy)

"I can recall seeing Ben as an under-14 player some years ago. He struck me then as someone to keep an eye on for the future.  He has developed into a very perceptive and intelligent player.  He has spent his youth years in a very progressive club, Tormenta FC, with some excellent fundamentals and up brining. He will be a player to watch."

SAM JONES / FRESHMAN / GOALKEEPER Savannah, GA (Benedictine Military School / Tormenta FC Academy)

"Ben came onto our radar a bit later than most. He has all the good qualities of a top-level goalkeeper. Size, presence, attitude, and work ethic. He will be able to come into our keeper corps and compete to make us a better team. He is a good shot stopper and comfortable in the air.  He is mature beyond his year as well which should make for good leadership potential."

TAE JIN LEE / FRESHMAN / MIDFIELDER Seoul, South Korea (Global Vision Christian School / Ubuntu Korean Soccer Academy)

"Tae Jin was able to join us in January and thus has had time to adapt to the soccer culture in the United States as well as just to being a student-athlete in America.  He is very technical and tactically astute. We are hopefully he will continue to be able to immerse himself even more positively in the fall into our team.  His coaching and leadership from Ubuntu has set him up to be well prepared for this challenge."

JACOB NEELY / FRESHMAN / MIDFIELDER Mount Holly, NC (Gaston Christian School / Strikers of Gaston County)

"Jacob has been a player we have seen multiple times locally and at several of our camps.  He is an industrious midfielder who will grow into the college game. He has good technique and reads the game well.  We see him as a player who will be able to learn lots from our veteran midfielders and grow into himself even more as a player.  He comes from a wonderful and loving family and we are happy for the all the Neely's to become part of the Eagles."

CONOR STEPHENS / FRESHMAN / MIDFIELDER Wilmington, NC (John T. Hoggard H.S. / Wilmington Hammerheads SC

"Conor is a highly intelligent young man both on and off the field. He is a high achiever in the classroom and community.  On the field, he reads the game well and has a high soccer IQ. He is very comfortable with the ball and helping to dictate the pace of play. Along with Cameron, he has had a very good soccer development platform at the Wilmington Hammerheads."

PAOLO TEDESCO / FRESHMAN / MIDFIELDER Hooksett, NH (Manchester Central H.S. / GPS NH NPL 2000

"Paolo came on a wonderful recommendation to Phil Hindson. We were able to find a player that we feel is a bit of a diamond in the rough so to speak. He is very good on the ball. Tactically reads the game well and can make a difference in a number of positions. The staff is eager to see him join the group and see how he will adapt in our environment."

CAMERON THAYER / FRESHMAN / FORWARD Wilmington, NC (John T. Hoggard H.S. / Wilmington Hammerheads SC)

"Cameron should help provide us another target up front. He is powerful and very direct. A player that will take his chances in front of goal but also be a constant nuisance to the other team. He works very hard off the ball and he has very good leadership qualities. During his visit, he struck the staff as a player who was humble and really had a point to prove. We are excited to see him bring his workman like demeanor into the changing room."

DANIEL VICIARA BARKER / FRESHMAN / FORWARD Berlin, Germany (Berlin Grandenbrug International School / FC Viktoria Berlin

"Daniel will be joining us in the fall out of FC Vicktoria Berlin. He has all the tools to be successful in the Big South Conference. His play in the final third should help us create more opportunities as a team but he can also produce goals on his own. He is a hardworking and very resilient player. Our staff has seen him grow over the past year and we feel that he is going to step onto campus and be a difference maker."