ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop head men's soccer coach Rich Posipanko announced the 2011 recruiting class with 12 additions for the fall.
Winthrop is coming off its worst season under Posipanko since his first season as head coach in 1989 as it finished the 2010 campaign with a 5-12-1 record after capturing the Big South title in three of the previous four seasons.
““After a disappointing 2010 season we had to evaluate and address most areas in our program,” said Posipanko. “After looking at things, we found we were simply not good enough at many positions to play at the level expected and on a consistent basis. Many changes had to be made in hopes of getting us back to the top of the Big South Conference as soon as possible and being competitive on a regional and national level again. We will be counting on many of these new players to carry the load in 2011.”
Winthrop only graduated one player in Miquel Casajuana and will once again be a young team as the 2011 roster will have just three seniors and eight juniors to go along with at least 15 underclassmen including the signing class. More additions could be made before preseason starts in August. Also gone from the roster is Matt Stinson, who signed with Toronto FC of Major League Soccer after just one season with the Eagles.
“Our success will obviously depend on how quickly these young guys can adapt to the speed of the game and physical play at the college level,” added Posipanko. “We certainly have a lot of potential in this class and we think we can be a pretty good team by season's end if not sooner. Being a good team is also going to depend on the core of returning players. They must also make improvement and be ready from day one in pre-season. Our roster will certainly look much different next year and these changes will hopefully get us back on the right track and pay dividends for seasons to come.”
2011 Recruiting Class:
Alex Mantchev: Junior forward out of Vancouver, BC that transferred in after playing at Monroe Community College and Nazareth College in Rochester, NC. Mantchev led his high school team in scoring as a junior and senior and was selected as the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year while at Nazareth. He was also First Team All-Conference and a Third Team NSCAA/adidas All East Region selection.
Coach Posipanko--“We are looking for Alex to come in and immediately help us in scoring goals. He is a big, strong player with two years of college experience which should allow for an easier transition. He has a great soccer IQ and understanding of the way we want to move forward tactically.”
Zac Gordon: Freshman midfielder out of Winchester, VA where he played at Handley High School and played club for Winchester United. Named First Team All-North Western Division as a junior, Second Team All-Region and Honorable Mention All-State.
Coach Posipanko—“Zac joins a list of recent players from Winchester to play at Winthrop including current defender Josh Mort and 08 graduate John Gilkerson drafted by NY Red Bull. Zac is a hard player who makes good decisions. Depending on how long it takes him to adapt to the college level, we are expecting him to come in a challenge for playing time at some point his first year.
Sean Comer: Freshman that can play in the back or midfield and played high school at Great Bridge in Chesapeake, VA. Plays club for Chesapeake United SC and the Hampton Roads Piranhas Super Y Team. Coached by former All-American John Barone, who played under Posipanko.
Coach Posipanko—“Sean is a blue chip player that has slipped through the cracks. He is a very versatile player who can play anywhere on the field. We expect him to be a contributor immediately somewhere on the field. It will take some time to find out where we can best use him. Sean is also mature and is driven to improve day to day to get to the next level.”
Grady Trimble: Freshman defender and midfielder out of Clearwater, FL where he played for Clearwater Catholic and Strictly Soccer SC. He was the captain and member of the Florida ODP Team.
Coach Posipanko—“Grady is going to be a very good player for us. Very similar to former Eagle Matt Skonicki who also played for Strictly Soccer as well. Has the ability and soccer smarts to play somewhere right away. Has good size and strength. Grady brings lots of the intangibles to the table. He is great team player and his positive attitude is contagious.”
Matt Sluga: Transferred from Erskine College where he led the Carolinas Conference in game-winning goals. Will be a junior after playing two seasons at Erskine. Led team in goals with 10 and had three assists and finished in the top five of most scoring categories in the Carolinas Conference. Was a First Team All-Conference selection and also named to the All-Tournament Team. Was a member of the South Carolina ODP Team and while at Riverside High School he was an All-Region and All-State selection.
Coach Posipanko—“We like the fact that Matt has two years of college experience and has been a proven goal scorer. Even though it is a different level for him, we think he can adapt very quickly and make a major contribution in helping us score goals.”
Musa Mawanda: Freshman forward out of Kampala, Uganda, the same home town and country of former Eagle standouts Henry Kalungi and Stephen Nsereko. Played for Old Kampala Secondary School.
Coach Posipanko—“We are expecting Musa to follow in the same footsteps as former Eagles and Ugandans, Henry Kalungi and Stephen Nsereko. We expect his contribution to be immediate. From a soccer standpoint Musa has great movement off the ball and also able to combine well and bring others into the game. From a human standpoint we are getting a young man that wants to impact his country by getting his degree.”
Akeem Matthews: Freshman forward/midfielder out of Norfolk, VA where he played at Maury High School and for Chesapeake SC. As a junior he was third in scoring in the Eastern District with 26 goals. First Team All-Eastern District selection.
Coach Posipanko—“Akeem is another player that is under the radar. Can play anywhere in the midfield or forward. Good looking athlete, strong and very athletic. Another player that we expect to contribute from the start. He just loves the game and will bring great energy to training each day.”
Adam Brundle: Sophomore transfer from Delta State out of London, England. Was a First Team All-Gulf South Conference selection. Attended the Norwich School and played for Norwich United.
Coach Posipanko—“Reminds us of former Eagle and Englishman Matt Lacey. Very steady player who reads the game well and makes good decisions. We look for him to play somewhere in the center of midfield. Adam should give us a bit of bite up the center of midfield.”
Mpumelelo Matutu: Freshman forward/midfielder out of Harare, Zimbabwe where he was a member of the Zimbabwe U-20 Team.
Coach Posipanko—“Matutu enrolled at Winthrop in January so he will have a few months of training with us. He will either start for us in the midfield or at forward depending on what formation we end up playing. Good finisher with both feet so he should add some extra dimension to our attacking options.”
Musa Tamale: Freshman defender or midfielder out of Kampala, Uganda where he attended Kibuli Secondary School and Makerere University.
Coach Posipanko—“This is another player who will bring a lot to the table and will have an immediate impact on our team. He has the ability to build out of the back or step into the midfield and help us connect the dots. Another young man who is ready to make the most of his opportunity pursing a degree here at Winthrop University.”
Dylan Bauver: Sophomore goalkeeper out of Fort Mill, SC who transferred from Iona University. Originally from New York, Bauver played for Albertson Academy and Commack High School.
Coach Posipanko—“Dylan comes to us with a year of college experience and playing for Albertson Academy of US Soccer Development Academy. He will have the opportunity to challenge for the starting role. Enrolled at Winthrop in January.”
Aaron Weldon: Junior defender from Nottingham, England, who is transferring from Belmont Abbey. He was the captain at Belmont Abbey and a First Team All-Carolinas Conference and NSCAA/adidas Second Team All-Southeast Region selection this past season.
Coach Posipanko—“Once again we are happy to pick up another player with college experience. Aaron will help bring some leadership and organization to our defense. He is a very active player and good one-on-one defender who can also get forward. He will be a very good addition for us."
