May 20, 2010
Stanford, Calif. - The Stanford Men's Soccer Program has added 10 new players to a team that reached the round of 16 at last year's NCAA tournament. "This is a deep, talented and athletic group who will compete for playing time in 2010," said head coach Bret Simon. "This class is expected to provide the backbone for the future."
Simon Basilico
Hails from Birmingham, Ala., where he plays center back and is captain for one of the elite U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy teams, the Birmingham United Soccer Club. "Basilico is strong, strikes a good ball and is a very reliable defender," said Simon. Simon graduated from Altamont HS where he is the valedictorian, two-time all-state, three-time All-Metro and three-time MVP.
Adrian Berg
A local product, Berg grew up in Los Altos, went to school at St. Francis in Mountain View and plays for the Santa Clara Sporting Soccer Club where he is a teammate of fellow recruit Matt Taylor. Adrian is the captain of his club team that is ranked No. 5 in the nation and has won elite events such as the 2009 Surf Cup, 2010 CYSA State Cup and 2010 Nor Cal State Cup. "Adrian is an athletic and dominant player both in the air and on the ground," said Simon. "Combined with his technical ability Adrian has proven to be one of the top recruits in Northern California."
Tyler Conklin
Conklin is the captain for the Cisco Soccer Club out of Arizona and was a four-year starter for Desert Mountain High School where he was captain and MVP his senior year. Tyler is from Scottsdale and is a High School All-State, and is a two-time All-Region and All-City selection. He is a three-time Scholar-Athlete Award winner. "Tyler is a left-footed player who is capable of playing left or central defender," said Simon.
Bobby Edwards
Edwards joins the Cardinal from Danville and the Mustang Soccer Club (2009 State Cup Champ) and San Ramon Valley High School. "Bobby is an athletic and hard working attacking player who has spent most of his youth career playing forward for both his high school and club," said Simon. He was his high school team captain and an all-EBAL team selection.
Drew Hutchins
Hutchins hails from Morrisville, PA and Pennsbury High School where he was the goalkeeper for national power Yardley Makefield Soccer (YMS Xplosion) that has been ranked between No. 1- 4 in the country over the last three years. He was a member of the U-14 and U-15 National Team and started on the Region I ODP Team, most recently in South Africa in February. He is an Adidas ESP All-Star Selection and is a top 100 player on TopDrawerSoccer.com's list of 2010 players to watch. "Drew is a dynamic goalkeeper who is explosive off his line," said Simon. "He is a shot stopper and has great distribution."
JJ Koval
Koval joins the Stanford program from Oaks Christian School and lives in Camarillo, CA. He brings loads of experience playing with one of the top clubs in the US Academy system, Real So Cal. He was selected to the U18 Academy Select Team. Prior to joining the Academy League, JJ's Real So Cal team was a National Cup Finalist in 2008. "He is a center midfielder with great vision, distribution and work rate," said Simon. Koval is on TopDrawerSoccer.com's list of players to watch in 2010.
Preston Langholz
Langholz joins Stanford's young group of goalkeepers from Tulsa, OK and Washington High School. He plays for Tulsa Soccer Club and he is a two-time Adidas ESP All-Star, participated in a 2008 U-18 US National Team camp, is a 2009 NSCAA Academic All-American, is the 2009 NSCAA Oklahoma Player of the Year and from 2007-2010 was the goalkeeper for Region III ODP. "Preston is an excellent shot stopper and brings quality with big game experience," said Simon.
Austin Meyer
Meyer joins Stanford from Santa Rosa and played for SR United (team is ranked No. 6 in the country), where he had a standout career as the captain and center midfielder. He was a member of the 2008 Super Y National Team. Meyer had an illustrious high school career at Maria Carrillo as the three-time team MVP and league MVP. "Austin has the ability to unlock a game with his distribution and ability to see and make passes in every area of the field," said Simon
Jack Ryan
Ryan comes from O'Dea High School in Seattle and the Washington Crossfire U.S. Soccer Academy where he is captain of the U-18 team. He was named USSDA Player of the Week and was on the Super Y National Team in 2008. Ryan's honors include Seattle Metro League MVP. He was called into the U.S. National Team's U18 Camp during the winter of 2010. "Jack is a tenacious defender with speed and power," said Simon.
Matt Taylor
Another local talent from Redwood City, Taylor graduated from Bellarmine Prep and was the 2009 WCAL Defender of the Year as a junior. He is the younger brother of Lindsay Taylor, the standout forward on the Stanford women's team. He plays with the Santa Clara Sporting Soccer Club, where he is a teammate of Adrian Berg. His club team is ranked No. 5 in the nation and has won elite events such as the 2009 Surf Cup, 2010 CYSA State Cup and 2010 Nor Cal State Cup. Taylor was a standout defender on Cal North ODP and the Region IV ODP team. "Matt is a fierce competitor, one of the state's best defenders and a physical presence on the field," said Simon.