BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head coach Dean Koski announced the men’s soccer class of 2013 on Monday, which includes six incoming student-athletes. The Mountain Hawks will be adding to a team that only lost two seniors to graduation and returns a core of 19 players from the 2008 season.
“We really feel these six kids that are coming in are really going to help us right away,” Koski said. “We deliberately went after a small class to focus on what our needs are. We were able to bring in a very strong group of student-athletes both academically and athletically.”
The newest class is made up of two goalies, two midfielders, one forward and one defender, designed to bolster Lehigh’s depth in several areas. The newcomers hail from five different states and four of the recruits attended the Lehigh Soccer ID Academy last summer.
“I feel like we achieved what we wanted to achieve,” Koski said. “We needed quality depth, we needed players that would compete for starting positions and most importantly, we wanted to bring in kids who were strong in the classroom. I believe we accomplished that with this group.”
Austin Decker will contribute to Lehigh’s offensive efforts after enjoying tremendous success at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep in Minnesota. The forward from Iowa City, Iowa was ranked the No. 42 recruit in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer.com this year. Decker saw international action as part of the U.S. Region 2 ODP Team, traveling to Argentina, Germany, Austria and Costa Rica. Decker has also been part of the U.S. Soccer Youth National Team Pool and participated in the adidas Elite Soccer Program. Off the pitch, Decker earned recognition on the Head Master’s Honor Roll at Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep.
Jordan Maman joins the goalkeeper mix next year from New Trier High School in Illinois. Maman, a high school and club teammate of fellow newcomer Matt Weaver, was a long time member of the Chicago Magic before joining the Chicago Fire Academy U-18 team this year. Maman was named to the IHSSCA All-State Select Team in 2007, as well as the National SYL Select ’90 team in 2007. While Maman was with the Magic, the team won the Midwest Regional League in 2006 and 2007, and earned a 2006 Super Y League National Championship in 2006. The Magic was also a Regional 2 Finalist in 2007 and won the regional championship in 2006.
On defense, Koski brings in Rob Nowlan from Hammonton High School in New Jersey. Nowlan was a two-time All South Jersey Selection, two-time All-N.J. State Selection and two-time captain at Hammonton. Nowlan was also the team captain for the South Jersey Barons Academy club team and was a part of the New Jersey State Olympic Development Program for three years and was a member of the ODP Region 1 Pool in 2008. Nowlan excelled in the classroom at Hammonton, earning the All-South Jersey Scholar-Athlete Award and Hammonton High School Academic Excellence Award as a senior. Nowlan attended the 2008 Lehigh Soccer I.D. Academy before committing to Lehigh.
Cameron Omsberg is a midfielder who comes to Lehigh from Messalonskee High School in Belgrade, Maine. Omsberg was a three-time All-Conference selection in four years at Messalonskee. He also was named team captain and MVP in his senior year, to go along with First Team All-State and Waterville Morning Sentinel Boys Soccer Player of the Year accolades. The center midfielder also earned accolades for his academics by taking home the Class of 2009 Maine Sports Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Award, which is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete each year. Omsberg attended the 2008 Lehigh Soccer I.D. Academy before committing to Lehigh.
The other goalkeeper for the class of 2013 is Taylor Sulmonetti who comes to the Mountain Hawks from George Walton Comprehensive High School in Georgia. Sulmonetti was the team captain for his North Atlantic Soccer Association club team and was part of a Georgia 5A high school state championship team in 2008. The 5-foot-9 goalie was named an A.P. Scholar with Distinction and was awarded the Georgia Certificate of Merit for being ranked in the top five percent of his graduating class. Sulmonetti also attended the Lehigh Soccer ID Academy in 2008.
Matt Weaver will figure into the midfield mix, while also giving Lehigh depth on defense. Weaver won two Illinois High School AA State Championships with New Trier High School in Wilmette, Ill. He earned All-Conference honors from both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times in his senior year. Weaver plays for the Chicago Fire Academy’s U-18 team, and earned a National Championship in 2007 with his three-on-three team. Weaver earned a place on the honor roll in every semester at New Trier and took home the Scholar Athlete Award in his senior season. Weaver attended the 2008 Lehigh Soccer I.D. Academy before committing to Lehigh.
“I think one of the things we wanted to ensure was that these kids are not only coming from competitive club teams, but club teams hat have competed at the highest levels,” Koski said of his class. “These kids know how to compete, and I think they will make significant contributions to our program."
Lehigh Men’s Soccer Class of 2013
|
Name |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
College |
|
Austin Decker |
F |
Iowa City, Iowa/Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep (Minn.) |
Business |
|
Jordan Maman |
GK |
Glencoe, Ill./New Trier |
Business |
|
Taylor Sulmonetti |
GK |
Marietta, Ga./George Walton |
Engineering |
|
Rob Nowlan |
D |
Atco, N.J./Hammonton |
Engineering |
|
Cameron Omsberg |
M |
Belgrade, Maine/Messalonskee |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Matt Weaver |
M |
Wilmette, Ill./New Trier |
Arts and Sciences |
