Nicolas Retzlaff, Midfielder, CASL Chelsea
Class: 2014
Commitment: NC State

An attacking midfielder for his CASL DA side, Nicolas Retzlaff heaped praise on NC State men’s head coach Kelly Findley when making his decision to join the Wolfpack.

“The way he wants the team to play soccer and the way that I like to play soccer are a good match,” Retzlaff wrote TopDrawerSoccer.com in an email. “I also like that he places a very strong focus on the team and not on individual play or statistics.  He also has a good vision for how to develop players to potentially play at the next level which I hope to reach.”

It’s not just about the soccer for Retzlaff as well, as he came away impressed by the academic and social offerings he learned from his visits.

“I like the school atmosphere and its location as well as the strong spirit of the students in supporting school sports and activities,” he said. “For me, NC State is the whole package of education, athletics and overall college experience.”

“It has the major, Sport Management, and minor, Exercise Science, that I would like to combine.  It also allows me the opportunity of playing a soccer which I love and being close enough to home that my family and friends can come and watch me play.”

Ethan Spivack, Forward, Kendall SC
Top 150 Rank: 88
Class: 2013
Commitment: Army

An aggressive forward from Florida, all it took to convince Ethan Spivack to commit to Army was a trip to see the campus in New York.

“As soon as I finished with my visit to West Point, I was very excited and I knew I wanted to commit,” he wrote TopDrawerSoccer.com in an email.

His excitement boiled over not just about the soccer program, but the whole picture that he came away with after making that trip.

“West Point is the complete package,” Spiback said. “West Point is an exceptional academic institution that is both nationally and internationally recognized. West Point has the very best athletic facilities and a very experienced soccer coaching staff.”

Erik Hanson, Goalkeeper, FC Delco
Class: 2013
Commitment: Brown

The starting goalkeeper for FC Delco’s U16 Development Academy, Erik Hanson knows where the next step of will take him after making his verbal commitment to Brown.

The rising senior found the challenge he was looking for at the Ivy League program.

“I decided to commit to Brown because I knew I would be pushed to my limits academically and athletically,” he wrote TopDrawerSoccer.com. “When I sat down with the coaching staff, they had goals that were similar to ones I set for myself.  It showed they had my best interests in mind and they would help me achieve what I want through school and soccer.”

One of the mainstays at the top of the Ivy League, Brown is heading into another year where they expect to be very competitive for the title. That, and head coach Pat McLaughlin, as well as the rest of the coaching staff, left a significant impression on Hanson.

“They radiated a sense of soccer knowledge and leadership after just sitting down and talking with them face to face,” he said. “They talked about continuing a legacy that was set at Brown and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.  They have all the resources and capability to maintain being a top program in the country.”

Jonathan Azzinnari, PDA, midfielder
Class: 2013
Commitment: Georgetown

The Georgetown Hoyas added another talented player to the 2013 class last week. Jon Azzinnari, a midfielder from Players Development Academy (N.J.), made his verbal commitment to the Big East program.

“I ultimately decided Georgetown because I thought it offered me the best blend of soccer and academics,” Azzinnari wrote TopDrawerSoccer.com. “The school is obviously renowned for it academic excellence, but the soccer program is also on the rise.”

Azzinnari joins Patrick Koscher, Alex Muyl, Brett Campbell, and Jared Odenbeck for the 2013 Hoyas class.

“I have played with or against a lot of the kids that are being brought in and know I am joining a very talented and competitive group of kids,” Azzinnari added.

The midfiender, who started 19 games for PDA U18 last season, also considered St. John’s(m), Princeton, Connecticut, Lehigh, and Villanova.