Duquesne announces 2015 recruiting class
Duquesne University head men's soccer coach Chase Brooks announced a 2015 six-man recruiting class, plus the addition of a talented transfer, on Wednesday.
"I am very happy to announce the addition of seven talented young men for 2015," said Brooks. "When we started planning for the 2015 recruiting cycle, we were focused on finding student-athletes with quality character, a winner's mentality, and versatility. I believe the class we've assembled embodies all three factors very well and will represent Duquesne University in a very positive manner. I would like to thank assistant coaches Bryce Cooper and Josh Faga, along with former assistant coach Steve Wieczorek, for the hard work they did in putting this class together.
"We are biased, but we believe we have something pretty special here at Duquesne. The current squad feels it and the guys who signed with us today see it and want to be a part of it. We work hard every day to better ourselves and those around us on and off the field. We are excited to continue our growth and look forward to this next season, where we take aim at our goal of winning the A-10 Championship."
PEACE DREVITCH
Played Club soccer for Continental FC Delco Development Academy where he started 13 matches in 2014-15 ... has played for three academies ... moved from Seattle to the greater Philadelphia area last summer ... was captain of the Seattle Sounders Academy .... represented the Sounders FC Development Team at the 2013 Central American and Caribbean Unified Soccer Invitational ... won the region 4 Olympic Development Program (ODP) championship with Washington ... helped Emerald City FC to the quarterfinal of the State Cup.
Chase Brooks on Peace Drevitch: "Peace is a versatile defender that can be an impact guy for us in a number of roles. The combination of his athletic and technical qualities are very impressive. He has experience with a few different academy teams that play at a high level and we are excited to see what he has learned from them transition to college. We believe Peace will have a great impact on the program and we are looking forward to his four years as a Duke."
DANIEL GUARINO
Played Club soccer for Real Colorado Development Academy for the past two years ... helped Real Colorado to the 2013 State Cup semifinal ... helped Cherry Hill High School to the state semifinal in 2013 ... is a three-sport athlete at Cherry Hill where he also plays baseball and basketball ... is an accomplished musician who writes and plays his own music.
Chase Brooks on Daniel Guarino: "Daniel joins us from the Real Colorado Academy program. He is technical and smooth on the ball and he loves to attack. His ability to glide past opponents and have an impact in the final third is what really drew us to him as a player. He is a disciplined, hardworking, and an astute young man that will push himself and his teammates to be the best they can be. We feel Danny has a great future with our program."
IAN LARSON
Played Club for the Chicago Fire ... helped his 2014 Club team to a Midwest Regional League (MRL) championship and appearance in the U.S. Soccer National Championship ... was the co-captain of his Batavia High School team ... earned IHSA All-State honors in posting 25 goals and 16 assists for a 19-3-3 squad as a senior ... led the 2014 Bulldogs to the Upstate Eight River Conference title, a regional title and a sectional semifinal victory.
Chase Brooks on Ian Larson: "Ian understands what it takes to get the job done, he is a winner. As a defender for the Chicago Fire and an attacker for Batavia High School, he has played almost every position on the field and has the soccer savvy to play each position well. We are excited to have him join the program and look forward to his development over the next four years."
SCOTT RISSLER
Played Club for DC United Development Academy ... helped DC United to a 14-4-7 record in 2014 ... started as a freshman, sophomore and junior at Red Lion High School before opting to play academy ... was the only junior goalkeeper named all-state by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association in 2013 ... was one of 21 players in the state named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com All-America Preseason Watch list in the fall of 2014 ... also played varsity baseball as a freshman and sophomore.
Chase Brooks on Scott Rissler: "Scott came into the picture late for us but when we saw him we knew we had something. He has the size, quickness, shot stopping ability, and work ethic that will lend very well to the D1 level. Scott plays for the DC United Academy. He understands and embraces high level competition. We are looking forward to him bringing that mentality to our program."
MATTHEW ROCHOWSKI
Played Club for FC Dallas ... helped FC Dallas to National League championships in 2014 & 2015 as well as a Disney tournament title in 2014 ... played for Dallas Texans Development Academy prior to joining FC Dallas ... trained with the Manchester United U18s and Reserve team in Carrington, England in 2013.
Chase Brooks on Matthew Rochowski: "Matthew has the size and technical ability to be very dangerous in this league. He has played for both the Dallas Texans and FC Dallas. Matthew has learned a lot about what it takes to win games over the last few years. He can play numerous positions and has the ability to score goals, or be the set-up man, from any of the spots he may be deployed in. We believe Matthew has a big role to play for us over the next four years."
GABRIEL ROBINSON
First-year transfer was a three-year starter for the University of Cincinnati ... will have two years of eligibility at Duquesne ... played in 26 matches with 25 starts at UC ... started the first four matches of 2014 before missing the remainder of the season due to injury ... started 10 of the 11 matches he played in 2013 and logged 835 minutes in 11 starts in helping UC post a school record six-straight shutouts as a freshman ... was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 100 Freshmen list ... was named the Bearcats' Newcomer of the Year ... was on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at Cincinnati ... named to the Big East All-Academic Team in 2013 and UC Deans List in the fall of 2014 ... was a two-time all-state performer at Easton Area High School in Easton, Pa. ... was named 2011 Player of the Year by the Lehigh Morning Call and Lehigh Valley Express Times ... played with New York Red Bulls US Soccer Development Academy ... won a pair of state championships with Philadelphia Soccer Club ... four-year member of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program ... ODP Region I captain for U14 and U16 squads.
Chase Brooks on Gabriel Robinson: "Gabe brings electric pace, grittiness, and a wealth of experience to our squad. He is an athletic defender with the versatility to play anywhere on the back line. Couple his academy time at the New York Red Bulls with his experience as a student-athlete at the D1 level and you have a player that is ready to make an impact in the A-10."
BRANDON WALBERT
Played Club for Century United ... scored 54 goals and posted 73 assists in helping South Park High School to an 82-8-1 record as a four-year starter ... had 18 goals in 19 assists as a senior in helping the Eagles to a Class AA WPIAL title in 2014 ... helped South Park advance to the PIAA state quarterfinals in 2011 & 2014 ... was a three-time team MVP and three-time all-state pick ... was part of three PA West State Champions (2011, 2012, 2013) while playing for Century United.
Chase Brooks on Brandon Walbert: "When we saw Brandon, we knew he was one of the top players in the Pittsburgh area for this class. During his time with Century United and South Park High School, he has done nothing but win games. He has the technique, vision, and work rate that will allow him to transition smoothly to our program and he brings 100% energy every time he is on the field. We are looking forward to seeing him in the Red and Blue."
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