PISCATAWAY, N.J.  (July 23, 2014) – Rutgers men’s soccer head coach Dan Donigan has announced the addition of transfers Tyler Morris (Montclair, N.J.) and Mitchell Lurie (Alpharetta, Ga.) to the Scarlet Knight roster. Both will sit out the 2014 season due to NCAA guidelines and be eligible to take the field for Rutgers in the fall of 2015.

“We are excited about the additions of Tyler and Mitchell to our roster, as both will bolster our defense and add depth to our backfield,” said Donigan of the latest roster additions. “With transferring, both of these guys will have to sit out the upcoming season, but are ready to contribute to the program as we head into our first season of Big Ten competition. Tyler and Mitchell both possess great technical skills and footwork, as well as terrific speed to compliment the veterans they will join on the field next season.”

Lurie joins the Scarlet Knights after playing for the University of Portland and University of Louisville.  As a sophomore with the Pilots, he collected two assists and helped the defense to three shutouts in making appearances in 18 games with 13 starts. During his freshman season, he appeared in 13 games at Portland, making three starts.

Prior to joining the collegiate ranks, Lurie was a member of the U.S. U18 National Team and spent four years as a member of the Georgia ODP, where he participated at the Region 3 Camp and National ID2 Camp. He also won a Georgia State Championship with the Concorde Fire and competed in the USSF Developmental Academy. At Chattahooche High School, he helped the Cougars win the 2008 regional championship with a 16-0-1 overall record.

Lurie’s father, Glen, played collegiate soccer at Seattle Pacific, winning three NCAA DII National Championships. He also professionally with the Cleveland Force, Atlanta Attack and Portland Pride.

“Mitch has taken a different path to Rutgers than the normal guy. Unfortunately he has to sit out this coming fall, but he has shown great potential as a player and leader within our program,” said Donigan. “I anticipate he will contribute immediately in a wide back/midfielder position or even in the middle. He has a tremendous shot from distance and possesses solid technical ability along with great pace.”

Morris joins the Rutgers men’s soccer program from William Paterson University, where this past season he appeared in 17 games in helping the Pioneers to the ECAC Metro Region Championship Tournament. He also played at Rider University in 2012, starting 14 of 17 contests and contributing two assists.

Playing scholastically at Montclair High School, Morris was a two-time all-county and honorable-mention all-state honoree.

Morris’ father, Larry, played football for Syracuse University and the Green Bay Packers. His sister, Meagan, won a national championship at the University of North Carolina in 2012 and currently plays for Sky Blue FC.

“Tyler is a tremendous athlete with size, grit and speed who we look forward to having in our program and at our university,” said Donigan. “He will add to our back line and gives us another player who can play both sides of the ball. He is very driven on and off the field. “

The Rutgers men’s soccer team begins its first season of Big Ten action this fall. RU will play eight NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, with six of those teams coming from the Big Ten. Yurcak Field will play host to 12 regular season contests, including four conference matches.

The 2014 slate gets underway with a pair of exhibition contests at Virginia on Saturday, Aug. 16 and at home versus NJIT on Saturday, Aug. 23. The regular season begins on Friday, Aug. 29 at Yurcak Field with UMKC.

Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersMensSoccer) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/RUMensSoccer) for all of the latest news and updates. Fans also receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on both social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.

-RU-

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

Men's NCAA Tournament First Round Recap

Men's NCAA Tournament Round Two Preview

TeamRank Presented By TeamSnap - Boys