ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis head men’s soccer coach Mike McGinty today announced the addition of four student-athletes to the Billikens’ roster. Midfielder Kingsley Bryce (Plano, Texas/Jesuit Prep), forward Robbie Kristo (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) and defender Anthony Manning (Mesquite, Texas/Mesquite) begin their four years of eligibility in the fall. Junior midfielder Cal McKee (St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade) has transferred from Santa Clara University and has two years of eligibility remaining.
 
“The theme of our recruiting plan for this year was to identify players with all-around soccer ability in addition to strong character, and we were successful in this first wave of recruits.” McGinty said. “Within this class we have definitely added size and athleticism. Each player we are bringing in will contribute in a different way, but they all have the underlying theme of being great soccer players and great people.”
 
Bryce is the brother of former Billiken Charles Bryce. Playing for the nationally renowned soccer program at Jesuit Prep in Dallas, Bryce helped the 25-0 Rangers to the Texas 5A state championship his senior year. As a junior, he earned district MVP honors after recording 14 goals. Bryce played club ball for the Dallas Texans Academy. Among the team’s accomplishments were capturing the 2009 State Cup and the 2009 National League championship.
 
“Kingsley has a great work rate and comes from a great club system in Dallas,” McGinty said. “He is an extremely versatile player who will be able to step in and help us at multiple positions.”
 
Kristo earned first-team All-State plaudits after ranking as one of the St. Louis area’s leading scorers with 27 goals and eight assists. He was tabbed a first-team All-Metro pick by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and was named the 2010 Suburban South Conference Player of the Year. As a senior, he led the Vikings to a 17-5-2 record, the best mark in school history. Kristo was called to the U.S. Soccer U-18 team camp and is a member of the St. Louis Scott Gallagher U.S. Soccer Development Academy team.
 
“Robbie is one of the top players in the St. Louis area,” McGinty said. “He is a fantastic attacking player and has a great nose for the goal. We are excited to get him into our program and look forward to watching him blossom. He has all the tools to be an attacking force in collegiate soccer.”
 
Manning claimed district MVP honors after notching six goals his senior season at Mesquite High School, leading the Skeeters to a district championship. As a junior, he was the team’s Defensive Player of the Year in addition to drawing honorable-mention All-Conference laurels. Manning played in the same club system as Bryce with the Dallas Texans, though on a different team. Manning helped his squad to the Disney Soccer Showcase and Classic League Grand Championships.
 
“Anthony plays center back, which is a key position for us with the graduation of James Dice,” McGinty said. “His height and athleticism will help provide an immediate presence to our back line.”
 
McKee played two seasons at Santa Clara, including last year when he helped the Broncos to the West Coast Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He notched the game-winning goal in Santa Clara’s win against rival St. Mary’s, and later in the year assisted on a goal in SCU’s 2-0 win against Gonzaga that gave the Broncos the league title. As a redshirt freshman in 2008, he started 16 games for Santa Clara. McKee prepped at Chaminade and was on the Red Devils’ 2006 state championship team with Billiken teammates Mike Roach and Michael Robson.
 
“Cal is a hard worker who is already a seasoned collegiate soccer player,” McGinty said. “His experience at Santa Clara should allow him to come into the program and immediately compete for playing time.”
 
More additions to the roster will be announced on SLUBillikens.com as they become available.