Stony Brook, N.Y. -  After winning its third America East Championship in program history and advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2011, the Stony Brook men’s soccer team and head coach Ryan Anatol have announced their standout recruiting class of 2012, consisting of six talented student-athletes, who will help push the Seawolves to the next level of competitive collegiate soccer.  

Junior college transfer Mamadou Balde of Corona, N.Y., and high school standouts Myles Bent of Dix Hills, N.Y., James Brostowski of Lindenhurst, N.Y., Martin Giordano of Weston, Fla., Jesse Inkles of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., and Troy Manheimer of Boca Raton, Fla., will join the Seawolves for the 2012 season. These newcomers add to a recruiting class that includes two mid-year transfers, Shane Wixted (South Florida) and Ryan Price (Florida Gulf Coast), who both started classes at Stony Brook in January.

“We are very excited about this class of incoming student-athletes as they are a talented and experienced group,” Anatol said. “They are strong in ability and character, and each member has bought into the goals that we are working towards achieving at Stony Brook University. We expect this group to be our future leaders that will produce great success both in the America East Conference and nationally. With a core of returning players and the influx of this talented recruiting class, we will be a much deeper team this fall."

Balde, a midfielder, was a two-year letterwinner at Monroe College in New Rochelle, N.Y., helping lead the Mustangs to the 2011 NJCAA Northeast District Championship and a #5 seed at the NJCAA National Championship where they finished as runners-up. Balde also helped Monroe advance to the NJCAA National Championship in 2010, the program’s first tournament berth ever.

Bent, a defender, is a member of the USSDA Albertson Soccer Club and a four-year member of the varsity soccer team at St. Anthony’s High school. He was an NSCHSAA first-team All-State selection, and received the Junior of the Year award for the 2010-2011 season. He was also ranked one of the top 20 2012 recruits in the New York Region by TopDrawerSoccer.com. Bent previously played for the Dix Hill Thunder, which became four-time state champions, two-time regional champions and took third place at the US Club Soccer national tournament.

Brostowski was a senior captain of the Lindenhurst Senior High School soccer team and a three-year letterwinner as a goalkeeper.  He was a Suffolk County All-Conference selection and an Academic All-County selection during the 2010-2011 season.  Brostowski also was a member of the Smithtown Kickers Soccer Club and is Principals List and Cum Laude Honors.

Giordano is a member of the USSDA Weston Soccer Academy and was a four-time letterwinner as a midfielder/forward at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla. He is rated as one of the top 100 recruits in the nation by both TopDrawerSoccer.com and CollegeSoccerNews.com and is a member of the 2012 ESPN Midfielder Watch List.  Giordano competed with Weston Academy’s U18 Team at the 2011 USSDA Finals Week. His Cypress Bay Lightning team was three-time district champion, state champion in 2011, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by ESPNHS and the NSCAA for the 2011-2012 season.  Giordano is also a member of the National Honor Society, and academically is in the top five percent of his class.

Inkles, a midfielder/forward and three-year letterwinner and senior captain at Comsewogue High School, was a two-time All-Conference selection and a New York State Scholar Athlete.  His club team, Lake Grove United, took the US Club Regional title and was ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2011.  Inkles was also a member of the Academic All-County team and the National Honor Society.

Manheimer, a defender, is also a member of the USSDA Weston Soccer Academy and a four-year letterwinner at American Heritage Boca/Del Ray High School. Manheimer was captain of the 2010-2011 Florida State High School Championship team, ranking fourth in the nation.  He was named the Tampa Sun Bowl Tournament MVP in 2009, where his club team took first place.

These newcomers will join nine returning starters and 20 returning letterwinners under Anatol, who is in his second season at Stony Brook. Anatol is expecting to add to this recruiting class in the upcoming weeks.

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