DAVIS, Calif. - The UC Davis men’s soccer team announced on Wednesday that Brian Ford from Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, Eddie Manella from The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, Cullen Roche from St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, Blake Steele of Montclair Prep High School in Van Nuys and Matthew Wiesenfarth of Jesuit High School in Sacramento, have each signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Aggies’ program in the fall.

“I’m excited about this group because they are all quality soccer players that come from really competitive club environments,” said head coach Dwayne Shaffer. “They are playing at the highest level in the United States and they’ve all competed at a high level for the past couple of years which is going to be a huge contribution to our program. They bring quality as individuals and they’ll bring depth as a group and will blend in really well with the group we have currently.”

Ford, a 5-foot-10 defender whose parents both graduated from UC Davis, was selected as the CIF Southern Section Division IV Defensive Player of the Year after leading Corona del Mar to a 27-1-1 overall record and a section championship as a junior in 2010. The team advanced to the regional and state championship and Ford concluded the season with 11 goals and four assists. He was named to the 2010 ESPN RISE Winter All-America second team, alongside current Aggies Alex Henry and Nick Grigoriev, and was a first team all-state and all-county selection. As a member of the Slammers FC, his club team was Coast Soccer’s Premier League champions and College Surf Cup Champions in 2009 and advanced to the Western States Regional Finals.

“Brian is an outstanding athlete and a great personality,” said Shaffer. “He’s extremely quick - very fast - and I envision Brian stepping in and competing right away for a starting spot in our defense. I’m very excited about Brian. From the first time that I saw him play I knew that he was a young man that I wanted in my program.”

Manella has helped lead The Buckley School to consecutive CIF Southern Section second round appearances in his sophomore and junior seasons. His 16 goals and 13 assists during the 2008-2009 season earned him Liberty League Most Valuable Player honors and an All-League first team selection. During the 2009-2010 season, Manella joined the US Soccer Development Academy as a member of LAFC Chelsea, while also leading the Griffins to a perfect 10-0 league record.

“Technically, Eddie is very good,” said Shaffer. “He’s quick, he’s got a great soccer brain, and I think Eddie will bring a possession style of play to our program. When the ball is at his feet. he makes everybody better so I’m looking forward to having Eddie as an attacking midfield player in our program.”

Roche has led St. Ignatius College Prep to back-to-back CIF Central Coast Section final appearances, including a 2009 championship. A 2008 Super-Y League National Top 25 selection, Roche was an All-Western Catholic Athletic League first team honoree as a junior and was also the recipient of his team’s Paul Capitolo, S.J. Award, which is presented to the most valuable player.

Shaffer says, “Cullen is an engine in the midfield. He has a great work rate, great technique and a great soccer brain. He’s constantly up and down the field and is a quality midfield player. Technically and athletically he’s very good and has good size.”

Blake Steele is a 6-foot-2 defender who competed in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy with his Real So Cal club team. In 2008, he led Real So Cal to a Region IV championship and advanced to a third-place finish at nationals. In 2009, his team won both the Dallas Cup and Surf Cup and he won a national championship as a member of the California South Boys 1993 Olympic Development Team. Last season, he was an ODP National Finalist after wining the Region IV championship and he served as team captain at the 2010 Northern Ireland Milk Cup. A two-sport athlete, Steele also competed in baseball, leading Montclair Prep to the 2010 Olympic League title and a CIF Southern Section semifinals appearance.

“Blake is projected to be a central defender,” said Shaffer. “He has good size with good athleticism and toughness and is also a good communicator on the field.”

Local product Matthew Wiesenfarth, whose father ran track and field at UC Davis, has scored 59 goals in the last two seasons for Jesuit High School, earning the Delta League’s Co-Player of the Year award and his team’s Offensive MVP selection. After posting a 31-0 record in 2010, Wiesenfarth and Jesuit secured their ninth CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship and a No. 2 national ranking from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Behind Wiesenfarth’s attack, Jesuit has strung together 59 straight wins, the longest active streak in the country, and his 39 goals during the 2010 season are 12th most among prep athletes in the country, according to ESPN RISE. In January, he was named a Fall State All-Star by ESPN RISE.

“Matt is an attacking player and can play as a striker or as a winger,” said Shaffer. “I was impressed each time I saw Matt play and everytime I watched him, he improved. He’s got a knack for scoring goals, he’s quick, he’s athletic, and he’s a hardworking player.”

UC Davis finished the 2010 season with an overall record of 6-12 and a Big West mark of 4-6. The Aggies saw Lance Patterson and Chris Beville receive second team all-conference honors while Nathan Javadi was an honorable mention selection.