Feb. 4, 2010

DAYTON, Ohio – The Wright State men’s soccer program and head coach Bryan Davis have announced the addition of 11 student athletes for the 2010 season. The newcomers include players from eight different states, with nine of the 11 signings earning all-state honors, and the class includes players to fill needs at every position on the pitch.

"This is a great class, not only for our program, but for the University as a whole,” said head coach Bryan Davis. “Our staff has put countless hours into bringing this group together and we feel that we have added some of the best players in the U.S. All of these players are first class individuals and each will fill a need for our team next season.  This class, on paper, certainly is very strong and will have a great impact on our pursuit of a Horizon League Championship."

Derek Zuniga comes from Massillon Jackson (Ohio) High School and was a 2009 NSCAA High School All-American and was named to the All-Ohio First Team. A four year starter for the Polar Bears, he was named the Federal League, Stark County and Northeast District Player of the Year as a senior. He played two seasons for the International Academy, being named team captain both seasons, and helped MJHS to the Federal League title during senior season.

“Derek has a fantastic feel for the game and is a solid player on the attack,” said Davis. “He has been successful at the youth and high school levels and we believe that the next phase of his career should be equally as exciting. He should be a great player for the Wright State Soccer community to witness in the coming years.”

A native of Western Spring, Illinois, Chris Meingast joins the Raiders after earning First Team All-State honors from the Chicago Tribune. Named to the Top Drawer Soccer Top 100, Meingast was a Chicago Sun Times All-Area pick and was a member of the IHSSCA All-State squad. He was an adidas ESP selection in 2008, was a 2009 Illinois State Scholar award recipient, and guided Lyons Township High School High School to the IHSSCA State Championship. On the club scene, Meingast helped the Chicago Magic to the USSF National Finals.

“Chris has played with some of the best youth and high school programs in the nation,” Davis said. “He is a great soccer player, a terrific student and has a great feel for the game from the defender position.  This feel for the game allows him to be very effective in the attack and brings an added and important dimension to our team.”

Bryce Rockwell Ashton will enroll at WSU next year after earning All-State honors during his junior and senior season at South Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The three-time All-District pick was twice named the Summit Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was a NSCAA All-Region IV honoree during his senior season. As a member of the Regional ODP outfit, Rockwell Ashton traveled to Spain and Argentina and helped his state ODP squad to the national championships in 2008 and 2009.  He presently plays club soccer with FC Pride.

“Bryce is a major threat in the attack the entire time he is on the field,” Davis said.  “All he does is score goals and he will help us keep teams honest by his constant desire to attack defenders.  He will bring a lot of excitement to Alumni Field for the next 4 years.”

The fourth signee that will join Wright State next season is Will Gbelee of Dematha Catholic High School in Beltsville, Maryland. Gbelee was named to the Washington Post All-Met squad, garnered All-State First Team honors and was a two-time All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference pick as a defender. An ODP participant, Gbelee was a member of the Maryland ODP squad and was a Region I Pool selection in 2008.  He presently plays club soccer in the USSF Potomac Academy U18 team.

“We are very excited to have added Will to our class this year,” said Davis.  “Will is a player that we feel can shut down anyone in the nation defensively.  He has a knack for winning every battle on the field and will be a welcomed addition to our already strong defense.”

The second recruit from Ohio is Greg Marchand of Massillon Jackson High School, a teammate of Zuniga, and was member of the Polar Bears Federal League Championship squad last season. Marchand was a First Team All-Ohio pick as a senior and was named to the All-League squad three times in his career. He plays club soccer for the USSF Internationals Academy U18 Team and has been an Ohio ODP selection four times. In the classroom, he ranks 21^st of 458 students at MJHS and was admitted into the Wright State Honors Program.

“Greg comes to Wright State a versatile and hard-nosed player,” said Davis.  “In order to win in college soccer you need to have players capable of playing many different roles and Greg is absolutely that type of player. He is a solid student-athlete that could potentially find his niche anywhere on the field for our squad.”

Chris Nieto joins the Raiders after a solid playing career at Lake Highland (Texas) High School near Dallas. The midfielder was named to the All-District squad each of the past three seasons, including two-straight First Team awards, and, as a freshman, picked up the district Newcomer of the Year accolade. Nieto was a two-time adidas ESP participant and was named to the Disney All-Star Chelsea Football Team in 2007.  He is a member of the USSF Solar Academy U18 Team.

“Chris is an electric player that can change the momentum of a game at any time,” said Davis.  “What is exciting about him is that he has a great soccer brain and is mature beyond his years with his on field decision making.  He will be a welcome addition to our already gifted midfield.”

A four year letterwinner at Loveland (Colo.) High School, Drake Stewart joins Wright State after a decorated prep career. The Berthoud, Colorado native scored 42 career goals and was a four-time Front Range Conference pick as a forward. He was a two-time All-State honoree and was named to the All-Area team during each of final three seasons at LHS. He is presently a member of the USSF Colorado Rapids Academy U18 Team.

“Drake is a player Wright State fans will enjoy.  He is the quintessential target forward and really will help bring a physical presence to us up top,” said Davis.  “What drew us to him in our evaluation was the way he battled as a forward.  This will allow him to wear down opponents and help us as we build our attack.”

Darian Lopez joins the Green and Gold after earning Second Team All-State honors during his senior season at Unioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio. The midfielder was named to the First Team All-District squad and was the MVP and Golden Boot Award winner while at UHS.  He presently plays club soccer for the U18 Metro Rapids out of Dayton, OH.

“Darian is a terrific find for Wright State and we feel that he has his best soccer ahead of him,” Davis said.  “He possesses great speed and is in great physical condition.  Simply put, he outworks his opponents and is ferocious when competing in one-on-one situations. He is a player that we are excited about and he is an element that will fit well with our current group.”

The fourth player from Ohio to be added for 2010 is Angelo Capuano from Massillon Perry High School, where he earned All-State honors as a senior. A competitor with Marchand and Zuniga in the Federal League, Capuano was a First Team All-District, All-County and All-Federal League pick during his final season at MPHS.  He presently plays club soccer for the Everest SC U18 team.

“We feel that Angelo is a really good signing for us,” said Davis. “He gets up and down the flank with tremendous speed and has a great knack for putting his stamp on the game.  I am really excited to watch Angelo grow with our program over the coming years.”

The first of two goalkeepers to join the squad next season, Jacob Bye lettered all four seasons for Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wisconsin. He earned All-State accolades during his junior and season seasons, garnering All-Conference First Team honors both years, and won the Wisconsin Club State Championship during three of the past five years.  He presently plays club soccer for the USSF FC Milwaukee Academy U18 Team.

“Jacob, from my perspective, has grown a lot over the past two years,” said Davis.  “He has tremendous ability as a shot stopper and is a solid athlete in net. He finds a way to keep the ball out of the net, which is a great quality to have as a goalkeeper, and I am looking forward to seeing his growth with us.”

The final addition for the 2010 season is Nick Huftalin of Winnebago High School in Rockford, Illinois. He was a four-year starter in goal and earned All-Conference during each of his four seasons at WHS. He helped the Indians to the IHSAA State Championship as a junior and helped capture three Big Northern Conference Championships. He ranks eighth in career shutouts in the state of Illinois with 44 and his 20 shutouts in a season rank fourth on the single season state charts.  He presently plays club soccer with the Rockford Raptors.

“Nick is going to bring our team a lot of leadership ability as a goalkeeper,” Davis said.  “He is an exciting addition and has all of the necessary qualities to be an outstanding keeper.  I feel that with the great foundation he has set as a player, mixed with our system of development day in and day out, Nick has some great days ahead.”

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