Aug. 8, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill.--Head men's soccer coach Tim Lenahan's 2006 freshman class has been ranked the 21st best recruiting class in the country according to collegesoccernews.com. In addition, two of those incoming freshmen, Eamon O'Neill and Mark Blades, have been named among the "top 100 freshmen to keep and eye on" this season.
Indiana was the only other Big Ten school ranked above Northwestern.
"I think it is a great testament to the growth of our program and the incoming players recognizing the value of a Northwestern education that we are able to attract some pretty good players," Lenahan said. "The current team members are our best recruiters and they all did a great job in selling the vision of what we are as a team. The last time our recruiting class was ranked nationally was four years ago and that group (last year's graduating seniors) really put Northwestern on the map. I hope that this group is able to learn to bleed purple as well and fulfill their potential. If we do, then great things are in store for Northwestern Soccer."
O'Neill and Blades, both highly recruited NSCAA high school all-Americans, are part of a very talented six-member incoming class. Blades, a Lakewood, Ohio native who led his high school to two state championships, was named the 2005 Ohio Player of the Year after recording 17 career goals and 41 assists. O'Neill hails from Wilmington, Del. where he took his Salesianum High School team to three state championships, recording 69 career goals and 64 assists and was named the Delaware Player of the Year in recognition of his outstanding efforts.
Also coming on board is Pat Coleman, a talented all-state defender out of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, forward Kevin Valenta, a first-team all-state forward out of St. Louis and all-state defender Drew Pavlovich out of Leawood, Kan. The sixth member is Daniel Pydo, an Illinois native who transfers in from Georgetown this fall.
Northwestern begins preseason practice tomorrow (Aug. 9) and opens up exhibition play this weekend when they travel to north for a match at Marquette University at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Wildcats open the regular-season at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25 against Hofstra in Evanston in day one of the fourth-annual Lakeside Classic.