Huskies Bring In Nine For 2007 Season

STORRS, Conn. (June 25, 2007) - Head Coach Ray Reid and the University of Connecticut men’s soccer team welcome nine new players from three countries for the 2007 season. Oscar Castillo (El Monte, Calif.) and Martin Nieuwoudt (Pretoria, South Africa) enter as junior transfers, while Jared Adamo (Riverview, Fla.), Joe Brantmeyer (Center Moriches, N.Y.), Tim Gebhardt (Center Moriches, N.Y.), Jordan Hale (Falmouth, Maine), Greg King (Queensland, Australia), Shawn Nicklaw (San Diego, Calif.) and Ryan Stinnett (Woodbridge, Va.) come to UConn as part of the Class of 2011.

“We are very excited about this incoming class of athletes and are eager to see how they adapt to play in BIG EAST soccer,” Reid said. “I am convinced that assistant coach Paul McDonough has once again put together one of the strongest recruiting classes in the NCAA, further exemplifying his position as the best college recruiter in the country. Each of these nine players brings an enormous amount of potential to the team; however, the true test of their talent will not be seen until December.”

TRANSFERS

Oscar Castillo – Defense (El Monte, Calif./Mountain View/Mt. SAC)

Castillo joins the Huskies as a junior transfer from community college Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. He played two seasons for the Mounties, earning First Team All-West honors in the junior college division. Prior to his time at Mt. SAC, Castillo lettered four years at Mountain View High School, earning first team all-league honors three times while captaining his team to the 2005 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Championship.

Reid on Castillo: “Oscar is an incredibly tough defender after spending two years playing for coach Juan Sanchez at Mt. SAC. During his time there, he really became a warrior in the backfield and a fierce competitor. His experience will be a huge asset within this group of newcomers.”

Martin Nieuwoudt – Goalkeeper (Pretoria, South Africa/Akasia/University of Pretoria)

Nieuwoudt brings a wealth of national team experience to UConn, including stints with the South African U15, U17 and U20 National teams. He attended the University of Pretoria, where he was pursuing a degree in Sport Science.

Reid on Nieuwoudt: “Martin is a very mature, strong goalkeeper. At 6-foot-3, he is very good in the air and has the potential to see time in goal for us this season. His competitiveness, drive and national team experience will be huge assets for the team.

FRESHMEN

Jared Adamo – Midfield (Riverview, Fla./Bloomingdale)

Adamo comes into Storrs with a history of athletic and academic success. In four years with the Bloomingdale High School soccer team, he captured five team awards, including the Best Offense, Coaches Award and Team MVP as a senior. In addition, Adamo was named to the Florida State, Region III and all-county teams, as well as the National Team Pool. In the classroom, he earned a 3.8 cumulative GPA and took home the AP Scholars Award.

Reid on Adamo: “Jared could see some time as either a wide midfielder or forward. He is expected to provide some needed depth and athleticism to the right side of our team.”

Joe Brantmeyer – Forward (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches)

One of two players from Center Moriches High School, Brantmeyer led the team and county in scoring as a senior in 2006 (23g), propelling the squad to the Suffolk County and Long Island Championships. He wrapped up his four-year career as the Suffolk County Player of the Year, as well as a two-time all-state selection, three-time All-Long Island honoree and four-time all-league team member.



Reid on Brantmeyer: “Joe had a tremendous amount of success at Center Moriches, leading them to the New York State championship game. We look forward to developing his skills at forward and midfield as we work to fit him into the UConn offense.”





Tim Gebhardt – Goalkeeper (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches)

A high school team member of Brantmeyer, Gebhardt helped lead Center Moriches to the Suffolk County and Long Island Championships as a senior, earning all-conference honors in the process. Off the field, he was a member of the National Honor Society and Principal’s Honor Roll and recognized as a Scholar-Athlete.



Reid on Gebhardt: Tim is the goalkeeper that really led Center Moriches to the New York State championship game. He has good hands and is very composed for such a young player. He is expected to battle for the starting job in goal come preseason.





Jordan Hale – Defense (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth)

The 2006 Gatorade Player of the Year and NSCAA All-American, Hale lettered four years for Dave Halligan, father of former Husky Pat Halligan, at Falmouth High School. He helped the team to two state championships in 2004 and 2006, as well as an overall record of 55-7-5 over the course of his career. Hale holds the school record for single-season assists, tallying 18 as a senior before becoming a four-time all-conference and three-time all-state honoree.



Reid on Hale: Jordan really has the potential to excel at either left midfield or left back. He is very athletic and we’re really looking forward to helping him develop as a technical player.”





Greg King – Defense (Queensland, Australia/Forest Lake State)

King brings a wealth of national team and club experience to the Huskies after competing with the Australian U20 team and the Australian Institute of Sport, as well as the national champion Queensland State and New South Wales State teams.



Reid on King: “Greg is a tremendous left back with a good amount of experience from his time with the Australian U20 National Team. He is expected to solidify the back four and help improve UConn’s defense.”





Shawn Nicklaw – Midfield (San Diego, Calif./University City)

A three-year member of the University City soccer team, Nicklaw helped lead his high school team to the 2005 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Championship and the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Eastern League Championships. Nicklaw also played with the La Jolla Nomads Soccer Club, earning the 2007 Red Bull National League Championship.



Reid on Nicklaw: “Shawn’s experience with the Nomads and coach Derrick Armstrong really helped develop his level of play. He has a great athletic quality to his game that is very reminiscent of current UConn senior Ryan Cordeiro.”





Ryan Stinnett – Midfield (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge)

Stinnett lettered three years at Woodbridge High School, serving a team captain as a junior and senior and earning second team all-district honors as a sophomore. He captured three Virginia State Championships with his club team, PWSI Courage 88 Red, in 2002, 2005 and 2006.



Reid on Stinnett: “Ryan is a very versatile player. He can come forward and attack from either the back or wide midfield, which will really add some offensive power to the midfield.”





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