March 31, 2003
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State men's soccer team has bolstered its 2003 roster with the signing of 11 players, announced head coach Lev Kirshner. The group is made up of six prep stars, including a pair of teammates from local powerhouse Poway High School, and five transfers from elite four-year schools and junior-college national powers, including 2002 junior college Div. I player of the year Jordan McKee.
"This is the best class of my four years at State," Kirshner said. "It is a great group characterized by depth and the potential for immediate impact. We bring in a mix of youth and experience to fill our roster needs, and we signed two of the top four-or-five players from the San Diego area."
Additionally, the SDSU roster will be reinforced by the return of midfielder Kevin Sapanli (San Diego, Calif./La Jolla HS), a 2001 all-MPSF selection who missed last season fulfilling an international studies requirement in Italy. Sapanli, who has his senior year of eligibility remaining, brings point-a-game impact (22 career points in 22 games at SDSU) back to the Aztec program.
McKee's signing continues the pipeline of talented winners from 2002 junior college national champion Yavapai College to San Diego, as he is the latest Roughrider to join the Aztecs following recently graduated Adam Kulpa and rising senior Kenny Fechner. McKee (Tucson, Ariz.), who garnered almost every possible accolade at Yavapai including NSCAA JC Div. I Player of the Year and NJCAA National Championship Tournament MVP, is the most credentialed Aztec signee since three-time World Cup participant Marcelo Balboa. The tenacious and athletic defender will immediately fight for a starting job, as Kirshner is counting on McKee to solidify an injury-depleted 2002 back line with his play and leadership qualities.
SDSU has continued to land top local talent in prep standouts Kraig Chiles and Colin Jennings, co-captains at Poway this past season. Chiles amassed a laundry list of honors during an impressive senior season: all-CIF, all-North County, all-league and the San Diego High School Tournament MVP. He brings the ability to create and finish scoring chances to this SDSU class. Teammate Jennings, a two-time all-conference selection, is a strong and technically gifted central midfielder who helped the Titans to a pair of Palomar League Championships. He captained the Surf Soccer Club for the last five years and was a member of the Southern Cal ODP team for the past four years.
A pair of transfers from 2002 NCAA Tournament teams will supply experience and competitive spirit to the Aztecs this season. Heath Creager (Glendale, Ariz.), who attended his first two years of college at national power Indiana, has signed a grant-in-aid to compete for San Diego State and will have three years of eligibility remaining on the Mesa. The 2000 Arizona prep player of the year and a four-time all-state selection, Creager brings a strong and athletic presence to the Aztec attacking scheme and the experience success at every level from club to college.
Josh Boys (Ventura, Calif.), who played in 25 games for Oregon State over parts of three seasons, is already attending State and will have his senior season of eligibility remaining. Boys, a very technical 6-foot-2 holding midfielder, should combine with Sapanli to plug an immediate need in providing poise and leadership to the 2003 Aztec midfield.
The Aztecs inked two other SoCal preps in Josh Arenas (Claremont, Calif./Lutheran HS) and Dione Scott (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame HS). Arenas, a versatile attacker who is best suited for central midfield, garnered all-CIF, all-league and team MVP honors during his prep career. The first NCAA Division I athlete from Lutheran, Arenas was also all-league in football and basketball.
Scott, a two-time all-league selection who was also named all-CIF, brings firepower to the Aztec attack as the second straight Mission League Offensive Player of the Year to sign with SDSU (following Mike Husky). He is an accomplished club player who started for Dallas Cup champion West Valley Samba.
SDSU reached out of state for Andrew DiCicco (Wethersfield, Conn./ Wethersfield HS) and Tally Hall (Gig Harbor, Wash./Gig Harbor HS). DiCicco, a two-time selection to Connecticut's 17-player all-state team as well as the all-region team, helped Wethersfield to a pair of state championships. A four-year member of the Region I Olympic Development Program, DiCicco arrives on the SDSU campus with great domestic and international experience and supplies a little east coast style.
Hall, a 6-3 goalie who has been rated as one of the top seven keepers in the West, should flourish under the recent pedigree of outstanding SDSU goalkeepers begun by current assistant coach Matt Hall and continued by recently departed all-MPSF performer Brian Barnes. A two-year member of the Washington ODP team and a state championship keeper from club team FC United, Hall should immediately challenge for a starting role.
Additionally, the Aztecs welcome in Jason Benedict (Phoenix, Ariz.) from Mesa Community College in Arizona and Jason Smith (Trinity, Calif.) from Southwestern Oregon Community College. Likely the most athletic member of the incoming class, Benedict runs a sub-50 second 400-meter dash and bench presses 275 pounds, athleticism that helped him earn all-city and all-region honors during his prep career at Desert Vista High School. Smith, a 6-3, 200-lb forward, is Southwestern Oregon's all-time leading goalscorer and brings his much-needed finishing ability to a program in search of scoring punch.
"It was very important to bring in the experience and new energy these players provide because we have again stepped up the competition level of our schedule with national powers like Rutgers and St. John's on the slate," Kirshner said.