SAN DIEGO – Head coach Lev Kirshner has announced the addition of two players to his nationally-ranked 2019 recruiting class. Forward Hunter George (Lincoln, Calif.) and defender Gísli Martin Sigurdsson (Kópavogur, Iceland) join the 2019 class that is ranked No. 12 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.
George is one of the top goal scorers on the West Coast. He currently plays for Sacramento Republic FC of the USL on an 'Academy Players on Professional Team' contract, which are designed to preserve players' amateur status. He is a four-star recruit ranked as the top player in the Northern California/Hawai'i region. Overall, he is ranked No. 33 in the TDS IMG Academy 150 and considered the No. 11 forward in the nation. He led the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Northwest Conference last season with 24 goals. His performance earned him selection into the league's Best XI. He has also been called up to three camps with the U-18 U.S. Men's National Team.
"We are very excited by Hunter's signing," Kirshner said. "He is an elite attacking player that will be a great complement to what we have and are bringing in this fall. We were close early in the process and obviously both parties built a great respect for one another illustrated by Hunter coming back to us in the end."
After taking a year off, Sigurdsson comes to the Mesa as an experienced defender who will bring depthto the SDSU backline. He most recently played for Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur in Iceland's second division, where he named the club's top youth player. He has also spent time with Iceland's youth national teams.
"Gísli was arguably the top player at the Iceland combine and we wanted to bring him straight from high school," Kirshner praised. "However, taking his gap year, will make Gísli better prepared to step in and be a big impact on our program and the Pac-12 conference."
MEET THE NEW AZTECS
Ranked the No. 12 recruiting class in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer
Matthew Hoppe – Forward – 6'2" 180 lbs. – ASU Prep Casa Grande – Barça Academy – Yorba Linda, Calif.
Hoppe, a four-star recruit, is one of the top forwards in the nation. He is ranked No. 30 Top Drawer Soccer (TDS) IMG Academy 150 and No. 5 in the Rocky Mountains & Southwest region. He was recently named to the United Soccer Coaches Youth All-American team and was one of three forwards named to the USSDA Best XI last year. A Yorba Linda, Calif. native, Hoppe currently attends ASU Prep, which has partnered with FC Barcelona to house the club's only residential program in the U.S. (Barça Academy).
Ryan McCusker – Forward – 6'0" 155 lbs. – Sage Creek HS – Pateadores SC – Carlsbad, Calif.
McCusker is a four-star recruit ranked No. 79 in the TDS IMG Academy 150 as well as No. 7 in the Southern California region. A dynamic playmaker, he was one of the top goal scorers in the region after scoring 17 goals in 19 starts for Nomads SC during their playoff run last year. He currently plays for Pateadores SC in the USSDA U19 Southwest conference.
Victor Rangel – Defender – 5'11" 155 lbs. – Granada Hills Charter – FC Golden State – Panorama City, Calif.
Rangel is a three-star recruit ranked No. 100 in the TDS IMG Academy 150 and No. 11 in the Southern California region. A product of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, Rangel was a member of the U-16 National Team. He currently plays for FC Golden State along with another future Aztec, Abraham Gonzalez.
Abraham Gonzalez – Defender – 5'11" 155 lbs. – Roosevelt HS – FC Golden State – Riverside, Calif.
Gonzalez is a three-star recruit ranked No. 137 in the TDS IMG Academy 150 and No. 13 in the Southern California region. Gonzalez joined Rangel on the U-16 U.S. National Team for Tournoi de Montaigu. He currently plays for FC Golden State with Victor Rangel. Prior to that, he played for the LA Galaxy U-13/14 team.
Tetsuya Kadono – Goalkeeper – 6'2" 190 lbs. – Woodbridge HS – Strikers FC – Irvine, Calif.
Kadono is one of the top goalkeepers on the West. A native of Japan, he currently is the captain for Strikers FC U-18/19 team where he has appeared in 70 matches over the past five years.
Blake Bowen – Midfielder – 5'8" 140 lbs. – San Clemente HS – OC Surf – San Clemente, Calif.
Bowen scored 34 goals and dished out 21 assists during his high school career and recently helped San Clemente High School win the CIF Southern Section championship. A natural goal scorer, Bowen also has been a three-time South Coast all-league selection and was named to the All-American watch list.
Austin Wehner – Forward – 5'11" 185 lbs. – Roseville HS – Placer United – Roseville, Calif.
Wehner has scored 44 goals and recorded 16 assists over his past two seasons at Roseville High School, which has earned him first team all-league honors. An elite striker, he also plays for Placer United, who he helped win the NPL Championship last year.
Gísli Martin Sigurdsson – Defender – 5'10" 160lbs. – Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur – Kópavogur, Iceland
Sigurdsson most recently played for Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur in Iceland's second division, where he named the club's top youth player. He has spent time with Iceland's youth national teams and will bring experience to the SDSU backline.
Hunter George – Forward – 5'8" 145 lbs. – Sacramento Republic FC – Lincoln, Calif.
George is a four-star recruit is ranked as the top player in the Northern California/Hawai'i region. Overall, he is ranked No. 33 in the TDS IMG Academy 150 and considered the No. 11 forward in the nation. He currently plays for Sacramento Republic FC of the USL on an 'Academy Players on Professional Team' contract. He led the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Northwest Conference last season with 24 goals. His performance earned him selection into the league's Best XI. He has also been called up to three camps with the U-18 U.S. Men's National Team.
Kirshner Adds Two to Loaded Recruiting Class
