UC Irvine - Three Star Class Ranking -  George Kuntz has added a six member recruiting class that he hopes will help fill the void that exists due to the graduation of six senior starters including midfielder Matt Murphy who is U.C. Irvine’s all-time leader in goals, points, and game-winning goals and defender David Sias who was named the 2008 Big West Defender of the Year.  The Anteater newcomers are an exciting and balanced class with a ton of potential that is no doubt a reflection of the success that the Anteaters enjoyed in 2008 when they were 15-2-6 overall, won the Big West Conference Championship, made their presence felt on the national scene, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in NCAA Tourney play.  Kuntz stated, “This recruiting class adds size, speed, and skill to an already talented group returning next year.”  Defender Dirk Petersen, who transfers in from Yavapai College where he helped the Roughriders secure a 50-2-0 combined record in 2007 and 2008 and win two NJCAA National Championships, is among the newcomers who should make an immediate impact.  Kuntz clearly has some rebuilding to do heading into the 2009 campaign but the good news is that plenty of talent returns, led by forwards Irving Garcia (7g, 9a) and Spencer Thompson (8g, 6a) who were 2008 All-Big-West First Teams selections.  Both should be in line for productive seasons again in 2009.  Junior Amani Walker (4g, 5a) and senior Carolos Aguilar (3g, 3a) also return to give U.C. Irvine a core group of prime timers up-top with the ability to wreck havoc on opposing defensives in 2009.  Senior Kevin Santora (2g, 3a) and junior Gray Bailey (1g, 3a) are among returning midfielders who were starters last year.  Both were key contributors last year.  Senior J.T. Terrazas who redshirted the 2008 campaign and sophomores Norby Rodriquez (1, 0a) and Brett Berman (1g, 0a) are among other returning midfielders who should challenge for playing time in 2009.  Junior Corey Attaway who had seventeen starts last year and sophomore Jimmy Turner who had eleven starts are among returning defenders.  Kuntz will likely count on both of them for defensive consistency in 2009.  Seniors Eric Shuffle and Luke Van Patten, junior Joel Bagby who redshirted the 2008 season, and sophomores Stephen Carveth and Everett Pitts are among other returning defenders who will vie to play a greater role in 2009.   Sophomore Andrew Fontein, who was a College Soccer News Third Team All-Freshman selection and the Co-Big West Conference Freshman of the Year, returns between the pipes for the Anteaters.  Fontein, who had five shutouts last year and a 1.02 goals against average last year, will enter the 2009 campaign with the benefit of having a year of experience under his belt but will also likely face a great deal more pressure than last year in the early going due to the rebuilding that will be going on in the back as a result of the graduation of Sias, Kyle Schmid and Shane Westbrook.  Considering the questions this team has on defense and the fact that the Big West Conference looks to again be extremely competitive from top to bottom, it’s not easy foresee U.C. Irvine having the type of season in 2009 that they had in 2008.  On the other hand, there’s a lot to like about the Anteater offense and the strength of the team in the past has been the ability of Kuntz to effectively mold the individual talents of his players into a unified team.  Repeating as Big West Conference Champion may not be in the cards for U.C. Irvine in 2009 but a return trip to the NCAA Tourney is definitely not out of the question.  Look for the early season games to set the pace for that Anteaters and to tell you a lot about the mettle of this team in 2009.

 

Enrique Cardenas - Midfielder - Coachella Valle High School - First Team All-Desert Valle League-2008 Desert Valley League Player of the Year - First Team All-CIF - Attack oriented. 

 

Stephen Griswold - Defender - Mount Carmel High School - Member San Diego Surf U-18 Development Academy Team - All-CIF First Team for the San Diego Section - All-Valley First Team.

 

Jake Marcon - Defender - Dana Hills High School - Played for United FC - U-17 UFC CSL Premier Team Captain - 2009 North vs. South CIF All-Star - Good athlete with solid touch on the ball.

 

Zach Olow - Forward - Poway High School - Played for Poway Vaqueros SC - San Diego County All-CIF First Team - First Team All-Palomar - Runner up for Palomar League Player of the Year.

 

Dirk Petersen - Defender - Yavapai College - Huntington Beach High School - Member Yavapai College NJCAA National Soccer Champions in 2007 and 2008.  Good size and soccer savvy. 

 

Jonathan Prieto - Midfielder - La Habra High School - Played club with Barcelona FC - Invited to U-18 U.S. National Team Camp - First Team All CIF - First Team All-Freeway League.