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Metro State men add nine
Metro State men’s soccer coach Ken Parsons recently announced the addition of nine players for the 2010 season on Thursday. Five freshmen, a sophomore and three transfers will make up the recruiting class.
Freshmen Walter Bertini, Ryan Duran, Carlos Mendez, Diego Lashlee and David Toler and sophomore Cam Wood join NCAA Division I transfers Morgan Maestas (San Diego State University), Andrew Mejia (University of San Diego) and Stephen Zipprich (Santa Clara University).
Bertini is a 6-foot-3 forward/midfielder from Boulder, Colorado. He will graduate from Boulder High School this spring after being named honorable mention all-state and first team all-conference this past fall. Bertini netted 15 goals as both a junior and again as a senior. He also competed for the Boulder County Force club team, scoring 23 goals in 2009.
“Here is a player that can flat out score goals and really change a game,” Parsons said. “He has great size and finishing ability, and really separated himself from other players in this Colorado graduating class. He is a player who received lots of attention from opponents but still found ways to be productive. He’s a player we feel can earn significant minutes in the fall.”
Duran is a 5-foot-10 goalkeeper from Chandler, Arizona. He will graduate from Basha High School this spring and led the Bears to two state tournament appearances during his four years as a starter in net. As a senior this past fall, he set the school record for saves in a season with 164 and also had five shutouts. He was a two-time honorable mention all-state honoree.
“He is a player who continues our recruiting ties to the state of Arizona. Ryan is an extremely talented and hard working goalkeeper who I feel can really blossom under the tutelage of our goalkeepers coach and by competing against our other talented ‘keepers on a daily basis. His greatest attributes are his work ethic and his coachability. He is a goalkeeper who will continue our great tradition of goalkeepers during his time here.”
Mendez is a 5-foot-10 midfielder from Denver. He will graduate from Broomfield High School this spring, where he was a two-year letterwinner, leading BHS to two state tournament appearances. He also lettered as a sophomore at Northglenn High School. As a senior, Mendez was named honorable mention all-state and first team all-conference, scoring 15 goals and tallying 10 assists as Broomfield reached the state tournament semifinals. He also competed for the Storm North Red club team and scored nine goals with 18 assists in 2009.
“He is a very creative player who comes from one of Colorado’s best high school soccer programs. Carlos is an extremely gifted player who can do a variety of things from a variety of different positions. A great 1-v.-1 player, we expect Carlos to earn significant minutes as an outside midfielder in the fall.”
Lashlee is a 6-foot forward from Denver and graduated from Cherry Creek High School in 2009. Lashlee was named first team all-state as a senior. He led the Colorado Rush Nike club team to the 2009 state championship, west region championship and a third-place finish at nationals.
“Diego is a hard working player who has done well this spring to put himself in a great position to earn a starting role next year. He is a player who is dangerous as a left midfielder and also has a knack of scoring goals from the forward position.”
Toler is a 6-foot-2 defender from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He will graduate from Sandia High School this spring, where he was named second team all-state and first team all-district as a senior. Despite playing in the back, Toler scored two goals and had six assists as a senior and totaled four goals and 10 assists in his career. He lettered three years, also earning honorable mention all-district honors as a junior.
“David will continue to fit the mold of big, strong, ball-winning defenders we have had at Metro State. He comes from Sandia High School in Albuquerque, which is a traditional power at the New Mexico high school level. David has the opportunity to compete for playing time right away.”
Wood is a 5-foot-11 midfielder from Morrison, Colorado. He will have three years of eligibility left after attending college and playing for the Colorado Rapids Developmental Academy in 2009-10. A 2009 graduate of Bear Creek High School, Wood was a two-time all-conference forward.
“He is a hard-nosed defender and a hard working midfielder. Cam comes from the Colorado Rapids Academy program where he has played against the best players from across the nation in the U.S. Developmental Academy. His versatility will provide us with different options and an opportunity to earn significant playing time. His experiences at the prep level will translate well to the college game.”
Maestas is a 6-foot-1 goalkeeper from Denver and will have three years of eligibility remaining after he sits out the 2010 season due to transfer eligibility rules after competing for San Diego State University in 2008. He played in five games with four starts for the Aztecs in 2008, posting a team-best 1.16 goals against average and .783 save percentage, while stopping 18 shots and posting one shutout with a 1-3-0 record. A 2007 graduate of Chatfield High School, he was a three-time first team All-Jeffco and was first team all-state as a senior and second team all-state as a junior.
“Morgan possesses all the physical attributes and skills needed to be a very successful ‘keeper at the RMAC, regional, and national level. He is a player I really liked as a prep player but a player who was highly recruited by D-I schools. I was excited that he chose to attend Metro after returning home. With an already great pool of goalkeeper’s, he will push himself and the others to carry on the great tradition of ‘keepers we have had at Metro State.”
Mejia is a 6-foot defender from Littleton, Colorado, and will be a redshirt freshman this fall after redshirting at the University of San Diego in 2008. A 2008 graduate of Mullen High School, he was three-year letterwinner and named academic all-state.
“A transfer from the University of San Diego, Andrew has the opportunity and ability to earn a significant role this fall. Andrew is a tenacious defender and is a dangerous player coming forward. His play has a strong resemblance to [2009] All-RMAC senior captain Pat Laughlin and already comes in with the understanding of how we like our outside backs to play.”
Zipprich is a 5-foot-11 forward from Denver and will be a sophomore this fall. He has sat out the past five seasons after playing his 2004 freshman season at Santa Clara University. As a freshman, he appeared in nine games and attempted two shots for the Broncos. Zipprich was a 2004 graduate of Denver South High School, where he was named first team all-state and All-Colorado as a senior and was a four-time first team all-conference honoree.
“Stephen was an outstanding prep player who comes to us after an absence from the game. He will be our most versatile player who can play every position on the field outside of goalkeeper. He has an outstanding understanding of the game; his experience will be of great benefit to the team.”
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