June 14, 2004

The University of San Diego men's soccer program, under the direction of 26th-year head coach Seamus McFadden, will have eight new faces joining them this August when camp begins.

"This incoming group is very athletic and will help fill some voids created by our graduating class of seniors," said head coach Seamus McFadden.

The three recruits with local ties include Julian Santana, a 6-1 All-CIF defender from Poway High School; Ian Coffman, a 6-0 goalkeeper from St. Augustine High School; and Dustin Guerra, a 5-8 midfielder out of Valley Christian HS who played locally for the San Diego Surf. Santana has good size and is a player that makes good decisions. Koffman is a good keeper and local player with abilities. Guerra, enrolled at USD this past year, is a solid athlete who worked out with the team this past spring.

Two other recruits from California are teammates on the San Juan Predators club team, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation for under-19 club teams. Leon Abravanel, a 5-10 defender from South Lake Tahoe High, is a great athlete with good speed and athleticism. Adam Mariani, a 5-9 midfielder from Jesuit High School near Sacramento, is very versatile and a good athlete that can play many positions. USD's last recruit from California is Blaine Smith, a 6-1 defender/midfielder from Temecula Valley High School. Smith, enrolled at USD this past spring semester, is a strong athlete who worked out with the team during their spring session.

Rounding out the class is Rune Knudsen, a 6-3 defender from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Dane McCleary, a 5-10 defender from Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii who is an All-State soccer player and a member of the New Zealand Men's U-20 National Team.

The Toreros are coming off a 12-4-4 season that saw them advance to the NCAA Tournament second round and finish with a national ranking of 18th (Soccer Times).