Men's Soccer Adds 11 to 2016 Roster
7/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Falcon head men's soccer coach Doug Hill announced the addition of 11 players to the Falcon's 2016 roster. The freshman class of 2020, who is currently in the midst of Air Force Basic Cadet Training, boasts a myriad of skills aimed to strengthen the Falcon lineup for the upcoming season.
"We will look to some of the freshmen to step up immediately and compete for varsity minutes," explained Hill. "They come from eight US Development Academy teams representing seven states across the United States to include Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, New Mexico, Mississippi, Texas and Washington."
"It is a very balanced class by position and I hope to blend them into our system of play very quickly," Hill continued. "Two of the recruits attended the USAF Prep School on campus last year and come with that valuable extra year of experience."
Here's what the Falcon coaching staff had to say about the incoming class of 2020.
Munear Aboussaud
Munear will have the chance to compete against his brother who is currently a junior on Army West Point's soccer team. He is a very technical player that is good with both his feet and is a capable a goal scorer. He played for a top Academy team in Georgia. We are expecting him to continue his scoring success over the next four years and he will be a leader on and off the field for us.
Ben and Nick Blessing
The class of 2020 marks the first time in program history that twins were brought onto the squad.
Ben is a very consistent goalkeeper that has played for two top Academy teams in Texas. He played for Solar Chelsea and the Dallas Texans. He has great distribution and great shot stopping abilities. He will add good depth to this position as the team currently has a senior and junior playing in the goal.
Nick plays right in front of Ben as a center back that reads the game very well. He too played for the Dallas Texans and Solar Chelsea in Texas. Once he adjusts to the speed and physical play of the college game he will be a strong contributor to the program.
Cayne Cardwell
Cayne is a skillful and tenacious midfielder that won five state championships and a regional championship with Crossfire and Washington Premier. Usually playing a year or two age groups up, he still led his teams in both goals and assists. He attended the USAFA Prep School last year and we expect his athleticism and maturity to make him a leader of this strong group of incoming freshmen.
Wyatt Dial
Wyatt was a four year starter and two-time state champion at Phoenix, Ariz., powerhouse Brophy Prep. He is a very strong, athletic, skillful and extremely versatile player that led his SC Del Sol team to this past season's state championship. We expect him to adapt quickly to the physicality and speed of the college game and his ability to play anywhere on the field should earn him playing time right away.
Julian Flores
Julian comes to the Academy from Lonestar Soccer Club Academy and St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin, Tex. He left his home in Corpus Christi to pursue his dreams of performing at the highest level- on the field and in the classroom. We expect Julian to be a force in the center of midfield for the Falcons.
Hunter Hayden
Hunter is a big, strong defender from The Woodlands, Texas, where he played for Texas Rush Academy. He is a versatile player who can fill any position in the back line. We are very excited to have Hunter in our program and know that he will be a major contributor to our team's success.
Grant Livingston
Grant is a strong functional outside back that is known to shut down top attackers. He played for Real Salt Lake Academy team and his team won nationals. His mental toughness and competitiveness will allow him to compete for a starting position. He attended the USAF Academy Prep School last year.
Andrea Seazzu
Andrea is a very talented goalkeeper who comes to the Academy from Albuquerque, N.M. He spent the vast majority of his youth soccer career with the Rio Rapids Soccer Club, but spent the last year training and playing with the Colorado Rapids Academy in Denver. He is a great addition to our already strong group of goalkeepers.
Andrew Stant
A native of Dover, Del., Andrew joins the Falcon family after spending his youth soccer career with Continental FC Delco Academy in West Chester, Penn. Andrew is a very strong box-to-box midfielder and is a natural leader on the field. He gets better and better every time we see him play and we are very excited about his future here at the Academy.
Duncan Storey
Duncan has all the tools that will make him a valuable player to our program. He played for the Real Salt Lake Academy team for the past two years and lived in residency as he is a native of Mississippi. He is a great distributer of the ball, combined with his soccer savviness will add a needed ingredient to our team. He will compete for playing time as freshmen.
The freshman class kicked off their Air Force careers at Basic Cadet Training, June 30, at USAFA. Upon commencement from the six-week initial military training, the class of 2020 will be joining the team on the pitch as practice commences later this summer.
