NAMPA, Idaho - Northwest Nazarene University head men's soccer coach Coe Michaelson is excited to announce the signing of six new student-athletes to letters-of-intent to attend NNU and play for the Crusader men's soccer program this fall.
“We could not be more pleased with this group of players,” coach Michaelson commented. “This class has players who are ready to come in and make an immediate impact on the program as we seek to take the program to the next level. There were two simple factors that we looked at in our 2010 recruits...character and ability. All of these players represent these characteristics in abundance.”
The six initial signings for NNU are as follows, in alphabetical order:
The lone transfer is Alan Bosio, who is a two-time Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAAC) Eastern Region Player of the Year, bagging the honor in both 2008 and 2009 as a striker for Treasure Valley Community College. “Bosio is a lethal attacker, dangerous from anywhere in the final third, as proven by his achievements at TVCC where he has been at or near the top of the NWAACC scoring charts throughout his two seasons,” Michaelson added. His experience and ability mean that he will make an immediate impact in the Crusader attack.
Daniel Clark joins the Crusaders from Littleton, Colorado where he plays for Real Colorado Soccer Club. While he attends Front Range Christian School, Daniel plays in the midfield for Columbine High School, where he is also the starting point guard for the varsity basketball team. “An all-conference central midfielder with excellent passing ability and vision, Daniel's IQ on the field and in the classroom has helped him to a 4.1 GPA and numerous soccer honors along the way.”
Stephen Davidson is yet another product of Nampa's dominant Skyview High School soccer program, where he was an All-Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) selection, following in the footsteps of four former Hawks on the NNU roster. Stephen carries a 3.9 GPA and is also a captain and a starting center back for the U18 Boise Capitals Gunners team that has won five Idaho State Championships. “His athleticism, ability and leadership at the back are expected to have an immediate impact defensively for the Crusaders,” Michaelson commented.
John Dilulo is a multi-sport star from Boise High School, where he won two 5A Idaho High School State Championships as a starting striker/winger and was also the starting running back for the BHS football team. An all-SIC selection in both sports, John is also a member of the Boise Nationals Soccer Club, where he has won three Idaho state championships at the club level. Michaelson comments, “Johnny's pace, athleticism and versatility make him an exciting addition to the program and someone with the ability to contribute from day one.”
Evan Horwood brings a rich NNU Soccer heritage with him to NNU, as the grandson of former Crusaders coach, Art Horwood. Evan attends Intermountain Christian High School in Salt Lake City, where he has led his team in scoring each year since his freshman year, having compiled over half of the team's goals during his junior year in 2009. Evan is also a starting striker/midfielder for the Impact Soccer Club and a member of the Utah Olympic Development Program (ODP) team. “Evan brings much needed depth to the Crusader attack,” Michaelson added.
David Watson joins NNU Soccer from Mountain View High School in Meridian, Idaho where he was a three year member of the varsity team and starting defender, while carrying a 3.9 GPA. During David's three years, MVHS lost in the 5A state final to Boise High School twice and was fifth during his senior year, when he was also a team captain. David is also a five-time club State Cup Champion as a member of the U18 Boise Capitals Gunners, along with fellow recruit Stephen Davidson. Michaelson adds, “David's athleticism, size and defensive ability are well suited to the college game.”
In describing this group of players, coach Michaelson says, “We are very excited for 2010. Along with these six players, we expect a few more signings for 2010, as well as Jose Oregon and Chris Voth returning from redshirt campaigns this year. Jose was an all-GNAC player in 2008 and Chris was our second leading scorer, so along with these new players and 19 returning players, competition will be fierce. With two seasons under our belt, we have made some changes in our program that we see as positive and our returning players are motivated to improve upon the form we showed in 2008.”
“While we know this past year was unfortunate in terms of the injuries we experienced and circumstances that were beyond our control, the guys are working very hard this off-season and are excited that we have some great new players coming in,” Michaelson continued. “Entering our third year as a program, 2010 will be the first time that we actually feel we have the depth necessary for the college game, and we feel that we are starting to see our roster come together like we envisioned when we set our initial three-year plan for building a nationally competitive squad. These new players add character, ability and academic achievement to our roster. Their impact will be immediate and sustained, and we can't wait to get started in August of 2010.”
