March 19, 2007
KINGSTON, R.I. - University of Rhode Island men's soccer head coach John O'Connor has announced the incoming class for the 2007 season. His first recruiting class at URI, the Class of 2011 is composed of six student-athletes hailing from the East Coast and Midwest.
"We're very excited to have this group of tremendous young men coming to campus, where I'm confident they will be great additions to an already wonderful Rhode Island soccer family," O'Connor said. "This is my first recruiting class and assistant coaches Gareth Elliott and Pat Laughlin (now head coach at the University of Maine) did a wonderful job putting this group together. We've added a lot of depth, talent, character and athleticism to the squad and we expect many of these boys to come in and push for time."
GREG BALICKI - 5'9" - 170 - M/F - Wilbraham, Mass. (Wilbraham-Monson Academy)
"Greg is a player who has been on the URI radar since he was a sophomore in high school. When he visited campus this past fall it was like he was already a part of the team. We think he can make an immediate impact and will have a terrific career in Rhody blue. Greg had a lot of great choices in schools and we are just ecstatic he chose Rhode Island as the place to spend his college years."
Prior to URI: Captain and three year starter at Wilbraham-Monson Academy for coach Gary Cook... Named to 2006 National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-America Team... Three-time NSCAA All-Region and All-State selection... 2006 Western Massachusetts High School Player of the Year... Led WMA to Western New England Prep School League Championship... Scored hat trick to lead WMA to the New England Prep School Class B Championship... Three-time WNEPSSA All-Star... Holds WMA record for career goals (65), goals in a season (36) and points in a season (43)... Played club soccer for Western United FC... Former Region I Olympic Development Program and youth national team pool member.
JOE DONIGAN - 6'0" - 160 - M - Lawrenceville, N.J. (Notre Dame HS)
"Joe is a player who consistently recruited us, showing his desire to attend URI which will be important to the success during his career. He comes from a family that has deep roots in the game of soccer as his dad played college soccer at Atlantic-10 rival Temple, his Uncle Mike played at Navy while his other Uncle Dan (who now coaches at St. Louis University) was an All-America and Herman Trophy winner at the University of Connecticut. So, we were not surprised when we saw his abilities as a player and are excited to be a part of his family's soccer history."
Prior to URI: Team captain and three-year letter winner at Notre Dame HS for coach Mike Perone... 2006 New Jersey All-State... Two year starter who helped lead ND to two consecutive Mercer County Tournament and Conference Championships... Named 1st Team All-Mercer County... Selected to compete in the Mercer County Hall of Fame "Glenn Mooch Myernick" All-Star game in 2006... Captained and played club soccer for the Hibernian Huskies FC for father Joe Donigan, Sr... 2006 US Club Soccer state champions and USYSA New Jersey State Cup finalists.
MATT PREYSS - 6'3" - 185 - F - Chagrin Falls, Ohio (Chagrin Falls)
"I've known Matt since my days at the University of Chicago where his brother Ben played for me. He comes from a wonderful family and I have seen him grow not only as a person but a player. He's a big, strong athlete who we feel will only get better in our training environment and throughout his career at URI."
Prior to URI: Captain and three-year letter winner at Chagrin Falls High School for coach Mario Gerhardt... 2006 Ohio All-State... Cleveland News Herald All-Star first team... Three-time All-CVC selection... Three-time All-Greater Cleveland pick... As a senior named a starter in the Cleveland Coaches All-Star game... A member of four straight district championship teams... Won two state regional championships... State runner-up in 2003... Sixth all-time in total points at Chagrin Falls with 36 goals and 20 assists... Played club with Cleveland United for Coach Joe Raduka for 6 years... As a senior played for Cleveland Soccer Academy and Coach Everett Palache... Helped the Cleveland United/Cleveland Soccer Academy to USYSA State Cup championships in 2002 and 2006 respectively... Recipient of University of Rhode Island Centennial Scholarship award... Graduated mid-year from Chagrin Falls and will spend the spring in Namur, Belgium... Brother Ben was captain and NCAA Division III Regional All-America at the University of Chicago for Coach O'Connor... Sister Lauren is a Division III All-America swimmer at Case Western Reserve University after transferring from Division I Arizona State University to Penn State University to CWR.
MICHAEL TANKE - 5'7" - 145 - M - Niles, Mich. (Niles)
"I first saw Michael when I was coaching at the University of Notre Dame soccer camp and was impressed by him as a player. When I arrived on campus last year there was a letter in the files from him to Coach Bradley expressing his interest in URI. I was excited and knew then this could be a very good match. Michael is a very technical player who has tremendous passion for soccer. I consider him a student of the game and with that skill I'm confident in his ability to help this team from the time he steps on campus."
Prior to URI: Four-year letter winner at Niles High School for coach Jerry Holgren... Named first team All-State in 2006... Two-time All-Regional team selection... Three-time All-District... Four-time All-Conference... Set school record for goals (58), assists (47) and points (163)... Senior captain who led Niles High School to its first District Championship... Regional II Olympic Development Program pool player... Four-time Indiana ODP team and captain... Played club soccer for the Indy Burn Eagles and coach Isang Jacob... Two-time USYSA Indiana State Cup Champions... Help lead Indy Burn to 2nd-place finish in the Midwest Regional Premier League... Awarded University of Rhode Island Centennial Scholarship.
PEYTON WARWICK - 6'2" - 172 - GK - Prairie Village, Kan. (Shawnee Mission South)
"Peyton comes to URI with great experience and will add depth to an already strong area for our team. He will help training immensely and will challenge for time from the get go. He connected with the team immediately when he visited campus in the fall and we feel he will have a bright future in the Rhody program."
Prior to URI: Three-year letter winner and captain at Shawnee Mission East High School for coach Jim Ricker... All-Sunflower League honorable-mention as a senior... All-State Honorable mention as a junior... All-Sunflower Conference second team selection in 2005... Starting goalkeeper for the Kansas State Olympic Development Program team for coach Joe Burger... Played club for coach Jon Collett on the Kansas City Legends... 2006 Missouri USYSA State Cup finalists... Competed in 2005 Region II USYSA tournament after winning the Missouri State Cup... His brother, Taylor, played at Fairfield and was on Coach O'Connor's team at the University of Notre Dame soccer camp.
NICK WILCOX - 5'10" - 170 - F - Westerly, R.I. (Chariho)
"Nick has been interested in coming to URI since I arrived on campus last March. It will always be our goal to have the best players in the state playing for us and Nick is no exception. After I got to work with him at the Dartmouth College camp I was sold by his speed and nose for the goal. His athleticism, speed and quickness will be hard to deal with as he advances in his career. We look forward to what his future brings the URI program".
Prior to URI: Four-year letter winner at Chariho High School for Coach Mike Shiels... A two-time first team All-State selection... Scored 53 goals and 26 assists for 132 points during his high school career at Chariho and Westerley HS (one year)... Captained CHS team as a senior... Plays club soccer for Blackwatch SC under former URI assistant coach Pat Laughlin, who now is the head coach at Maine... Competed in the 2006 US Club Soccer National Cup Finals in Orlando, Fla... Played club for five years with Mid-State United SC for Coach Mario Pereira... Two-time USYSA Rhode Island State Cup Champions... Competed in Region I USYSA Tournament of Champions.
