Panthers Notch Eight Recruits In Solid Recruiting ClassMarch 1, 2005 MILWAUKEE - Complete Release and Recruit Profiles in PDF Format
After nine years as a head coach and four straight NCAA Tournament appearances University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee head men's soccer coach Louis Bennett obviously knows what works. Never has this been more evident than recently as Bennett went to areas where he has had much recruiting success in the addition of eight recruits to the 2005 Milwaukee recruiting class. Josh Curry, Andy Kolokoski and Adam Skalecki come from the Milwaukee area while Jon Stillwell, Colin Baker, Nkuti Ndely and transfer Jonathan Williams all prepped in Minnesota. Meanwhile the last member of the class, goalkeeper Matt Pyzdrowski, hails from the rich recruiting ground of the Chicago suburbs. All eight players have committed to play soccer at UWM beginning next season. "I feel we have added another layer of quality players to our program," Bennett said. "This class is very specific to our needs and that is what we were looking for. We feel we have some of the best players in the region coming next season. We hope all of the guys will play a major part in the continual growth of Milwaukee soccer." When Curry steps foot on campus he will join sophomores Steve Bode and Troy Spielmann as former Milwaukee Marquette High grads on the UWM squad. The high-scoring Curry earned Second-Team Milwaukee Journal Sentinel All-Area accolades as well as being named All-Greater Metro Conference two consecutive seasons. Curry, a forward, helped lead MHS to three state championships during his high school career. Kolokoski will come to UWM from Arrowhead High School in Hartland. The midfielder excelled for four seasons and earned First-Team All-Classic 8 honors each of the last two seasons. Kolokoski was named a Second-Team All-State selection by the WSCA as well as a Second-Team All-Area pick by the Journal Sentinel. Skalecki, a midfielder, comes from a soccer-strong family as his brother Tony currently plays at Yale. Skalecki attended Wauwatosa East High School in Wauwatosa, Wis., where he earned honorable mention all-area honors. The midfielder also joined fellow recruits Curry and Frazier on the 2004 Greater Metro Conference All-League team. Stillwell joins a long list of former Minnesota prep standouts to attend Milwaukee and will become the third Minnesota Mr. Soccer (Bobby Lish, 1999; Dan Horst, 2002) to play for the Panthers. Stillwell was a concensus First-Team All-State by the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the MSHSSCA this past season. An NSCAA First-Team All-American, the midfielder, also earned NSCAA All-Region honors each of the past two seasons. A standout at South High School in Minneapolis, Baker joined Stillwell on the MSHSSCA Class AA First-Team All-State squad this past fall. A two-time First-Team All-Minnesota City conference player, Baker led his South High School team to a 15-5-1 record this past season. One of the top offensive players in the area, Baker finished his senior season with 27 goals and 11 assists. A midfielder and defender at Coon Rapids High, Ndely will become the first player in school history to play Division I soccer when he suits up at UWM. Ndely was twice named a First-Team All-Northwest Suburban Conference pick and an all-state honorable mention pick by the Minnesota High School Soccer Coaches Association. Ndely scored nine goals as a senior en route to team Most Valuable Player honors. Williams, who is already enrolled at UWM, transferred to Milwaukee from the University of Louisville where he played two seasons. An athletic midfielder, Williams scored three goals to go with four assists in 38 games at the Conference USA school. Williams prepped at Wayzata High School in Minnetonka, Minn., where he earned all-state honors as a junior and senior. A two-time first-team all-conference performer, Williams also earned First-Team All-Metro honors from the Minneapolis Star Tribune as a senior. Pyzdrowski, the final recruit in Milwaukee's 2005 class, prepped at Fenwick Hich School in Oak Park, Ill. where he lettered for three seasons. A two-time First-Team All-Catholic League pick, Pyzdrowski was one of the top goalkeepers in the Chicagoland Region last season. In addition to his all-league accolades, Pyzdrowski was named a Special Mention All-State choice by the Chicago Tribune as well a First-Team All-Region selection. The Panthers return 15 letterwinners and seven starters from last season's 14-5-3 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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