SIUE men’s soccer signs 12 newcomers ahead of 2020 NCAA season

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) men’s soccer’s 2020 roster will look significantly different. After losing 10 seniors following its 2019 season, head coach Cale Wassermann and the Cougars will welcome 12 newcomers to the program.

The class is the first full recruiting class for Wassermann, who begin his second season in charge this fall.

“I could not be more excited about this recruiting class,” Wassermann said. “Losing 10 seniors this year meant it was vital that we identified and brought in a great group of student-athletes. We brought in six guys in January who fit in right away and were making great contributions before the spring semester was cut short. With the addition of the six more players coming in August, we truly feel that we will be in great shape for the future. We made it a priority this year to not only go after the highest-end players but also guys who we felt would be great for team culture and fit our academic expectations. I can’t wait to get started with this group.”

All 12 newcomers are profiled below:

Max Broughton

Rawstenstall, England
Former Teams – Salford City/Bolton Youth Academy
Defender
*Captained the England Youth National Team (U17) on his debut
Wassermann on Broughton:
“Max was a target for us since I was hired last year and we are thrilled to add him to the squad. He is a smart and technical central defender with high end passing range who will really fit into our style of play and he also has a great balance of size, athleticism, and defensive awareness! With guys like Jake Meier and Aaron Crabtree who have already made an impact at the central defender position, we are excited for the future with Max joining.”

Omer Cohen

Hometown – Hod Hasharon, Israel
Former Team – Hapoel Herzliya
Midfielder
Wassermann on Cohen:
“Omer comes in as a graduate student after also serving in the Israeli Army. His maturity and experience will help our group transition after losing 10 Seniors. Omer is so mobile in the midfield; he will fit into our style of play and has a great demeanor which will make for a quick transition into college athletics.”

Wesley Gibson

Hometown – Morton, IL
Morton High School
Former Team – Central Illinois United
Defender
Wasserman on Gibson:
“Wesley is another great addition. Our assistant coaches identified Wesley and he did a phenomenal job at our summer recruiting camp last year which gave us the opportunity to really get to know him. Wes plays the right way and has a ton of potential.”

Sam Gomez

St. Louis, MO
Webster Grover High School/Syracuse University Transfer
Former Team – St. Louis Scott Gallagher Elite
Goalkeeper
Wassermann on Gomez:
“Sam is a great competitor who is so determined to make his mark. With the loss of two goalkeepers this fall, Sam will have the opportunity right away to contribute. Sam is a winner and will bolster our GK group right away.”

Seth Korenek

Corpus Christi, TX
Ray High School/University of Tulsa Transfer
Former Team – South Texas Futbol Club
Midfielder
Wasserdmann on Korenek:
“Seth is high character kid who is extremely focused and hungry to be at his best. With an attitude like that and with his technical ability, he will add to our midfield right away.”

Tor Erik Larsen

Alesund, Norway
Purdue Fort Wayne Transfer
Former Teams – Spjelkavik IL and Aalesunds U19
Goalkeeper
Summit League All-League Newcomer Team and 3-time Defesive Player of the week
Wassermann on Larsen:
“Tor brings with him two years of Division I experience where he was a starter and a proven goalkeeper. With a great presence and high-end distribution, he will immediately be in contention to be on the field.”

David Lianes

Madrid, Spain
University of Dayton Transfer
Defender
Started in 55 games in three seasons at Dayton
Wassermann on Lianes:
“After an injury kept him out last fall, David is fully recovered and joins us a Graduate Student. He has worked so hard to get back to 100 percent and I am so excited for him to be able to be back on the field. He is a natural lefty with great experience and vision.”

Cam McNeil

Rochester Hills, MI
De La Salle Collegiate (High School)/Oakland University and Marshall Transfer
Former Team – Vardar Academy
Defender
Wassermann on McNeil:
“I have known about Cam since he was in ninth or 10th grade as we are both from Michigan. With experience at the Division I level already, we were thrilled in his decision to transfer to SIUE where he has a chance to contribute in our back line and brings so much versatility.”

David Medeiros

Hometown – Boston, Ma/Sao Paolo, Brazil
Immaculata La Salle HS (Miami Florida)/Indian Hills Community College
Former Team – Santos Youth Academy (Brazil)/Weston FC Academy
Midfielder
First Team All-Region – Junior College
Wassermann on Medeiros:
“We are thrilled to add an attacker like David to the program. His attitude and personality are infectious and he brings so much positivity. As a player, he is highly technical and creative and will bring us an attacking threat that will cause problems for defenders right away.”

Mitchell Murphy

Quincy, IL
Quincy Notre Dame Prep HS/Southern Methodist University Transfer
Former Team – Lou Fusz
Forward
Wassermann on Murphy:
“Mitchell is an Illinois kid and we were thrilled with his decision to come to SIUE. He is so powerful and has a such a nose for the goal. Mitchell brings another punch up front along with Vincent Jackson and Alex Pontoni, Mitchell will be in a position to contribute early on.”

Alex Pontoni

Variano, Italy
Former Teams – Udinese/ASD Rive D’Arcano
Forward
Wassermann on Pontoni:
“With losing two guys like Lachlan McLean and Jorge Gonzalez, we are looking for someone to step up in the forward position. Alex comes from a great background in the Udinese Academy and will provide an immediate punch up front.”

Myles Sophanavong

Hometown – Peoria, IL
Peoria Notre Dame Prep
Former Teams – Central Illinois United/STLFC Academy
Midfielder
*NSCAA High School All American
Wassermann on Sophanavong:
“Myles is a fun player to watch! He is so versatile and with great technique and vision, he’ll find a way to contribute to our attack right away. It is great to add another High School All-American to our program.”