Pitt men’s soccer program announces 5-player recruiting class

PITTSBURGH – University of Pittsburgh men’s soccer head coach Jay Vidovich announced Monday that five student-athletes will be joining the Pitt men’s soccer program for the 2019 season.

The Panthers will welcome transfers Arie Ammann, Matt Bailey and Braden Kline along with freshmen Luke Mort and Veljko Petkovic.

Ammann, Bailey, Kline and Mort will all be competing for Pitt in its upcoming spring season.

“It’s great because we’ve been able to have most of them come in early and we’ve had the opportunity to work with them all spring,” said Vidovich. “We’ve had time to fit them into what we are trying to do here. We’re very excited to be working with them and they look promising and seem like they know how we want to play.”

Arie Ammann / Goalkeeper / Round Hill, Va. / Penn State / Woodgrove High School

AT PENN STATE (2018)
Started three matches … Posted two shutouts on the season … Gave up only one goal on the season and finished with a 0.875 save percentage.

AT PENN STATE (2017)
Did not play due to injury.

AT PENN STATE (2016)
Played in seven matches with five starts … Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after earning wins against James Madison and Oakland … Secured one shutout and three wins for the Nittany Lions.

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Woodgrove High School.

ACADEMY
Played for DC United 16U in sophomore year …Team ranked first in the country … Last two years of high school played club soccer for Watford DC for U18s and U21s.

PERSONAL
Son of Mike and Gina Ammann … Has two siblings, Nico and Dylann.

VIDOVICH ON AMMANN
“He’s a transfer from Penn State who also has experience playing with a great DC United program. He’s also the son of Mike Ammann, who was a longtime goalkeeper in the MLS, so that background should be great for us.”

AMMANN ON PITT
“I chose Pitt because I saw an opportunity to work under a great coaching staff who will make me a better a player and will put me back on track to my goal of playing at the next level.”

Matt Bailey / Midfield / Kent Island, Md. / UMBC / Saints Peters & Paul High School

AT UMBC (2018)
Played in 19 matches with 17 starts … Recorded 11 points on the season with five goals and one assist … His five goals were tied for first on the team … Collected three game-winning goals on the season.

AT UMBC (2017)
Played in 15 matches with two starts … Recorded two assists … Named to the America East Conference (AEC) All-Rookie Team.

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Saint Peters & Paul High School and competed in the MIAA “B” Conference … Led team in goals and assists in both seasons … Helped team reach the MIAA “B” Conference Finals his senior season … Two-time First Team All MIAA “B” Conference selection … MIAA League MVP in his senior year.

ACADEMY
Played for Baltimore Bays U-14 Academy in 2013-2014 … Competed Baltimore Armour U-16 Academy 2014-2016 … Played for Pipeline Soccer Club 2016-2017 … Joined Baltimore Celtics in summer of 2018 … Team won the US Youth Soccer U-19 National Championship … Scored the game-winning goal in the match.

PERSONAL
Son of John and Marybeth Bailey … Has two siblings, Sean and Michael.

VIDOVICH ON BAILEY
“We love his personality. He is a competitive player who will bring that edge to the team. We will see how he adapts to us and see what he brings to the program moving forward. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to the speed of the ACC.”

BAILEY ON PITT
“I chose Pitt because I feel that this is a program in which I can grow and get better every day. It is filled with players and coaches who have a similar goal as me: winning a national championship and playing professional soccer. I also chose Pitt due to the high standard of academics, especially regarding the business program.”

Braden Kline / Midfield / Lancaster, Pa. / Providence / Manheim Township High School

AT PROVIDENCE (2018)
Played in 17 matches while starting nine … Recorded the game-winning assist in a 1-0 win over Albany … Helped team advance to the Big East Semifinals.

AT PROVIDENCE (2017)
Played in 18 matches with 17 starts … Recorded three points on one goal and one assist.

AT PROVIDENCE (2016)
Played in 19 matches while starting 17 … Scored one goal and recorded one assist … Helped the team win the Big East Regular Season Championship … Helped the team advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Manheim Township High School … Team captain for two years … Led the team to three State Cup Runner Up finishes.

ACADEMY
Played for PA Classics Academy and FC Delco … Seven-time national training center invitee.

PERSONAL
Son of John and Stacy Kline … Has one sibling, Chandler.

VIDOVICH ON KLINE
“This is a player who brings the history of local ties. He played on the same club as Bryce [Cregan]. He’s an attacking piece who has a great feel for the game. We will see how he adjusts to the ACC and what he will bring to the game.”

KLINE ON PITT
“I chose Pitt for the competition in the ACC along with the great coaching staff. After coming from a winning program at Providence, I feel I can bring a winning mindset to the Pitt program.”

Luke Mort / Forward / Greensburg, PA. / Greensburg Central Catholic High School

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Greensburg Central Catholic … Team went 64-13-1 over four years … Team was the WPIAL Runner-Up and PIAA State Semifinalist in senior season … Three-time All-Section and All-WPIAL selection … Was nominated for National Gatorade Player of The Year in senior season … Finished his high school career with 133 goals and 61 assists … Was also a member of the track team, where he holds the school record for the 100 meter … National Honor Society member and high honors all four years.

ACADEMY
Played for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ academy team and trained with the first team.

PERSONAL
Son of James and Lauren Mort … Has one sibling, Keturah.

VIDOVICH ON MORT
“He played for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds youth club. He had a great team there – another local team and we are very happy to have another player from there to work with. He has tremendous pace, ability to shoot from the corner, and I think he has a tremendous upside that we are looking forward to working with.”

MORT ON PITT
“I chose Pitt because of the competition the ACC entails along with the privilege of playing under coach Vidovich and the rest of the staff all while receiving a great education at a university with diverse academic programs.”

Veljko Petkovic / Midfield / Hiš, Serbia / Maspeth High School

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Maspeth High School.

ACADEMY
Played for the New York City FC youth team.

PERSONAL
Son of Nataša and Bojan Petkovic … Has two siblings, Bratislav and Ognjen … Brother, Bratislav, plays soccer at Lehigh.

VIDOVICH ON PETKOVIC
“He has the potential to be one of those special players. He has a great feel for the game. He brings such a competitive edge to the team. I think he is one of those guys that can make an immediate impact coming in.”

PETKOVIC ON PITT
“Pitt has welcomed me to its program with open arms and already holds a special place in my heart. The staff, players and everybody in between are all good people, and that’s an environment I want to be a part of. The players push each other day in and day out, which is something I respect as a person and appreciate as an athlete. I can’t wait to get to Pittsburgh and make Pitt proud.”