Feb. 18, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland men's soccer head coach Sasho Cirovski has announced what will undoubtedly be one of the top recruiting classes in the nation as eight student-athletes will join the Terrapins in 2008. Five student-athletes are NSCAA high school All-Americans and four of them have spent time with United States Youth National Teams. Included in the class is Casey Townsend, who joined Maryland in the spring semester and is ranked the No. 6 recruit in the country according to Rise Magazine.
The incoming class includes midfielder Karou Forbess (Garland, Texas), midfielder Matt Kassel (Bridgewater, N.J.), forward Alex Lee (Derwood, Md.), goalkeeper Zac MacMath (St. Petersburg, Fla.), midfielder/forward Conor O'Leary (Rochester, N.Y.), midfielder/forward Matt Oduaran (Bear, Del.), and midfielder/defender Tommy Schaeffler (Edgewater, Md.)
"I am extremely pleased to announce another outstanding recruiting class and welcome them into the Maryland Soccer family," Cirovski said. "Their individual resumes and soccer skills are both varied and impressive but more importantly, they embody all of the core values that we look for. They are all winners as they come from great families, have a passionate love for the game and are great competitors. Every one of these young men wanted to be a part of Maryland Soccer as much as we wanted them."
With the return of sophomores Jason Herrick and Kevin Tangney, the Terps look to be reloaded and poised for another postseason run.
"The infusion of this extremely talented class combined with the return of Jason Herrick and Kevin Tangney is reason enough to be excited for the 2008 season," Cirovski said. "When you add to that a hungry and focused returning group, it gets me really excited for all of the possibilities. We should have more competition at every position since the 2005 Championship season and that bodes well for our great fans."
Incoming Player Bios (in alphabetical order):
Kaoru Forbess
Midfield
5-10, 165
Benton, Ark./Garland, Texas
Naaman Forest HS (Texas)
Before Maryland: Ranked the No. 3 recruit in the nation by Rise Magazine ... has played with the U-18 National Team ... two-time adidas ESP All-Star in 2006 and 2007 ... considered the best player at the camp in 2007 according to U-17 National Team coach Wilmer Cabrera, who coached him at the camp ... PARADE All-American in 2007 as a junior ... two-time NSCAA High School All-American ... played with the national U-18 team in an international tournament in Slovakia in 2006 ... has also trained with the U-16 and U-15 national teams ... member of the Region III ODP 1988 team ... transferred to Naaman Forest from Benton High School in Arkansas after sophomore year ... first freshman in Arkansas history to be selected to the All-Arkansas Boys Soccer Team ... voted Offensive MVP in both years at Benton ... scored 22 goals and 10 assists in 13 games as a freshman ... led Benton to AAAAA-South Championship as a freshman and the final as a sophomore ... played for Little Rock Futbol Club and Solar Soccer Club in Dallas under coach Kevin Smith.
Personal: Full name is Kaoru Alexander Forbess ... the son of Chiyuki and Michael Forbess ... born August 20, 1989 ... has an older brother, Hikaru, and a younger brother, Michiru, and sister, Akane ... chose Maryland because of academics and the game atmosphere at Ludwig Field ... lists Kaka as his favorite athlete and Lance Armstrong as the person he admires.
Cirovski on Forbess: "Kaoru is an extremely creative attacking midfielder. He has great vision and is a gifted passer. In the past year, he has physically matured and has taken his game to new heights."
Matt Kassel
Midfield
5-11, 160
Bridgewater, N.J.
Bridgewater-Raritan HS
Before Maryland: Ranked the No. 9 recruit in the nation by Rise Magazine ... has played with the U-15 and U-18 National Teams ... adidas ESP All-Star from 2005-07 ... two-time NSCAA High School All-American ... named New Jersey Player of the Year by the NSCAA and Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior ... three-time all-state honoree ... widely considered as the best player in the New York Red Bulls youth program ... named Player of the Year in the youth program the last two seasons ... member of the Region I ODP Team ... scored 110 goals in his high school career ... scored 13 times as a freshman and recorded 27 goals and 17 assists as a sophomore leading the Panthers to the Group 4A state title ... scored 32 goals and 13 assists as a junior to lead the team to another state championship ... scored 38 goals as a senior.
Personal: Full name is Matthew Timothy Kassel ... the son of Gina and Tim Kassel ... born October 30, 1989 ... has two older sisters, Jenn and Lauren ... chose Maryland because he feels it displays the best soccer in the country and it fits his style ... lists his favorite athlete as David Beckham.
Cirovski on Kassel: "Matt is an extremely gifted midfielder. He has an exceptional feel for the game and plays with a commanding personality. Matt has two good feet, passes extremely well, and has great instincts around the goal."
Alex Lee
Forward
5-10, 165
Rockville, Md.
Magruder HS
Before Maryland: 2007 NSCAA High School All-American ... Washington Post First Team and Examiner All-Met ... Maryland First Team All-State and First Team All-Montgomery County by the Washington Post and Gazette ... named Magruder's Most Outstanding Attacker after leading the team to the 4A state title and a perfect 19-0 season ... scored 21 goals in 16 games last season setting the single-season record at Magruder ... also owns the career record with 52 goals ... led basketball team to the state championship game as a junior as the starting point guard ... set high school records for most assists in a season and career in basketball ... played club soccer for the Potomac Cougars under coach Pete Mehlert.
Personal: Full name is Alex Francis Lee ... the son of Diane and Henry Lee ... born on January 15, 1990 ... identical twin brother, Justin, has committed to Penn State ... also has a younger brother, Nathan ... chose Maryland because he always dreamed of playing for the Terps ... lists his parents as the people he most admires.
Cirovski on Lee: "Alex is the big time `sleeper' in our class. He is a great local talent. He is physically gifted and is a tenacious competitor. Alex has a great nose for the goal and makes great runs off the ball. He is also a talented basketball player but I am excited to see his development as he turns his focus solely to soccer."
Zac MacMath
Goalkeeper
6-1, 170
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Bradenton Academy
Before Maryland: Joined the United States National Team residency program in 2006 ... competed with the U-17 team at the 2007 FIFA World Cup, starting two games in goal ... member of the U-18 and U-20 national team pools ... toured with U-23 team in China ... PARADE All-American as a junior ... allowed just seven goals in 10 matches in 2007 in international competition for the U-17 team, including 3.5 shutouts, for a 0.70 goals against average ... played 22 games with the U-17 team ... played club soccer for the Clearwater Chargers.
Personal: Full name is Zachary Michael MacMath ... the son of Marcia and Gary MacMath ... born August 7, 1991 ... has an older sister, Erin ... chose Maryland because he believes it gave him the best chance to succeed both on and off the field ... lists his father as the person he admires the most and Lance Armstrong as his favorite athlete.
Cirovski on MacMath: "Zac is the best high school goalkeeper in the country. He has incredible experiences for such a young player. He is a calming presence in goal, a great distributor with his hands and feet, and plays with a maturity beyond his years. Zac reads the game well and is excellent on crosses."
Conor O'Leary
Midfield/Forward
5-10, 155
Rochester, N.Y.
McQuaid Jesuit HS
Before Maryland: Played forward, midfielder, and defender in his four years at McQuaid Jesuit, leading the team to a 67-13-5 record ... led team to the Section V championship in 2005 and the section finals as a junior and senior ... advanced to the team to the state finals as a sophomore ... led the squad to three City Catholic League championships and was an all-star as a junior and senior ... All-Greater Rochester as a senior and named a scholar All-American ... member of the Region I 1990 ODP team that recently competed in the Disney Showcase inter-regional event.
Personal: Full name is Conor James O'Leary ... the son of Mary Theresa and Timothy O'Leary ... born October 16, 1990 ... has an older brother, Patrick, and sister, Cecilia, and younger brother, John ... chose Maryland because of its facilities and coaching staff ... lists Steven Gerrard as his favorite athlete.
Cirovski on O'Leary: "Conor is an extremely athletic and agile young man who has great versatility. I expect him to improve rapidly and contribute in a multitude of positions. Conor will be competing to play in the wide midfielder or striker positions."
Matt Oduaran
Midfield/Forward
5-11, 165
Bear, Del.
Caravel Academy
Before Maryland: NSCAA Regional All-American and first team all-state as a junior and senior ... second team all-state as a sophomore ... member of the all-conference team all four seasons ... nominated for Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and senior ... led Caravel Academy to the state finals as a junior and the semifinals as a senior ... played club soccer with Kirkwood Premier, Concord Arsenal, and is currently with DC United ... member of Region I ODP 1990 team and has played internationally in Italy, France, Argentina, and Brazil.
Personal: Full name is Enemute Matthew Oduaran ... the son of Earlean and Enemute Oduaran ... born January 24, 1990 ... has younger brother, Justin, and a younger sister, Kristina ... chose Maryland because of the soccer program and the environment ... lists his favorite athlete athlete as Samuel Eto'o ... lists his parents as the people he admires most.
Cirovski on Oduaran: "Matt is an athletic and skillful young man who will also compete in the wide midfield and forward positions. He has a lot of potential and I am confident he will realize that potential because of his great appetite to learn."
Tommy Schaeffler
Midfield/Defense
6-2, 165
Edgewater, Md.
Archbishop Spalding HS
Before Maryland: Played four years of varsity soccer as a midfield and a forward ... served as captain as a senior ... played for club team SAC United Premier under coaches Rick Cantore and former Terp Sean Wray ... led club to the state championship in 2006 and 2007 ... advanced to finals in 2004 and the semifinals in 2005 ... has played internationally in Italy, England, Brazil, and Argentina.
Personal: Full name is Thomas Abegg Schaeffler ... the son of Kari and Mark Schaeffler ... born September 13, 1990 ... has an older sister, Kate, who played soccer at Rice ... chose Maryland because of its diverse community and degree options ... lists Cristiano Ronaldo as his favorite athlete ... lists his grandfather as the person he admires the most.
Cirovski on Schaeffler: "Tommy is a skillful young man who has emerged in the last year into one of the top local products. He has two good feet and a great appetite for learning as well. I expect him to get better with every practice. Tommy is very versatile who can play anywhere in the midfield or on the back line."
