Men's Soccer Signing Day Central
2/6/2013 5:00:40 AM | Men's Soccer
VIDEO: Coach Kennedy discusses the 2013 Signing Class
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern Men’s Soccer has signed its Class of 2013. The following student-athletes have submitted their National Letter of Intent (NLI) with the Eagles and begin play in the Fall of 2013.
“We are very excited about these five guys coming in,” said Head Coach Kevin Kennedy. “We have a good mix of players from defenders to midfielders to forwards, and not only is the talent there, but we have found players that come from winning programs. These players have a great mentality and we are excited to get them here on campus.”
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JEREMY RECTOR
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FWD
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6-0
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150
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Duluth, Ga.
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Peachtree Ridge H.S. |
Georgia United
(USSF Development Academy) |
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Jeremy Rector from Duluth, Ga. joins the Eagles after playing for both Peachtree Ridge High School and Georgia United of the USSF Development Academy system.
“Jeremy really embodies what we are looking for in our forwards,” said Kennedy. “Not only is he great off the ball, he can make space for himself, he can turn defenders, he is very quick and athletic, but he also really embraces the things we ask our forwards to do defensively. Jeremy will fit in very nicely with our other attacking players.”
Rector played for three seasons at Peachtree Ridge before forgoing his senior season to train with the USSF Development Academy Georgia United. At Peachtree Ridge, Rector was a finalist for “Gatorade Player of the Year” while scoring 22 goals with 9 assists in an 18 game season in 2012. He also earned ESPN and College Soccer News Top-150 honors to go with MVP of the Georgia All-Star Game.
In 2012 before moving to Georgia United, Rector was named All-Southern Region by NSCAA and was a part of the Fire’s 2011 USSF Southeast Region Championship team.
The son of Joe and Jeanne Rector, Jeremy plans to major in business.
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JOSHUA WARD
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DEF
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6-1
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175
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Lake St. Louis, Mo.
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Wentzille Holt H.S. |
Jefferson College
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Georgia Southern’s second transfer joins the Eagles after two seasons at Jefferson College. A center back, Joshua Ward hails from Lake St. Louis, Mo.
“Josh is just a tough kid, he is good in the air, he reads the game well, but most importantly, he communicates well with the midfielders and the rest of defense,” said Kennedy. “Like Danny Arrazola, he was a team captain at Jefferson College and he was also a junior college All-American. One of the things I like most about Josh is that even though he was a central defender, he scored five goals last season, so not only can he get the job done defensively, but he can also score on set pieces.”
Ward scored five goals in 2012 as team captain of the Jefferson College, leading the Vikings to a Conference Championship and the No. 5 seed at the NJCAA National Tournament. Ward was a second team NJCAA All-American. He played with fellow Georgia Southern transfer Daniel Arrazola while at Jefferson College.
The son of Keath Ward and Denise Lunn, Joshua will major in business with a minor in sport management.
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CHRIS MACMURRAY
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MF
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6-1
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165
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Hilton Head, S.C.
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Hilton Head H.S. |
Norcross Fury Gold
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Christopher MacMurray, a native of Hilton Head Island, S.C. has inked his NLI with the Eagles after playing at Hilton Head Island High School and for the Norcross Fury Gold club side.
“Looking at Christopher, I think it shows a tremendous amount of dedication to be based out of Hilton Head and play club soccer in the Atlanta area,” said Kennedy. “He is a tremendous kid, a great student, but on the field he has a great physical presence and can win a lot of balls in the air. He has a great work rate and terrific attitude and we think that he can compete to be one of our holding midfielders.”
MacMurray enters his senior season as a two-time All-State selection on a back-to-back-to-back regional championship team at Hilton Head Island H.S. During the 2012 season, MacMurray earned a spot on SCSoccer.com’s Super 22 Team while leading the Seahawks in scoring.
The son of Christopher and Elizabeth MacMurray, Christopher plans to major in sport management at Georgia Southern. His older sister, Katherine, played four years of soccer at NCAA Division III Centre College in Danville, Ky.
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DANIEL ARRAZOLA
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MF
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5-6
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150
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Santa Cruz, Bolivia
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Juan Pablo II H.S. |
Jefferson College
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Daniel Arrazola will join the Eagles in 2013 as a transfer from Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo. A native of Santa Cruz, Boliva, Arrazola enters his junior season in 2013.
“Danny is a great central midfield player,” said Kennedy. “When I saw him play in the Junior College National Tournament, he was very crafty with the ball, he has a very good technical base, he likes to play one and two touch soccer and can get forward and attack. Off the field, he is a tremendous young man, great character, he was team captain at Jefferson and he was named All-American at the junior college ranks. We are very excited about the depth and experience that Danny will bring us in the midfield.”
While at Jefferson College, Daniel was a NJCAA and NSCAA All-American in 2012 while the Vikings posted a 14-7-1 overall record. He scored six goals with four assists last season. As a freshman in 2011, Arrazola picked up All-Conference and All-Region honors as well. Arrazola played alongside fellow transfer Joshua Ward with the Vikings.
The son of Antonio Arrazola and Carmen Julia Suarez, Daniel plans to major in marketing.
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HUNTER LOYDEN
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DEF
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5-7
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150
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St. Petersburg, Fla.
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St. Petesburg H.S. |
Clearwater Chargers |
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Hunter Loyden signed with the Eagles after a standout career at St. Petersburg High School and with the Clearwater Chargers.
“Hunter is a tremendous fit for our style of play,” said Kennedy. “As fans know, we play a 4-3-3 with a big emphasis on our outside backs getting forward and getting involved in the attack. Even though those players are defenders, we put a premium on getting forward and combining in the attacking third. He is a high energy player that can be very tenacious in attack. Again, he comes from a program that produces a lot of high-level college players. We are excited about what Hunter can bring us not only this year, but also in the future.”
While in middle school, Hunter was chosen along with his sister, Taylor, to train with the Everton FC Academy in Liverpool, England for a week. Currently, Loyden serves as the Captain for the Clearwater Chargers of the USSF Development Academy system.
The son of Susan and Shawn Loyden, Hunter has not yet chosen a major.with a minor in management.
Georgia Southern Men’s Soccer opens the 2013 spring season on February 24th with a pair of games at Eagle Field against Mercer and North Georgia. The first game of the day starts at 1 p.m. with the second beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Fans can follow their Eagles at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com or receive short updates at facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics or on Google+ at gplus.to/GSAthletics.
