Men's Soccer Southern Conference

Davidson Announces Soccer Signees

DAVIDSON, N.C. - Davidson Head Men's Soccer Coach Matt Spear recently announced the addition of four individuals who will wear the Wildcat red and white in the 2003 season. Marco Antunez (Norwalk, Conn.), Cass Baltz (Pocatello, Idaho), Mac Wilkie (Syracuse, N.Y.), and Robbie Reynolds (Los Angeles, Calif.) all announced their intent to play soccer for the Wildcats next year.

"We are extremely excited about the high quality of this year's recruiting class," said Spear. "In losing only three seniors to graduation compared to eight last year, the class is smaller in number and focused positionally on attacking players. Giving up just 22 goals for a 1.04 goals against average is awesome and the best in the modern history of the program. But this year we want to improve our offensive stats and increase from scoring 36 goals. We have set a team mark at 50 goals for next fall. Our spring training has focused on that endeavor and our recruiting certainly reflects that as well."

The 2002 Davidson soccer team lost three seniors in starting goalkeeper Soren Johnson, forward Hussein Nasreddin and starting midfielder Joel Sadler. The team finished 10-6-4 overall and 5-2-1 in the Southern Conference. The Wildcats scored big wins over then-number two North Carolina and then-number two South Carolina in the early part of the season. Davidson also used a late-season tie against number eight Clemson to claw its way into the hunt for a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

After closing out the regular season with losses to number one Wake Forest and number seven Furman, it appeared the Wildcats needed at least an appearance in the conference tournament championship game to think about an at large NCAA Tournament bid. Unfortunately, the Southern Conference was forced to cancel the competition after only one round of play due to inclement weather conditions. Furman, the regular season champion, received the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

A three-time all-state honoree, Marco Antunez will be a strong addition to the Wildcat front line. The forward was a three-time team MVP on the Green Farms Academy team and was named to the All-Fairchester League team during each year of his high school career. Antunez was a member of the Beachside club team that was State Cup Champions for two years and finalists for six years. The team was a Region I semifinalist in 2001. The honor student spent three years with the Connecticut ODP State team, two years with the Region I team and two years as a member of the U.S. National Team pool.

"At Davidson there is such a strong team chemistry and family atmosphere," said Antunez. "I came from a small high school so the small environment was also a positive quality. The combination of solid soccer and strong academics is perfect for me."

"Marco is extremely talented in taking players on," said Spear. "His speed is excellent, but it is his dribbling, combination play and scoring capabilities are what most excites me. He is the total package. When Marco came to Davidson on his official visit, it was an immediate positive and indelible connection between himself and the current players."

MacGregor Wilkie, better known as Mac, has a nose for the goal as he was the leading scorer at Jamesville-DeWitt High School for three years. The midfielder/forward captained the team during his final two seasons and was honored as the team MVP as a senior. Wilkie was an all-league selection during his four varsity soccer seasons and was NSCAA All-State and All-East Region selection this past year.

"Mac is a tremendous soccer player that understands the nuances and complexities at a very advanced pace," Spear commented. "He has a great mind for the game and technically, he possesses supreme ball control, can strike long passes and shoot with the very best. Academically, he is this year's winner of Davidson's prestigious Bryan Scholarship which recognizes athletic excellence, academic success and leadership potential."

Wilkie has captained his club team, Blitz Blizzard, for six years. The Blizzard is six-time New York State Cup Champions and three-time National Indoor Champions. Wilkie has also been the captain of the New York State West ODP team for four years as well as a contributer on the under-14 and under-16 national teams.

"I am very excited to be coming into the Davidson program at this time," said Wilkie. "It is a program on the rise to national prominence and I am looking forward to the opportunity to play a part in it. I am also thrilled to be a part of the great atmosphere created by the attitude of the players, coaching staff and supporters."

Cass Baltz, a midfielder, has a long list of athletic and academic accomplishments. Baltz was a member of the number-one ranked Leesville Road High School team during his sophomore season. He was an all-conference team member in his final year and received academic all-conference recognition during his junior and senior seasons. His club team, '84 CASL Elite, was a regional semifinalist last year. The team was the Y-League National Champion in 2002 and a semifinalist at the Disney Soccer Showcase, after putting together a championship showing in 2001.

"I'm excited to play Davidson soccer because there is such a great possibility to succeed with all of the talented players that surround the program," said Baltz.

"Cass' skill on the ball is awesome and enables exciting one-on-one capabilities," Spear said. "I also like the fact that he is a fighter - he contests for every free ball and his defending is good. His club team is one of the best in the nation. Cass has been in so many big games, we know he can make an immediate jump to the college level."

Robbie Reynolds closes out the list of Wildcat recruits. The team captain at Brentwood High School is a very well-rounded individual. A four-year varsity soccer player, Reynolds earned first-team All-CIF as a junior and all-league honors for four straight years. He was honored as rookie of the year on his team as a freshman and named the team's most valuable player in 11th grade. The forward scored 46 career goals and tallied 37 assists.

"I am anticipating the chance to compete along side a collection of talented soccer players and have the opportunity to perform at the highest level of collegiate athletics," Reynolds said.

Reynolds was also a kicker for his high school football team and holds the school record for longest field goal at 48 yards. He is an AP scholar with honor and a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student.

"Robbie is a talented striker that can play as a target with his back to the goal and make smart, creative runs up top," Spear said. "Robbie grew up very involved with the UCLA men's team, and the impact from arguably the most storied program in NCAA men's soccer has been very positive and influential. He understands the forward's movement off the ball - how to get open and how to combine with teammates."

"Consistent with the tradition of Davidson soccer, these four incoming recruits are gifted, committed students," Spear concluded. "That will not change in our recruiting philosophy. We search long and hard for student-athletes that will thrive in the Davidson environment. These young men understand and relish the importance of achievement in the classroom and in the college community away from the soccer field. I am confident that their impact will extend across our campus."