CHARLESTON, S.C. - The College of Charleston men's soccer 2009 recruiting class has been recognized by CollegeSoccerNews.com as one of the Top 40 recruiting classes of 2009. The Cougars class was ranked 37th in the poll.

"We knew our freshmen class would be very solid and this ranking confirms our expectation," said CofC head coach Ralph Lundy.  "This is a great honor for our program."

The Cougars 2009 class includes 11 signees. Top signees in the group include Robbie Benson, Shawn Ferguson, Ralph Lundy, III and Michael Coleman, all of whom were recently named High School All-Americans by ESPNRise.com Magazine.

The College of Charleston men's soccer team, which returns 14 letter winners from a squad that advanced to the Southern Conference Championship match in 2008, open their 2009 season on Sept. 1st when host Coastal Carolina. The match is set to start at 7 p.m.