Feb. 19, 2003
Head Coach Alan Dawson and the Old Dominion men's soccer program have announced that they have signed three upcoming freshman for the 2003 season. The newcomers will join a Monarchs squad that went 10-9-1 in 2002 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Soccer Cup, the farthest in school history.
Joining ODU next season will be Eric Hoglund (Fairfax County, VA), Gregg Mottinger (Carrollton, TX), and Ross McKenzie(Richmond, VA).
Hoglund is a defender from Hayfield High School in Fairfax, VA. He spent one year on his Regional Olympic Development Program (ODP) team as well as two seasons with the Virginia State squad. He was a member of the Grasshopper FC team when they became the first American team to win the Merseyside International Youth Football Festival (MIYFF) in Liverpool, England. He was named "Man of the Match" for both group play and in the finals of the Festival. Hoglund was named captain of that Grasshopper FC squad as well as his Hayfield team. He also won the Virginia State Championship while serving as captain of the Gunston American Premier team.
Mottinger is a midfielder and sweeper from Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, TX. He has already been named to the all-district second team as well as Defensive Player of the Year. Mottinger also served as captain of his Dallas Comets club team for three years and played five years on the Texas State ODP team, with two on the Region III Pool squad. He was chosen to attend the Adidas Elite Soccer Program in the summer of 2002.
McKenzie, a forward, joins ODU out of Clover Hill High School in nearby Richmond, VA where he was named to the all-district first team and all-metro second team as a junior. He played for the U-16 and U-18 Scotland National Team and scored a season record 67 goals in the Scottish Youth League. McKenzie won the State Cup Championship with the Richmond Strikers club team and has also played on the St. Johnstone and Dundee United squads.