March 5, 2008
NORFOLK, Va. - The CAA Champion Monarchs signed five recruits to national letters of intent as the team tries to defend its first conference title since 1991. The five newcomers signed to play for head coach Alan Dawson are Nick Foglesong (Fredericksburg, Va.), Adrian LeRoy (Ottawa, Ontario), Steffen Rabben (Fagernes, Norway), Micahel Roura (Middletown, N.J.) and Andrew Smith (Brick, N.J.). The Monarchs will look to reach the NCAA Tournament for the seventh straight season and add to an already impressive .750 winning percentage (42-12-6) in the CAA in that period.
"We feel we have a balanced recruiting class which addresses our immediate and future needs," said head coach Alan Dawson. "Having three of the group as a part of our present squad helps us tremendously in transitioning into the fall. As always, we will continue to search for late additions to our squad and expect to add up to three more players."
Foglesong, a midfielder from Fredericksburg, Virginia, was First Team All-District his sophomore and junior years as well as Second Team All-District as a freshman. Playing for the Richmond Kickers Elite club team, he helped lead the team to the 2006 State Cup Championship and was chosen to play in an All-Star game at the Triangle Friendlies in North Carolina. The South Stafford HS grad played for the 1990 Virginia State ODP team for five years and was chosen to represent Virginia in Italy and Germany. He played in the Regional Semi's all four years and played in the Regional Finals three out of four season. He is presently enrolled at Old Dominion and is part of the Monarchs spring squad.
LeRoy, an Ottawa, Ontario native, has been a part of the Monarchs team since last summer and redshirted in 2007 as per NCAA transfer guidelines. Adrian transferred to ODU from the University of Maine where he started 13 games and was named the 2006 University of Maine Scholar Athlete Rising Star. He also played at Carleton University in Canada and helped lead his team to an Ontario University Championship. LeRoy is projected to be an immediate impact player for the Monarchs on defense.
Steffen Rabben has also already spent time as a part of the ODU men's soccer team a year ago. A native of Norway, Rabben was a premier goal scorer in high school, scoring 60 goals in 80 games. He was listed as one of the 60 best 16-year old soccer players in Norway in 2001. Rabben is projected to be an immediate impact player for the Monarchs attack force.
The Monarchs will add depth between the pipes as they welcome Michael Roura from Middletown, New Jersey next season. Roura was a three-year starter, four-year letterwinner at goalkeeper and was named team MVP three years straight. In 2007, he was First Team A-North (Shore Conference), All-State Honorable Mention and also the team's offensive MVP as he was moved up front to play forward in the second half of the season due to a teammates injury. He played with fellow incoming freshman Andrew Smith on the Match Fit Academy club team.
Roura's teammate on the Match Fit Academy soccer team, Andrew Smith, comes to ODU from Brick, New Jersey. The defender was a varsity starter all four years at Brick Township High School, team MVP three out of four years and team captain his junior and senior season. He was named First Team All-State by the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey in 2007 and was an Honorable Mention in 2005. He was also named the Top Defender in the County in 2007 and was First Team All-Division, All-Conference, All-Shore, and All-South his senior year as well.
The CAA Champion Monarchs, one of just nine teams in the nation to reach the NCAA Round of 32 in each of the last six seasons, welcome the five newcomers to the team after winning the CAA Championship last season for the first time since 1991. The Monarchs lose four seniors, including three full-time starters coming into 2008. Midfielder and CAA Tournament MVP A.J. Kulp along with defenders David Horst and Yomby William played out their eligibility. Horst and William were both drafted during the 2008 MLS SuperDraft.