Men's Soccer Announces Nationally Ranked Recruiting Class

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer coach Andy Fleming announced his 2019 recruiting class on Monday. The class is ranked No. 7 nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.com.

2019 SIGNEES

Name	Ht.	Wt.	Pos.	Hometown (HS/Previous School)
Ryan Bellavance	6'2	190	D	Medfield, Mass. (The Rivers School/Colgate)
Noah Boffo	5'11	165	MF	Columbus, Ohio (New Albany HS)
Davis Eddleman	5'11	165	MF	Suwanee, Ga. (Lambert HS)
David Ejeh	5'10	165	D	Silver Springs, Md. (Zionsville Community HS)
Karsen Henderlong	6'3	195	F	Crown Point, Ind. (Crown Point HS)
Cole Jensen	6'5	170	GK	Council Bluffs, Iowa (Lewis Central HS)
Cameron Phillips	5'10	150	MF	Tomball, Texas (Cy-Fair HS)
Matthew Rosenberg	6'1	185	GK	Manalapan, N.J. (Manalapan HS/Central Florida)
Johannes Sundgot	6'0	180	D	Ulsteinvik, Norway (Ulstein VGS)
Oliver Valaker-Edvardsen	5'6	152	MF	Drobak, Norway (Bjearke VGS)
Toni Vrkic	6'3	180	D	Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern HS)
Chase Webbert	6'1	160	D	Reisterstown, Md. (Loyola Blakefield HS)

QUOTING FLEMING

"First and foremost, I want to thank our entire program for what is truly a team effort. This includes everyone from our current staff, former assistant David Costa, on campus support staff, players, and even parents. Everyone contributed to the identification, campus visits, and dialogue that helps attract these individuals and helps shape a class. Kudos and thanks to everyone!"

"I'm always cautious with classes and feel you can't truly grade one until their four-year window is done. However, these players have tremendous ability and character; and the national recognition of the class as a whole and its individual members speaks for itself. Five players are rated in the nation's top 150 and the class has garnered top-10 recognition from multiple outlets. Six players came through our summer camp program, two are transfers, two come via Norway, and the rest have been successful on a national or regional level with their clubs and US Soccer Development Academy programs. Add in the fact that nine of them are on academic scholarships and I think it's safe to say that they fit the template and will represent the university quite well."

RYAN BELLAVANCE

NOTABLES

Played fort he FC Blazers Club Team
Top Drawer Soccer 3 Star Recruit in 2015 Class
2014 Top Drawer Soccer All-American Watch List
2012 ISL & NEPSAC Champion with The Rivers School
Won 3 Patriot League Titles at Colgate University
Has made 5 appearances in NCAA Tournament matches
Scored a goal vs No. 12 12 Michigan in 2017 NCAA Tournament win

COACH FLEMING ON BELLAVANCE
"A quick phone call to check in with Colgate's coach turned into us picking up a great player in Ryan. He will earn his MBA at Xavier while utilizing his fifth year. It's rare to get someone who won three conference titles and has played in three NCAA tournaments, against the likes of Wake Forest and Michigan. Colgate and Head Coach Erik Ronning are known for their defensive excellence and competitive culture. This mirrors Xavier in many ways which makes this a great fit. Ryan has great size, tremendous athleticism and can get forward from the right back spot. He has played in many high-level games and will also add leadership to our senior class."

NOAH BOFFO

NOTABLES

Played for the Ohio Premier Club Team
2-Time All-State Selection
2019 High School All-American
2019 Ohio DI State Player of the Year
Top Drawer Soccer 2 Star Recruit
Also considered Navy, Cincinnati, Colgate and Saint Louis

COACH FLEMING ON BOFFO
"Noah burst onto the regional scene with Ohio Premier with a breakout performance at Regionals (Region II) and then a strong showing at our June ID camp. This momentum carried into the high school season as he was named a NSCAA All American and Ohio Player of the Year. Noah has a wiry frame, has great balance, and a long effortless stride as he runs with the ball. As a versatile attacking player, we project him in as many as four different positions. Our campus and small student-teacher ratio here at Xavier will allow him to thrive as student and grow into a full time player after a year or two."

HIGHLIGHTS - bit.ly/2LgqtJG

DAVIS EDDLEMAN

NOTABLES

Played for the Concorde Fire USSDA club team
Ranked No. 18 Recruit in South Atlantic Region by Top Drawer Soccer
Ranked No. 149 Recruit Nationally by Top Drawer Soccer (September 2018)
2016 Georgia ODP National Championship Team
2016 Georgia State Cup & National League Champion
Change4Georgia Community Service Award Recipient
Also recruited by Kentucky, West Virginia, Mercer, Elon and Georgia Southern

COACH FLEMING ON EDDLEMAN
"Davis is a veteran of our camps and was the first commitment to this class back in the summer of 2017. He is someone we identified early on in the recruiting process, and as a socially mature young man we were able to connect with him right off the bat. As a left footed, driving and slashing winger, he's capable of getting end line and also cutting inside as evidenced by his eight goals in the DA this past year. Rated among the nation's top 150 players last summer, as he develops his fitness and off the ball defending, he will be a dangerous energy guy for us sooner rather than later in his career."

HIGHLIGHTS

DAVID EJEH

NOTABLES

Played for the Indiana Fire USSDA club team
Top Drawer Soccer 3 Star Recruit
Ranked No. 135 Recruit Nationally & No. 14 in Great Lakes Region by Top Drawer Soccer
Ranked No. 36 Defender in the Nation in 2019 Class
One of eight Indiana Fire members to play at Xavier since 2013
- Joins Ethan Lee, Taylor Crull, Ben Weber, Karsen Henderlong and Toni Vrkic
Also recruited by Illinois-Chicago, DePaul, Notre Dame, Dartmouth and Indiana

COACH FLEMING ON EJEH
"David is one of the nation's fastest players and someone who really emerged last summer after moving away from home to join the Indiana Fire Academy. Comfortable as a left back, left midfielder, and left wingback; he's a gritty 1v1 defender and will get even better once he learns angles, timing, and positioning. I expect him to grow on the ball in the back and middle thirds and then really hit his stride after about two or three semesters, becoming a solid Big East player."

KARSEN HENDERLONG

NOTABLES

Played for the Indiana Fire USSDA club team
Top Drawer Soccer 4 Star Recruit
Ranked No. 59 Recruit Nationally and No. 2 in Great Lakes Region by Top Drawer Soccer
Ranked No. 86 Recruit Nationally by College Soccer News
Selected by Chicago Fire for 2017 Generation Adidas Cup
Scored 22 Goals in 23 Games during the 2017-18 USSDA Season (Top 10 in the Nation)
Also recruited by Notre Dame, Indiana, Wisconsin, Creighton, Saint Louis and Butler

COACH FLEMING ON HENDERLONG
"Karsen is next in a long line of Indiana Fire players at X from Coach Phil Presser. He was able to enroll in January and accelerate his adjustment to this level. He has a unique makeup at 6'4 & 190 pounds with quick feet, great vision, and being fairly nimble. People see his 25 goals last year but few realize what a great passer of the ball he is, how well he plays in combination, and passes off the dribble. His engine, work rate, and defensive understanding are coming along nicely and all point towards someone who will have an impact as a top goal scorer throughout his career."

COLE JENSEN

NOTABLES

Played for the Elkhorn SC club team
KMA Land 1st Team and Player of the Year
Des Moines Register 1st Team All-State
Career and Single Season Shutout Record at Lewis Central HS
2018 State Cup Champion with Elkhorn SC
Also recruited by Creighton

COACH FLEMING ON JENSEN
"Cole caught our eye literally and figuratively at Regionals last summer. He is hard to miss with a 6'5 frame and long wingspan…and his play backed up his physical presence. He is very quick, gets down to make some great reaction saves, and uses his length to pick off crosses. I found Cole to be very brave and quick to close down breakaways and close-range chances; while his timing, and overall distribution with his feet were solid. I don't think he's scratched the surface yet and he could truly thrive with a few semesters in our strength program and with Jamie Starr, our Director of Goalkeeping."

HIGHLIGHTS - bit.ly/2JCf182

CAMERON PHILLIPS

NOTABLES

Played for the Houston Dynamo USSDA club team
Ranked No. 126 Recruit Nationally & No. 11 in Texas Region by Top Drawer Soccer
Ranked No. 128 Recruit Nationally by College Soccer News
Ranked No. 40 Midfielder in the Nation in 2019 Class
Generation Adidas International Select Team – AFC Ajax
Margine Coperta Pro Cup (Rush Select) – Montecatini, Italy
U14 U.S. Youth National Team
Also recruited by Yale

COACH FLEMING ON PHILLIPS
"There might not be a bigger sleeper or 'under the radar' player in Texas than Cam. He is someone we had tracked for a few years through Dave Dengerink, a coach who has sent us Xavier greats Garrett Halfhill and Payton Miller. Cam attended our College Soccer 101 camp last summer and was immense. His ability to play centrally and on the half-turn, coupled with his ability to run with the ball at his feet makes him extremely versatile. With five goals in his first eight DA games this fall, Cam also showed that he has a nose for the back of the net. Another player with youth national team experience, as he continues to develop physically and gets acclimated to the college level, I expect him to quietly be a mainstay in our lineup."

HIGHLIGHTS - bit.ly/2JEi4fR

MATT ROSENBERG

NOTABLES

Played for the New York Red Bull USSDA club team
Trained with Glasgow Celtic FC in Scotland
25 career appearances and 15 wins at Central Florida
Led Central Florida to 7-0-1 streak and AAC Title Game appearance in 2017

COACH FLEMING ON ROSENBERG
"Many considered Matt to be the top available goalkeeper transfer in December. He was able to enroll in January and once he settled in, finished very strong in the spring. Matt's "bottom line" of winning games and engaging the players in front of him are his biggest assets. He is very vocal, has a high soccer IQ, and is confident in the air. Matt has over 25 high level Division I games under his belt, among them lies an eight-game unbeaten streak and a conference title match. He is a good student and a mature young man which will lead to a smooth transition into our program."

JOHANNES SUNDGOT

NOTABLES

Played for the IL Hødd club team
U16 Regional Team Member
Helped IL Hodd to a 3rd place finish in the U16 Norway Cup and 2018 Post Nord Ligaen
Son of Oyvind and Janne Sundgot

COACH FLEMING ON SUNDGOT
"One thing I always look at in recruiting is: could a player survive in a college game if he had to play one right now, today? Johannes might be the readiest out of all our incoming first year players. He's physically powerful and his speed and testing numbers with his club were off the charts. Add in his ability to defend 1v1, aerial presence, service, power, and ability to drive forward as a left back and I think he is an impact player who was probably a little overlooked on a national team level at home. Not many outside backs play in all thirds of the field, but Johannes does."

HIGHLIGHTS

OLIVER VALAKER-EDVARDSEN

NOTABLES

Played for the Grorud IF club team
Product of Valerenga IF, one of the largest clubs in Norway
Made 38 appearances and scored seven goals in two seasons for Valerenga IF Reserves
Made three appearances for the U16 Norwegian National team vs Belgium, Italy, and Portugal
Made his senior soccer debut in the 3rd tier of Norwegian football at the age of 15

COACH FLEMING ON VALAKER-EDVARDSEN
"Oliver is the fourth player from the Norwegian based CSUSA organization to join us at Xavier. He most recently completed a gap year and will be enrolling this fall with a wealth of soccer experience and maturity. Oliver has garnered the attention of top teams in Norway since the age of 15 and has represented his country on the international level. Short and compact, Oliver has great balance, is very powerful, and can play midfield in a diamond or as a stretching forward for us. His runs into the box and behind make him very dangerous and I expect him to add another gear and dimension to our attack this fall right from the get go."

HIGHLIGHTS

TONI VRKIC

NOTABLES

Played for the Indiana Fire USSDA club team
Member of the Indiana Fire USSDA Program
Also recruited by Butler and Wisconsin
One of eight Indiana Fire members to play at Xavier since 2013
- Joins Ethan Lee, Taylor Crull, Ben Weber, Karsen Henderlong and David Ejeh

COACH FLEMING ON VRKIC
"Like all of our other Indiana Fire players, Toni comes to us as a well-coached, very focused, "head down" type of player with great training habits. He kind of came out of nowhere to make their DA team late last spring, but was someone we had identified at a few of our One Day ID camps prior. He stands at 6'3", but glides around as he runs and is very simple and smooth on the ball. Toni does very well in foot races and reads the game well. Once he develops physically and gets a little more physical with attackers, he should add depth to our backline options and compete to get on the field later in his career."

CHASE WEBBERT

NOTABLES

Played for the Baltimore Amour USSDA club team
Top Drawer Soccer 3 Star Recruit
Ranked No. 110 Recruit Nationally & No. 7 in Mid-Atlantic Region by Top Drawer Soccer
Ranked No. 98 Recruit Nationally by College Soccer News
Ranked No. 29 Defender in the Nation in 2019 Class
1st Team All-MIAA and All-State at Loyola Blakefield HS

COACH FLEMING ON WEBBERT
"I can tell you the exact field and time I first saw Chase play. My initial thoughts were: great frame, moves well, very good leader, and smooth on the ball for a big back. Two years later the same holds true. Chase played for Mike Lookingland's Baltimore Armour team who has a similar personality as our group. He runs very well, has great strength and balance, and is an excellent passer of the ball. We've seen him play both wide and centrally in a four-back system as well as on the right in a back three. Chase will learn some of the small details that help shut down older more mature strikers, put on some size, and very quickly be a full time player in our program."

HIGHLIGHTS

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