JORDEN ANNOUNCES 2009 CLASS
7/20/2009 10:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- California Baptist University Men's Soccer Head Coach Ryan Jorden has announced the Lancers' incoming 2009 recruiting class. The 13-member class includes seven freshmen, five junior college transfers and one NCAA Division I transfer, who returns to the pitch after a four-year layoff.
“From top to bottom I feel that this is a very talented class that has a nice mixture of quality players and quality people who fit into our program and the university,” said Jorden, who last year led the Lancers to their first playoff appearance since 1990. “We have spent a considerable amount of time with all of these guys. On the field, we have advanced both athletically and technically, and we have considerably more depth which should foster a competitive environment in training and give us endless options.”
Brian Ahn, Fr., Corona, Calif. (Corona HS)
A local product, Ahn played two seasons at nearby Corona High, leading the Panthers to two straight Big Eight League titles. He earned All-Big Eight first team honors as a 2009 senior. Ahn also played with the Pateadores, a U.S. Soccer Development Academy team.
Tiburcio Casillas, Jr., Inglewood, Calif. (L.A. Harbor College)
Casillas transfers from L.A. Harbor College where he ranked among the South Coast Conference leaders in goals (6th-11), assists (5th-13) and points (6th-35). His 35 points were 18th in the state, and he led the Seahawks to a 16-7-2 finish and an appearance in the second round of the state playoffs. Casillas played one season at Cal State Dominguez Hills where he played in 21 games for the 18-3-1 Toros that lost on penalty kicks in the NCAA Far West Regional Championship game. He scored three goals and assisted on three others for nine points as a freshman.
Josh Cormier, Fr., Las Vegas, Nev. (El Dorado HS)
Cormier prepped three varsity seasons at El Dorado High, earning two All-Sunrise Conference honors. He led the Sundevils to two straight regional finals. As a 2009 senior, Cormier was named All-State after scoring 12 regional goals, including six in the playoffs.
Carlos Figueroa, Fr., Banning, Calif. (Beaumont HS)
Figueroa prepped four varsity seasons at Beaumont (Calif.) High and led the Cougars to three straight Mountain Pass League titles. As a 2009 senior, he earned MPL MVP honors.
Eduardo Garcia, Jr., Costa Mesa, Calif. (Orange Coast College)
Garcia played two seasons at Orange Coast College. This past season, he tallied one assist as a defender, leading the Pirates to an 11-8-3 finish and a 7-4-3 mark in Orange Empire Conference play. Garcia prepped at Newport Harbor High, leading the Sailors to the CIF Semifinals as a 2004 junior.
Jonathan Garcia, Fr., Long Beach, Calif. (Millikan HS)
Garcia played four varsity seasons at CIF-power Millikan High. He led the Rams to three straight CIF Quarterfinal appearances, including a semifinal berth as a 2007 sophomore and a berth in the finals this past season. The two-time All-Moore League selection was named All-CIF and to the Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team as a senior. The Rams won 79 games in his final three seasons, including a school-record 28 as a 2007 sophomore.
Tyler Garrison, Fr., Rocklin, Calif. (Rocklin HS)
Garrison played four seasons at Rocklin High and led the Thunder to four straight CIF Division II Section Semifinals. They played in three straight championship matches, winning twice. As a senior, Garrison was named All-Sierra Foothill League, Sacramento Bee Player to Watch and was inducted into the Rocklin High Athletic Hall of Fame. He scored 18 goals and was named Gatorade Rookie of the Year after leading the Thunder to the section title as a freshman.
Dan Kelly, Jr., Temecula, Calif. (Hawaii)
One of the best placekickers in the history of the University of Hawaii football program, Kelly returns to the soccer field after a four year layoff and will fight for time at goalkeeper. He has two seasons of soccer eligibility remaining. Kelly kicked for four seasons at Hawaii and left as the program's third leading scorer of all time, trailing only Jason Elam and Justin Ayat. He converted 45 career field goals and a program-record 200 extra point conversions. Kelly was a three-time WAC Special Teams Player of the Week, a two-time Lou Groza Award candidate and a 2007 All-WAC performer. He kicked in three bowl games, including the 2008 Allstate Sugar Bowl where he kicked a 41-yard field goal.
Chase Magdaleno, Fr., Tustin, Calif. (Foothill HS)
Magdaleno prepped two seasons at Foothill High, earning All-Seaview League honors as a 2009 senior. He also playd with FC Barcelona where he earned a Coast Soccer League (CSL) Premiere League Championship in 2007, three regional berths in four years and was a two-time participant in the USYS National Championships. Most recently, he led his team to a California North-South Championship this past November.
Tyler Mitchell, Jr., Upland, Calif. (Upland HS)
A two-time All-Foothill Conference selection at Chaffey College, Mitchell was named 2008 NSCAA Junior College All-American first team as a sophomore. He prepped at Upland (Calif.), earning a pair of all-league honors there.
Michael Orozco, Fr., West Covina, Calif. (Damien HS)
Orozco prepped at Damien High in La Verne, Calif., leading the Spartans to a pair of CIF appearances, including a semifinal berth as a 2007 sophomore. He also played club with Celtic FC and has played in three National Cup tournaments, earning a runner-up finish in 2008 as well as a pair of USYS Regional Championships.
David Salguero, So., Palmdale, Calif. (Irvine Valley College)
Salguero played the 2008 season at Irvine Valley College. As a prep at Highland High in Palmdale, Calif., Salguero was a two-time All-Golden League selection, earning MVP honors after leading the league in scoring as a 2008 senior. He was also a U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy player with the San Diego Surf and was a three-time National Cup finalist, a two-time Far West regional champion and three-time USYS National Championship participant.
Darren Whitty, Jr., Bracknell, England (Irvine Valley College)
Whitty redshirted the 2008 season at CBU after transferring in from Irvine Valley College where he played two seasons. The native of Bracknell, England, was named All-Orange Empire Conference first team as a 2007 sophomore after scoring three goals and assisting on two others as a defender for a Laser team that was 13-4-4 and advanced to the regional finals for the second straight year.
The Lancers are coming off a season in which they finished 7-8-3 overall, 3-5-2 GSAC in Jorden's first campaign as a head coach. They advanced to the postseason for the first time in 18 years and nearly knocked off top-seed Azusa Pacific before falling, 1-0, on a goal in the 88th minute. CBU kicks off its 2009 season Aug. 15 when it hosts Cal State San Bernardino at 5 p.m.
