11 Players to Join the Lancers
4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — After adding a midyear transfer earlier this year, California Baptist University has once again added to its arsenal for the upcoming 2017 season with 11 new recruits. The new players will not only add to the level of play the Lancers exhibit on the field, but also to the level of excellence expected in the classroom, with the group boasting over a 3.5 combined GPA.
"With this group, we had both a short term and a long-term mindset," said Coach Coe Michaelson. "With so much returning quality and a large group of talented seniors, we wanted players who could help push us over the edge and compete to win championships in 2017, our final year at Division II.
"We also needed a group of young, talented players who can carry us into this new era with the move to the WAC and Division I looming," added Michaelson. "We have a great mix of young talent and immediate impact that will help us to achieve these goals on the field, while we also have a group of guys with the character and academic excellence that we want in our program."
Lancer fans might recognize the last name of one of Michaelson's incoming players: Andrew Antoun. Antoun's brother Nathan played baseball at CBU until 2015. The younger Antoun will look to provide an offensive spark, like his brother did, but on the soccer field. Antoun is a four-year varsity player at Crean Lutheran High School, earning three all-league first team recognitions. He currently boasts career records in both goals and assists at CLHS and captained the team last year. Antoun also played club for West Coast FC, helping take the team to the 2016 Far West Regional.
Off the field, Antoun is a four-year scholar athlete and a member of the National Honor Society and plans to major in business marketing at CBU.
"Andrew is a fantastic fit here at CBU and an exceptional student," said Michaelson. "His older brother was a good baseball player for us and Andrew understands the culture we want here. He is a very athletic attacking player who I think can fight for time up top right away, but I also expect him to grow in his role every season here given the work ethic and character he has."
Brian Gonzalez doesn't have to make too much of a trek to Riverside when the Lancers report to preseason camp in August, hailing from Temecula. The six-foot midfielder is finishing up his senior year at Chaparral High, where he's been on the honor roll all four years. Gonzalez plans to major in kinesiology at CBU and will look to bring experience from his Arsenal FC US Soccer Development Academy playing days to the CBU midfield. Gonzalez has started all 26 games he has played in for Arsenal, scoring seven goals.
"Brian is another guy with great character and a fantastic student," said Michaelson. "He is a proven, high level academy player with a great soccer upbringing under legendary Arsenal Coach Steve Lucey. Brian is the whole package: intelligent, technical, creative, able to score goals from midfield, with a fantastic engine and appetite to work defensively and win the ball back the moment we lose it. He will have a big role to play over the next four years."
Caleb Jobert will also look to find some playing time in the Lancer midfield and brings international experience, along with a thirst to find the back of the net. The six-foot criminal justice major is finishing high school at Morrison Christian Academy in Taichung, Taiwan, while playing for the Paraguayan Club Team Compass FC. He has also played in Costa Rica for Deportivo Saprissa.
"Caleb will fit in very well here at CBU," said Michaelson. "He is a great student and as a kid who grew up in multiple different countries, he has some unique experiences. His background is as a midfielder, but he has good size and is a very good athlete who is very intriguing in terms of the different possibilities we see with him. We are excited to get him here and start working with him, as we think he has great potential."
David Van Hoose begins his freshman campaign this fall at CBU after finishing his high school career at Spring Valley High in Las Vegas, where he became the State of Nevada leader in assists this past year with 21 and earned All-State recognition. He also played club for the Las Vegas Sports Academy 99 Red (LVSA), the top '99 boys team in Nevada. Off the pitch, Van Hoose is an exceptional student, boasting over a 4.00 GPA and graduating with an Advanced Honors High School Degree. He plans to study biology at CBU.
"David is yet another top student and a really good fit for our culture here," said Michaelson. "He completely flew under the radar and only joined LVSA as a senior. He is very versatile and athletic and has great pedigree as his mother played for four years at the University of Kentucky. I see him competing for an immediate place in the team anywhere up the left side of the field. I'm excited to see where exactly he fits in the end, but I know he has a big role to play."
Edgar Benitez transfers to CBU from De Anza College in Cupertino, Calif., where he was named the Coast South League Goalkeeper of the Year and grabbed all-region and all-state honors. In 18 matches, Benitez allowed just 12 goals to boast a 0.667 goals against average. His freshman year, he helped lead De Anza to win the conference and make it to the CCCAA Final Four. The six-foot-two incoming junior plans to major in criminal justice at CBU.
"With only one returning goalkeeper, we set out to get an impact transfer and a freshman," said Michaelson. "While we are still yet to add a freshman to our goalkeeping corps, I don't feel we could have done any better with the transfer. Edgar is a big-time goalkeeper and a good student. He is a great leader with a big personality and a commanding voice on the pitch. Physically, he is imposing, he has fantastic reflexes and he is excellent with his feet. Along with Noah Oyler, we have two very experienced goalkeepers. [Goalkeeper coach] Jeff Redinger is very excited to work with these guys."
Another Vegas product, Jacob De Leon played club for the LVSA 98 Red team, where he led his team to four Nevada State Cup Championships (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016) and a runner-up finish (2014). At Bishop Gorman High, De Leon was a two-time All-Southern Nevada and All-Sunset Region selection, along with a three-time All-Southwest League honoree. Off the field, De Leon boasts over a 4.0 GPA and plans to major in architecture at CBU.
"Jacob is yet another LVSA guy," said Michaelson. "Unlike the other two players we have joining our team from that club, he is on the 98 team. Like them, however, he is another top-notch student and a good fit at CBU. He has played mostly in the midfield, but he is very versatile and a guy who is accustomed to playing all over the field. He is a very intelligent player, and a hard worker with a great engine, something we prize in players."
Matthew Schumacher will begin his freshman season in the fall at CBU, where he plans to major in graphic design and digital media with a minor in marketing. He is a four-year letter winner at Maranatha Christian School and CIF scholar athlete. He is a three-time all-league honoree and led all of San Diego CIF in scoring his sophomore and junior years. The six-foot-one midfielder also played club for RSF Attack and helped his team win the Surf College Cup Championship and the SoCal Developmental Soccer League Championship.
"Matt is so excited to be at CBU and we are excited to have him," said Michaelson. "He is a great fit at the university in every sense and excellent academically. He starts in the midfield for RSF Attack, one of the top non-academy sides in Southern California, and he has the ability to play in multiple roles centrally. While he has experience playing as a defensive mid, we feel that the box-to-box role suits him more since it opens up his goal-scoring potential. He is a threat to score goals from well outside the 18, and he is a very smart player."
Preston Judd reunites with his LVSA 99 Red teammate Van Hoose this fall as he begins his collegiate debut season. The six-foot-three striker scored 57 goals and added 44 assists during his high school career at Coronado High, leading to Judd being named a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist. He is a two-time all-region athlete, while also grabbing All-State recognition. Judd, who is an Eagle Scout and boasts over a 4.0 GPA, plans to major in kinesiology with a biology emphasis at CBU.
"Preston is another LVSA kid and like David and Jacob, he is a high character guy and an excellent student," said Michaelson. "While he's very big and athletic, he is not just a target striker. He is very good facing up the field, running at players and his physical presence is a nightmare. While he is a goal scorer, he is equally good creating goals for others and we love his commitment to work defensively, to press and hassle opposing defenses and disrupt their buildup."
Tristyn Bailey brings a defensive mindset to the Lancers, coming from Clovis North High in Fresno, Calif., where he was named to the all-conference team this past year. The six-foot-one defender gives CBU some height in the backline and played with the Sacramento Republic FC USSDA Academy team. Bailey plans to major in kinesiology at CBU.
"Tristyn is a really good kid and one of the top defenders from the Central Valley," said Michaelson. "We are very excited about his potential, as he is a long, lean athlete with a big left foot. He can play both as a center back and a left back and we know that he can compete right away. We are also very excited about the player he will become as he develops and grows into his frame, he will be a very imposing player."
Uriel Mosqueda is another defender that will look to be an impact player right away. He joins Arsenal FC USSDA teammate Gonzalez as a Lancer in the fall. Mosqueda has started in all 24 games he has played in for Arsenal and has scored once from the back line. Off the field, Mosqueda intends to study kinesiology as well.
"Like Brian, Uriel has fantastic pedigree with his Development Academy experiences at Arsenal," said Michaelson. "He is one of the top defenders in the Southwest Division of the DA and a leader on the pitch. We love the way he battles and his versatility defensively, as he is able to play across the back four. I suspect he will play plenty of minutes both centrally and wide in our back four over the coming years, just as he has for Arsenal."
Last but not least, Victor Aguirre will transfer in as a sophomore after playing a season at Mt. San Antonio College. He helped lead the Mounties to conference, regional and state championships last season. In Aguirre's 19 starts, Mt. SAC never lost a game. At CBU, Aguirre wants to study kinesiology.
"Prior to Mt. SAC, Victor was a teammate of Brian and Uriel with Arsenal's U18 USSDA team," said Michaelson. "Victor is a true defensive midfielder. While he brings physicality and bite to the midfield, he is also very good at circulating possession, getting on the ball in deep areas and controlling the build-up. He is also a leader and a winner, someone who brings some real intangibles to any team."
CBU will look to build upon last year's 12-6 record. The 2017 season kicks off in the fall, with the Lancers reporting to preseason camp in July before their foreign trip to Mexico.
"With this group, we had both a short term and a long-term mindset," said Coach Coe Michaelson. "With so much returning quality and a large group of talented seniors, we wanted players who could help push us over the edge and compete to win championships in 2017, our final year at Division II.
"We also needed a group of young, talented players who can carry us into this new era with the move to the WAC and Division I looming," added Michaelson. "We have a great mix of young talent and immediate impact that will help us to achieve these goals on the field, while we also have a group of guys with the character and academic excellence that we want in our program."
Lancer fans might recognize the last name of one of Michaelson's incoming players: Andrew Antoun. Antoun's brother Nathan played baseball at CBU until 2015. The younger Antoun will look to provide an offensive spark, like his brother did, but on the soccer field. Antoun is a four-year varsity player at Crean Lutheran High School, earning three all-league first team recognitions. He currently boasts career records in both goals and assists at CLHS and captained the team last year. Antoun also played club for West Coast FC, helping take the team to the 2016 Far West Regional.
Off the field, Antoun is a four-year scholar athlete and a member of the National Honor Society and plans to major in business marketing at CBU.
"Andrew is a fantastic fit here at CBU and an exceptional student," said Michaelson. "His older brother was a good baseball player for us and Andrew understands the culture we want here. He is a very athletic attacking player who I think can fight for time up top right away, but I also expect him to grow in his role every season here given the work ethic and character he has."
Brian Gonzalez doesn't have to make too much of a trek to Riverside when the Lancers report to preseason camp in August, hailing from Temecula. The six-foot midfielder is finishing up his senior year at Chaparral High, where he's been on the honor roll all four years. Gonzalez plans to major in kinesiology at CBU and will look to bring experience from his Arsenal FC US Soccer Development Academy playing days to the CBU midfield. Gonzalez has started all 26 games he has played in for Arsenal, scoring seven goals.
"Brian is another guy with great character and a fantastic student," said Michaelson. "He is a proven, high level academy player with a great soccer upbringing under legendary Arsenal Coach Steve Lucey. Brian is the whole package: intelligent, technical, creative, able to score goals from midfield, with a fantastic engine and appetite to work defensively and win the ball back the moment we lose it. He will have a big role to play over the next four years."
Caleb Jobert will also look to find some playing time in the Lancer midfield and brings international experience, along with a thirst to find the back of the net. The six-foot criminal justice major is finishing high school at Morrison Christian Academy in Taichung, Taiwan, while playing for the Paraguayan Club Team Compass FC. He has also played in Costa Rica for Deportivo Saprissa.
"Caleb will fit in very well here at CBU," said Michaelson. "He is a great student and as a kid who grew up in multiple different countries, he has some unique experiences. His background is as a midfielder, but he has good size and is a very good athlete who is very intriguing in terms of the different possibilities we see with him. We are excited to get him here and start working with him, as we think he has great potential."
David Van Hoose begins his freshman campaign this fall at CBU after finishing his high school career at Spring Valley High in Las Vegas, where he became the State of Nevada leader in assists this past year with 21 and earned All-State recognition. He also played club for the Las Vegas Sports Academy 99 Red (LVSA), the top '99 boys team in Nevada. Off the pitch, Van Hoose is an exceptional student, boasting over a 4.00 GPA and graduating with an Advanced Honors High School Degree. He plans to study biology at CBU.
"David is yet another top student and a really good fit for our culture here," said Michaelson. "He completely flew under the radar and only joined LVSA as a senior. He is very versatile and athletic and has great pedigree as his mother played for four years at the University of Kentucky. I see him competing for an immediate place in the team anywhere up the left side of the field. I'm excited to see where exactly he fits in the end, but I know he has a big role to play."
Edgar Benitez transfers to CBU from De Anza College in Cupertino, Calif., where he was named the Coast South League Goalkeeper of the Year and grabbed all-region and all-state honors. In 18 matches, Benitez allowed just 12 goals to boast a 0.667 goals against average. His freshman year, he helped lead De Anza to win the conference and make it to the CCCAA Final Four. The six-foot-two incoming junior plans to major in criminal justice at CBU.
"With only one returning goalkeeper, we set out to get an impact transfer and a freshman," said Michaelson. "While we are still yet to add a freshman to our goalkeeping corps, I don't feel we could have done any better with the transfer. Edgar is a big-time goalkeeper and a good student. He is a great leader with a big personality and a commanding voice on the pitch. Physically, he is imposing, he has fantastic reflexes and he is excellent with his feet. Along with Noah Oyler, we have two very experienced goalkeepers. [Goalkeeper coach] Jeff Redinger is very excited to work with these guys."
Another Vegas product, Jacob De Leon played club for the LVSA 98 Red team, where he led his team to four Nevada State Cup Championships (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016) and a runner-up finish (2014). At Bishop Gorman High, De Leon was a two-time All-Southern Nevada and All-Sunset Region selection, along with a three-time All-Southwest League honoree. Off the field, De Leon boasts over a 4.0 GPA and plans to major in architecture at CBU.
"Jacob is yet another LVSA guy," said Michaelson. "Unlike the other two players we have joining our team from that club, he is on the 98 team. Like them, however, he is another top-notch student and a good fit at CBU. He has played mostly in the midfield, but he is very versatile and a guy who is accustomed to playing all over the field. He is a very intelligent player, and a hard worker with a great engine, something we prize in players."
Matthew Schumacher will begin his freshman season in the fall at CBU, where he plans to major in graphic design and digital media with a minor in marketing. He is a four-year letter winner at Maranatha Christian School and CIF scholar athlete. He is a three-time all-league honoree and led all of San Diego CIF in scoring his sophomore and junior years. The six-foot-one midfielder also played club for RSF Attack and helped his team win the Surf College Cup Championship and the SoCal Developmental Soccer League Championship.
"Matt is so excited to be at CBU and we are excited to have him," said Michaelson. "He is a great fit at the university in every sense and excellent academically. He starts in the midfield for RSF Attack, one of the top non-academy sides in Southern California, and he has the ability to play in multiple roles centrally. While he has experience playing as a defensive mid, we feel that the box-to-box role suits him more since it opens up his goal-scoring potential. He is a threat to score goals from well outside the 18, and he is a very smart player."
Preston Judd reunites with his LVSA 99 Red teammate Van Hoose this fall as he begins his collegiate debut season. The six-foot-three striker scored 57 goals and added 44 assists during his high school career at Coronado High, leading to Judd being named a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist. He is a two-time all-region athlete, while also grabbing All-State recognition. Judd, who is an Eagle Scout and boasts over a 4.0 GPA, plans to major in kinesiology with a biology emphasis at CBU.
"Preston is another LVSA kid and like David and Jacob, he is a high character guy and an excellent student," said Michaelson. "While he's very big and athletic, he is not just a target striker. He is very good facing up the field, running at players and his physical presence is a nightmare. While he is a goal scorer, he is equally good creating goals for others and we love his commitment to work defensively, to press and hassle opposing defenses and disrupt their buildup."
Tristyn Bailey brings a defensive mindset to the Lancers, coming from Clovis North High in Fresno, Calif., where he was named to the all-conference team this past year. The six-foot-one defender gives CBU some height in the backline and played with the Sacramento Republic FC USSDA Academy team. Bailey plans to major in kinesiology at CBU.
"Tristyn is a really good kid and one of the top defenders from the Central Valley," said Michaelson. "We are very excited about his potential, as he is a long, lean athlete with a big left foot. He can play both as a center back and a left back and we know that he can compete right away. We are also very excited about the player he will become as he develops and grows into his frame, he will be a very imposing player."
Uriel Mosqueda is another defender that will look to be an impact player right away. He joins Arsenal FC USSDA teammate Gonzalez as a Lancer in the fall. Mosqueda has started in all 24 games he has played in for Arsenal and has scored once from the back line. Off the field, Mosqueda intends to study kinesiology as well.
"Like Brian, Uriel has fantastic pedigree with his Development Academy experiences at Arsenal," said Michaelson. "He is one of the top defenders in the Southwest Division of the DA and a leader on the pitch. We love the way he battles and his versatility defensively, as he is able to play across the back four. I suspect he will play plenty of minutes both centrally and wide in our back four over the coming years, just as he has for Arsenal."
Last but not least, Victor Aguirre will transfer in as a sophomore after playing a season at Mt. San Antonio College. He helped lead the Mounties to conference, regional and state championships last season. In Aguirre's 19 starts, Mt. SAC never lost a game. At CBU, Aguirre wants to study kinesiology.
"Prior to Mt. SAC, Victor was a teammate of Brian and Uriel with Arsenal's U18 USSDA team," said Michaelson. "Victor is a true defensive midfielder. While he brings physicality and bite to the midfield, he is also very good at circulating possession, getting on the ball in deep areas and controlling the build-up. He is also a leader and a winner, someone who brings some real intangibles to any team."
CBU will look to build upon last year's 12-6 record. The 2017 season kicks off in the fall, with the Lancers reporting to preseason camp in July before their foreign trip to Mexico.
Players Mentioned
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