Men's Soccer

Date: 27.07.2010

Age: 38 days

BRISTOL, Tenn. - King College head men's soccer coach Matt Lavinder recently announced his 2010 signing class with eight new players to the Tornado roster.

Zack Caracciolo (Clarksville, Tenn.), David Eagan (Huntsville, Ala.), Josh Feener (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.), Pete Griffith (Antrim, Northern Ireland), James Langlois (Oakville, Canada), Joe Mayer (Billericay, England), Sam Nicol (Edinburgh, Scotland), Brooks Paine (Hurricane, W.Va.).

We've had a really good recruiting year," Lavinder said about the group. "We've added a lot of quality players who are very strong academically.  It's also a nice mix of Americans and internationals."

Caracciolo played at Clarksville High where he won all-district honors three times and added all-state honors as a junior. He was a part of a Top-10 program in Tennessee at Clarksville. He also spent time with the Brentwood Soccer Club.

"Zach is an extremely quick and creative goal scorer who could play wide or up front," Lavinder commented. "He has an excellent motor and can score and create goals.  He's one of the best players in the state and will bring a lot of energy to our attack."

Eagan was a member of the squad at Huntsville High and he was a captain on the team where he earned team MVP honors this season. He earned a spot on the all-state team as an honorable mention. His club team, D1 Huntsville Futbol Club, has qualified for national play for three consecutive years. Eagan saw his playing time come in the midfield and defensive lines.

"David has played at a high level in Alabama and has the ability to contribute right away in the back line," Lavinder said. "He has good size, speed, and technical ability."

Feener, a graduate of New Life Academy and member of the Brentwood Soccer Club, was a captain at New Life three seasons. He led the squad in scoring in 2007 and 2008 with 39 goals and 25 assists during the two seasons. The midfielder has spent time with other various club teams in the Brentwood area.

"Josh has also played at a high level and is considered one of the top players in Tennessee," Lavinder quoted. "He's a very versatile player who tackles hard and reads the game extremely well.  His hard attitude on the field is really valuable and we expect him to compete for a starting spot this fall."

Griffith played with Ballyclare Comrades FC and helped lead the team to a third-place finish in the Foyle Cup Tournament in 2009. He was also the captain of the squad at Slemish.

"Pete is a highly rated center back from Northern Ireland," Lavinder said. "He's very strong defensively, but can also create. We expect him to adjust to the college game quickly and make an immediate contribution on our back line."

Langolis co-captained the squad at St. Thomas Aquinas for the last two seasons. He has played with high-level club teams in the Toronto area such as Erin Mills Soccer Club, the 2009 Ontario Youth Soccer League Champions.

"James is one of the top players in Toronto," Lavinder had to say. "He's a central midfielder who reads the game well on both sides of the ball.  He has excellent mobility and could add a lot of quality for us in the midfield."

Mayer graduated from St. Johns Billericay. He competed in the Essex Cup and played with the Chelmsford City FC squad. Away from the field, Mayer has honed his skiing skills.

"Joe is a very creative playmaker who was a forward in Tottenham's academy," Lavinder noted. "He's a dynamic playmaker who creates goals in the attacking third.  He's played at the highest levels in England and we hope he'll make an instant contribution."

Nicol went to George Watsons and played with the Fernieside FC. He has played at the Amateur D1 Soccer level from Edinburgh. He was the team leader in goals scored in 2009 with George Watsons and runner up in the Scottish Independent Schools Cup last year.

"Sam has played at a very high level in Scotland," Lavinder said. "He's a very quick, dynamic attacking player who could play several different roles."

Paine played for the nationally ranked team at Hurricane High which was ranked No. 11 by Adidas NSCAA Coaches' Association after going 21-1-0. He was a captain for the talented squad. He was on the 2007 state runner up and was a first-team all state selection in 2008 and 2009.

"Brooks has tremendous potential," Lavinder commented. "He's big, strong, athletic, technical, and makes good decisions.  He could make an impact in several positions."

Lavinder also talked about how the 2010 group should make a positive impact both on campus and on the soccer field. He bragged about how academically extraordinary the eight were.

"This class is an extraordinary group academically," Lavinder said. "I think they'll be an excellent example of student athletes both on both the campus and the field."

The 2009 Tornado squad placed eight players on the NCCAA Scholar-Athlete list and the team had a grade point average at 3.3.

King went 10-8-1 last season and made it to the NCCAA Mid-East Regional semifinals. The 2010 season starts on Sept. 3 when the Tornado plays Tusculum (Tenn.) College at 4:30 p.m. in Banner Elk, N.C.