TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati men's soccer head coach Hylton Dayes announced Thursday 11 additions to the 2018 signing class.
The additions include current high school seniors Trey Asensio, Paul Bangura, Pascal Igl, Will Lonneman, Andrew Minnis, Zach Powell, Moritz Schaller, Ben Wendell, and Mo Williams, as well transfers Jeff Schaefer and Donovan Segree. Notably, four of the 11 signees hail from the state of Ohio, including a trio of local products.
"We are really happy with this group of incoming players," said Dayes. "I think we were able to fill many of our needs due to graduation. I want to give credit to assistant coaches Justin Ferguson and Taylor Thames for their efforts in assembling this class. Our goal was to add players from successful programs that fit our culture. We also wanted players the can compete in the American Athletic Conference and I think we have done that with this class."
// Trey Asensio
6-3 || 185 || Defender/Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of Bexley High School in Bexley, Ohio … Two-year starter with the Cleveland Internationals Soccer Academy -- playing forward, midfield, and defense … Prior experience with the Columbus Crew Soccer Academy … Carries 4.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) … Brother, Matt, played soccer at UC from 2010-12.
Dayes on Asensio: "We are really excited to have Trey join our program. He is a good athlete, has excellent size, and is left-footed. He can play a number of positions and showed that during his time with the Internationals Soccer Academy. He's also an excellent student and fits into our culture."
// Paul Bangura
5-6 || 130 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of West Potomac High School in Woodbridge, Virginia … Played club with DC United Development Academy … First Team All-District … Second Team All-Region … Third Team All-Met … Led West Potomac to league, regional, and Virginia state cup championships … Helped guide team to national semifinals twice … Has scored four goals in 20-plus matches for the U19 DC United DA squad in 2018 … Scored two goals in 15 matches with the U16 DC United DA in 2017 … Member of the National Honor Society.
Dayes on Bangura: "Paul is a pacey winger who thrives in 1v1 situations. He will compete for playing time on either the right or left side of midfield. Paul is coming from a very good soccer environment at DC United and we expect him to have a very bright career as a Bearcat."
// Pascal Igl
6-0 || 178 || Defender
Prior to UC: Product of club AKA Hypo Vorarlberg of the ÖFB U18 Youth League – the highest national youth level in Austria … Scored 11 goals as a defender in the last three years … Team captain … Helped guide squad to the U15 Austrian Championship.
Dayes on Igl: "Pascal is a left-footed, Austrian center back that will come in and compete for a starting position right away. He plays at a very high level internationally and will bring a great deal of experience to the team. He is very capable in the air, 1v1 defensively, and a good passer of the ball. We are excited for Pascal to join our program."
// Will Lonneman
5-10 || 165 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati … Played club with Ohio Elite Soccer Academy … First Team All-State selection … 2017 Greater Catholic League (GCL) South Player of the Year … All-Southwest Ohio pick … First Team Cincinnati Enquirer Ohio All-Star … Recorded 12 goals and two assists for the GCL South Champion Crusaders in 2017 … Father, Rich, played tennis at UC.
Dayes on Lonneman: "Will joins a long list of local players that have played here. He's a hard worker and has great instincts for the game. He will provide depth for us in the midfield. It will be exciting to see him develop during his career."
// Andrew Minnis
5-9 || 145 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of John Hardin High School in Elizabethtown, Kentucky … Played club with United 1996 FC … Named U.S. Youth Soccer Player of the Month in April 2018 … Selected as First Team All-State by the KHSSCA and Area Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 … 2016 Kentucky Youth Soccer Association (KYSA) Boys Player of the Year … Has trained with the Columbus Crew U23s … Has international experience playing in Holland … 4.0 grade point average (GPA) student … Member of the National Honor Society.
Dayes on Minnis: "Andrew is someone that we identified late in the recruiting process. He attended our ID camp and showed really well. He is a versatile player that can play different positions in the midfield. He is a hard worker that understands the game really well. We look forward to Andrew's development over the course of his career."
// Zach Powell
5-9 || 145 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: 2017 First Team All-Greater Miami Conference (GMC) selection … Cincinnati Enquirer Fall 2017 All-Star … Named All-City, All-Southwest Ohio, and All-State … Ranked third in the GMC in 2017 in total points with 29 including team bests of 10 goals and nine assists … 4.0 GPA student … Three-time member of the GMC All-Academic Team.
Dayes on Powell: "Zach is a local player that comes to us from CUP. He is left-footed, serves a really good ball, and can play on either flank. He has really come on in the last year and has great potential. Zach also continues with our culture and philosophy of giving local players an opportunity to play at UC."
// Jeff Schaefer
6-0 || 160 || Defender
Prior to UC: Transfer from Gettysburg College … Previous product of Calvert Hall College High School … Scored two goals and dished out three assists in 31 games during two seasons at Gettysburg … Competed in soccer and lacrosse at Calvert Hall …Two-time all-conference selection … Named team captain during his junior and senior years under head coach Richard Zinkand.
Dayes on Schaefer: "Jeff is a very hard-working player that has earned the respect of his teammates this spring. He comes everyday with the intent to get better and help the team. Jeff is a good athlete that has the ability to play as an outside back that can get up the field and support the attack. We are very happy that Jeff chose to join us at UC and are looking forward to him developing over his time here."
// Moritz Schaller
5-9 || 160 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: Club product of FCM Traiskirchen that plays in the Men's Regionalliga which is third-highest league in Austria … Developed in the academy of professional club, SV Ried, where he served as team captain for three seasons … In four seasons, totaled four goals and one assist in 74 matches while spending the past two years as an outside back and a central defensive midfielder.
Dayes on Schaller: "Moritz is an extremely hard-working midfielder that can cover a lot of ground. His engine makes him invaluable to the team on both sides of the ball. He will bring a tremendous amount of experience and maturity to the team and will compete for a position in the center of the midfield. He will provide stability in the midfield and also add to our goal of playing attractive soccer."
// Donovan Segree
5-11 || 150 || Defender/Midfielder
Prior to UC: Transfer from Daytona State College … Previous product of Jamaica College in Kingston, Jamaica and Barbican FC … Tallied three goals and eight assists in 33 starts at Daytona State …. 2017 NJCAA All-Region 8 Second Team selection … Helped lead the nationally-ranked Falcons to a Region 8 regular season co-championship and an appearance in the postseason regional championship in this past season … First Team All-Region pick as the first-year DCS program reached the NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer National Championship in 2016 … Earned an Associate of Arts degree.
Dayes on Segree: "Donovan is an experienced player. He is very versatile and can play a number of positions. He comes to us after excelling in his two years at Daytona State. He was an integral part of their program and will not only provide quality play, but also great leadership. I think he could slot in at the left back position and make an impact right away. We are excited to have him join us. He is going to be a really good addition to our team."
// Ben Wendell
5-10 || 155 || Defender/Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of Mason High School in Mason, Ohio … Played club with Cincinnati United Premier (CUP) who won the 2017 State Cup Championship and advanced to the US Youth Soccer (USYS) National Championships … Competed in the 2017 High School All-American Game in Orlando, Florida … Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association (OSSCA) All-Ohio honoree … First Team All-Greater Miami Conference (GMC) pick … Cincinnati Enquirer Fall Sports Division I All-Star … Named All-City, All-Southwest District, and All-State … Earned AP Scholar distinction and served on the Student Leadership Advisory Council.
Dayes on Wendell: "Ben was one of the first commitments we got in the class of 2018. He has a great soccer IQ and is solid technically. He is very versatile; he can play as a full back as well as a holding midfielder. We feel he will develop into an excellent college player and he continues the tradition of local players from Mason who have played at UC."
// Mo Williams
6-2 || 175 || Defender
Prior to UC: Product of West Orange High School in West Orange, New Jersey … Played club with TSF Soccer Academy … Super Essex Conference (SEC) Player of the Year and Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey (SCANJ) First Team All-State selection in 2017 … Recorded six goals and two assists starting every match this past season for state semifinalist West Orange … Member of the National Honor Society … Father, Mark, played soccer collegiately at both William Carey University and Mercy College.
Dayes on Williams: "Mo checks all the boxes that you look for in a center back. He is a very good athlete with excellent size and speed. He can play out of the back, is good 1v1, defends well in the air, and is dangerous on attacking restarts. He comes from a well-respected club program in New Jersey that has sent many players to Division I colleges. We feel he is going to have the opportunity to compete for playing time right away. It is all going to depend on how quickly he makes the transition to college soccer. We think he has the ability to make a significant contribution to our program."
// 2018 Fall Schedule
The Bearcats will face a challenging, 18-game slate in 2018 featuring two regular-season home matches at Nippert Stadium and the remaining eight at Gettler Stadium. Check out the complete schedule here.
The additions include current high school seniors Trey Asensio, Paul Bangura, Pascal Igl, Will Lonneman, Andrew Minnis, Zach Powell, Moritz Schaller, Ben Wendell, and Mo Williams, as well transfers Jeff Schaefer and Donovan Segree. Notably, four of the 11 signees hail from the state of Ohio, including a trio of local products.
"We are really happy with this group of incoming players," said Dayes. "I think we were able to fill many of our needs due to graduation. I want to give credit to assistant coaches Justin Ferguson and Taylor Thames for their efforts in assembling this class. Our goal was to add players from successful programs that fit our culture. We also wanted players the can compete in the American Athletic Conference and I think we have done that with this class."
// Trey Asensio
6-3 || 185 || Defender/Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of Bexley High School in Bexley, Ohio … Two-year starter with the Cleveland Internationals Soccer Academy -- playing forward, midfield, and defense … Prior experience with the Columbus Crew Soccer Academy … Carries 4.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) … Brother, Matt, played soccer at UC from 2010-12.
Dayes on Asensio: "We are really excited to have Trey join our program. He is a good athlete, has excellent size, and is left-footed. He can play a number of positions and showed that during his time with the Internationals Soccer Academy. He's also an excellent student and fits into our culture."
// Paul Bangura
5-6 || 130 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of West Potomac High School in Woodbridge, Virginia … Played club with DC United Development Academy … First Team All-District … Second Team All-Region … Third Team All-Met … Led West Potomac to league, regional, and Virginia state cup championships … Helped guide team to national semifinals twice … Has scored four goals in 20-plus matches for the U19 DC United DA squad in 2018 … Scored two goals in 15 matches with the U16 DC United DA in 2017 … Member of the National Honor Society.
Dayes on Bangura: "Paul is a pacey winger who thrives in 1v1 situations. He will compete for playing time on either the right or left side of midfield. Paul is coming from a very good soccer environment at DC United and we expect him to have a very bright career as a Bearcat."
// Pascal Igl
6-0 || 178 || Defender
Prior to UC: Product of club AKA Hypo Vorarlberg of the ÖFB U18 Youth League – the highest national youth level in Austria … Scored 11 goals as a defender in the last three years … Team captain … Helped guide squad to the U15 Austrian Championship.
Dayes on Igl: "Pascal is a left-footed, Austrian center back that will come in and compete for a starting position right away. He plays at a very high level internationally and will bring a great deal of experience to the team. He is very capable in the air, 1v1 defensively, and a good passer of the ball. We are excited for Pascal to join our program."
// Will Lonneman
5-10 || 165 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati … Played club with Ohio Elite Soccer Academy … First Team All-State selection … 2017 Greater Catholic League (GCL) South Player of the Year … All-Southwest Ohio pick … First Team Cincinnati Enquirer Ohio All-Star … Recorded 12 goals and two assists for the GCL South Champion Crusaders in 2017 … Father, Rich, played tennis at UC.
Dayes on Lonneman: "Will joins a long list of local players that have played here. He's a hard worker and has great instincts for the game. He will provide depth for us in the midfield. It will be exciting to see him develop during his career."
// Andrew Minnis
5-9 || 145 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of John Hardin High School in Elizabethtown, Kentucky … Played club with United 1996 FC … Named U.S. Youth Soccer Player of the Month in April 2018 … Selected as First Team All-State by the KHSSCA and Area Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 … 2016 Kentucky Youth Soccer Association (KYSA) Boys Player of the Year … Has trained with the Columbus Crew U23s … Has international experience playing in Holland … 4.0 grade point average (GPA) student … Member of the National Honor Society.
Dayes on Minnis: "Andrew is someone that we identified late in the recruiting process. He attended our ID camp and showed really well. He is a versatile player that can play different positions in the midfield. He is a hard worker that understands the game really well. We look forward to Andrew's development over the course of his career."
// Zach Powell
5-9 || 145 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: 2017 First Team All-Greater Miami Conference (GMC) selection … Cincinnati Enquirer Fall 2017 All-Star … Named All-City, All-Southwest Ohio, and All-State … Ranked third in the GMC in 2017 in total points with 29 including team bests of 10 goals and nine assists … 4.0 GPA student … Three-time member of the GMC All-Academic Team.
Dayes on Powell: "Zach is a local player that comes to us from CUP. He is left-footed, serves a really good ball, and can play on either flank. He has really come on in the last year and has great potential. Zach also continues with our culture and philosophy of giving local players an opportunity to play at UC."
// Jeff Schaefer
6-0 || 160 || Defender
Prior to UC: Transfer from Gettysburg College … Previous product of Calvert Hall College High School … Scored two goals and dished out three assists in 31 games during two seasons at Gettysburg … Competed in soccer and lacrosse at Calvert Hall …Two-time all-conference selection … Named team captain during his junior and senior years under head coach Richard Zinkand.
Dayes on Schaefer: "Jeff is a very hard-working player that has earned the respect of his teammates this spring. He comes everyday with the intent to get better and help the team. Jeff is a good athlete that has the ability to play as an outside back that can get up the field and support the attack. We are very happy that Jeff chose to join us at UC and are looking forward to him developing over his time here."
// Moritz Schaller
5-9 || 160 || Midfielder
Prior to UC: Club product of FCM Traiskirchen that plays in the Men's Regionalliga which is third-highest league in Austria … Developed in the academy of professional club, SV Ried, where he served as team captain for three seasons … In four seasons, totaled four goals and one assist in 74 matches while spending the past two years as an outside back and a central defensive midfielder.
Dayes on Schaller: "Moritz is an extremely hard-working midfielder that can cover a lot of ground. His engine makes him invaluable to the team on both sides of the ball. He will bring a tremendous amount of experience and maturity to the team and will compete for a position in the center of the midfield. He will provide stability in the midfield and also add to our goal of playing attractive soccer."
// Donovan Segree
5-11 || 150 || Defender/Midfielder
Prior to UC: Transfer from Daytona State College … Previous product of Jamaica College in Kingston, Jamaica and Barbican FC … Tallied three goals and eight assists in 33 starts at Daytona State …. 2017 NJCAA All-Region 8 Second Team selection … Helped lead the nationally-ranked Falcons to a Region 8 regular season co-championship and an appearance in the postseason regional championship in this past season … First Team All-Region pick as the first-year DCS program reached the NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer National Championship in 2016 … Earned an Associate of Arts degree.
Dayes on Segree: "Donovan is an experienced player. He is very versatile and can play a number of positions. He comes to us after excelling in his two years at Daytona State. He was an integral part of their program and will not only provide quality play, but also great leadership. I think he could slot in at the left back position and make an impact right away. We are excited to have him join us. He is going to be a really good addition to our team."
// Ben Wendell
5-10 || 155 || Defender/Midfielder
Prior to UC: Product of Mason High School in Mason, Ohio … Played club with Cincinnati United Premier (CUP) who won the 2017 State Cup Championship and advanced to the US Youth Soccer (USYS) National Championships … Competed in the 2017 High School All-American Game in Orlando, Florida … Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association (OSSCA) All-Ohio honoree … First Team All-Greater Miami Conference (GMC) pick … Cincinnati Enquirer Fall Sports Division I All-Star … Named All-City, All-Southwest District, and All-State … Earned AP Scholar distinction and served on the Student Leadership Advisory Council.
Dayes on Wendell: "Ben was one of the first commitments we got in the class of 2018. He has a great soccer IQ and is solid technically. He is very versatile; he can play as a full back as well as a holding midfielder. We feel he will develop into an excellent college player and he continues the tradition of local players from Mason who have played at UC."
// Mo Williams
6-2 || 175 || Defender
Prior to UC: Product of West Orange High School in West Orange, New Jersey … Played club with TSF Soccer Academy … Super Essex Conference (SEC) Player of the Year and Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey (SCANJ) First Team All-State selection in 2017 … Recorded six goals and two assists starting every match this past season for state semifinalist West Orange … Member of the National Honor Society … Father, Mark, played soccer collegiately at both William Carey University and Mercy College.
Dayes on Williams: "Mo checks all the boxes that you look for in a center back. He is a very good athlete with excellent size and speed. He can play out of the back, is good 1v1, defends well in the air, and is dangerous on attacking restarts. He comes from a well-respected club program in New Jersey that has sent many players to Division I colleges. We feel he is going to have the opportunity to compete for playing time right away. It is all going to depend on how quickly he makes the transition to college soccer. We think he has the ability to make a significant contribution to our program."
// 2018 Fall Schedule
The Bearcats will face a challenging, 18-game slate in 2018 featuring two regular-season home matches at Nippert Stadium and the remaining eight at Gettler Stadium. Check out the complete schedule here.