Indiana University Athletics
IU Announces Four Signees (03-02-04)
3/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana head soccer coach Mike Freitag has announced the commitment of four high school student-athletes to continue their soccer careers at Indiana University. John Mellencamp (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota West), Kevin Noschang (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota West), Billy Weaver (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) and Brad Yuska (Corte Madera, Calif./Marin Academy) will join the Hoosiers in the fall 2004 as they begin to defend their 2003 national title.
"Overall, this is an outstanding recruiting class. They will help us continue Indiana soccer's tradition of excellence," Freitag said. "This group will challenge a strong core of returning players in 2004, and, in turn, will make us a better team as a whole. They are all class individuals and outstanding players."
Here's a look at Indiana's four commitments:
John Mellencamp
Midfield
Cincinnati, Ohio (Lakota West)
A teammate of fellow Hoosier recruit Kevin Noschang at Lakota West High School and on Cincinnati United Premier ... A four-year starter at Lakota West, Mellencamp helped lead the Firebirds to a 17-2-3 record and the round of four in the state tournament in 2003 ... A member of the Ohio All-State first team ... Named first-team All-Greater Miami Conference in 2003 ... Earned All-Region IV (Mideast) honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America ... Named to the U-18 Region II (Midwest) Olympic Development team ... An excellent student in high school ... The namesake nephew of rock music star John Mellencamp.
Coach Freitag on John Mellencamp:
"John is a young man with strong Hoosier ties who has attended our camp for years. John has continued to develop into a very effective player on the field. He possesses very good field vision and has impressive technical abilities."
Kevin Noschang
Forward
Cincinnati, Ohio (Lakota West)
A teammate of fellow Hoosier recruit John Mellencamp at Lakota West High School and on Cincinnati United Premier ... Recognized as a high school All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America ... Also earned first-team All-Greater Miami Conference honors and was named the league's Athlete of the Year for 2003 ... Put up impressive scoring numbers with 23 goals and 15 assists as a senior ...Owns school records with 15 assists in a season and 32 in a career ... First-team All-State honoree... Helped lead Lakota West to a 17-2-3 record and the round of four in the state tournament in 2003 ... Named to the U-18 Region II (Midwest) Olympic Development team.
Coach Freitag on Kevin Noschang:
"Kevin is an absolutely exceptional athlete and a diamond in the rough. He displays outstanding breakaway speed and poses an offensive threat to the opposition."
Billy Weaver
Forward/Midfielder
Lake Orion, Mich. (Lake Orion)
Selected Michigan's Mr. Soccer in 2003 ...Recognized as the Michigan State Player of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) ... Also earned high school All-America honors from the NSCAA ... Scored 53 goals and had 27 assists as a senior ... Led his Lake Orion High School team to an 18-1-5 record in 2003 ... Totaled 25 goals a junior and 12 as both a freshman and a sophomore ... Named to the Detroit News' All-Area and All-Metro teams ... Also chosen to the state of Michigan's Dream Team and Division I first team ... Played for the Michigan Wolves club team ... A member of the U-18 Region II (Midwest) Olympic Development team.
Coach Freitag on Billy Weaver:
"Billy is a very good passer and has the ability to score big goals. He is a very dedicated player, and I fully expect him to be a valuable asset to IU soccer in the near future."
Brad Yuska
Midfield
Corte Madera, Calif. (Marin Academy)
Garnered California State Player of the Year honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and was named to the organization's high school All-America team in 2003 ... Selected to the NSCAA All-Region squad in 2001 and 2002 ... Helped his Marin Academy team to the North Coast Section title in 2000 and 2001 ... A four-time All-Bay Counties League honoree ... Earned Bay Counties League Most Valuable Player honors ... Played club soccer for Marin FC ... A member of the California State Olympic Development team 2000-2004 and the Regional team 2000-2002 ... His father, Sam Yuska, attended IU.
Coach Freitag on Brad Yuska:
"Though he is from California, Brad has ties to Indiana. He is one of the most gifted young players ever to come through the Indiana Soccer Camp. Brad is an excellent technical and tactical player, and he possesses a burning desire to play soccer at Indiana."
