Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Announces 2008 Men's Soccer Recruiting Class
2/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Feb. 12, 2008
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Watch Coach Freitag's comments on the 2008 recruiting class
Signing Day Video 
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Nick Blevins (Carroll, Ohio/Bloom Carroll), Will Bruin (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit), Chris Haffner (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University High), Tommy Meyer (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University High), Luis Soffner (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University High), Joe Tolen (Evansville, Ind./Evansville Central) and Tim Wylie (Fort Wayne, Ind./Fort Wayne Carroll) comprise the 2008 Indiana University men's soccer recruiting class, head coach Mike Freitag announced today.
"The 2008 Indiana University's Men's Soccer recruiting class reflects all that we look for in our recruiting efforts," Freitag said. "To start, these seven young men are outstanding individuals who all are very dedicated and gifted in the classroom. They are all extremely talented and athletic soccer players. Lastly, and vitally important to our championship efforts is the fact that they all possess the `winning fiber' that has been the make up of so many quality players that have worn the IU jersey through the years."
Blevins brings an impressive list of credentials to Bloomington. The 2007 National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas Boys High School Scholar Athlete of the Year and Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Player of the Year, Blevins was also named an NSCAA Boys High School All-American after leading Bloom Carroll in goals scored (35) and assists. He set an Ohio state record for assists in a season (39-sophomore) and career (116) and is one of just two players in Ohio high school history to join the 100/100 club with 100 career goals and 100 career assists.
"Nick is a young man with tremendous potential," Freitag said. "He has already received numerous awards and accolades for his high school play being named Ohio Player of the Year for 2007 and an NSCAA All-American. He is a midfielder who is very comfortable on the ball and a very good passer. He reminds me a lot of Brian Masionnueve, one of IU's all-time best. He will blossom in the Indiana Soccer environment."
A three-time All-Ohio selection, Blevins was honored by the Eagle Gazette as its Player of the Year as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was the Central?District Player of the Year as a sophomore and senior and was named the Ohio Division III Player of the Year in 2007. A member of the 2005 ODP regional pool and 2007 ODP?regional team, Blevins plays his club soccer with the U-17?Eagles SC-Black and has helped lead the team to four-straight state titles.
Also a standout on the football field,?Blevins was a three-time all-district pick and earned first-team all-state honors as a place kicker in 2005. In the classroom, Blevins serves as senior class president and is a member of the National Honor Society and student council.
Bruin joins a long line of former DeSmet Jesuit players to wear the Cream and Crimson, following in the footsteps of IU greats Chris Klein, Harry Weiss, Pat Noonan and Mike Ambersley. The forward broke the DeSmet Jesuit career goals scored record with 102, topping the old mark held by Noonan. Leading the Metro Catholic Conference in scoring as a freshman, junior and senior, Bruin is a two-time NSCAA All-American, the 2007 Missouri State Soccer Player of the Year and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Soccer Player of the Year.
"Will is a goal scorer with an edge," Freitag said. "He is big, strong, athletic, and he possesses a goal scorer's mentality. He was voted the top offensive player at the 2007 adidas ESP Camp, a collection of the top high school players in the country. Will will have an immediate impact on IU Soccer. He possesses a strong will to win."
Named All-MCC each of his four seasons at DeSmet Jesuit, Bruin led the Spartans to a 17-4-4 record in 2007 and a No. 1 national ranking in the NSCAA poll after a 2-0 win over preseason No. 1 St. Benedict's (N.J.) Prep. Over the course of his career DeSmet Jesuit totaled a record of 69-18-13.
A member of Scott-Gallagher Soccer Club since age eight, he helped lead the team to Missouri State Cup titles from 2005-07. He was also a member of the United State Regional Team from 2003-05 and represented the U.S. in Torino, Italy. Bruin also won the Golden Boot Award at the 2007 adidas/ESP Soccer Invitational Camp.
Haffner led SLUH to the state finals in 2007 and a top-10 national ranking in 2006. Making the switch from forward to central defender his senior season, Haffner anchored a defense that allowed just 10 goals in 33 matches played. As a sophomore and junior he tallied 38 goals and was a Metro Catholic Conference Top-5 Scorer in 2005-06. For his efforts he was named first-team all-conference and all-state in 2007 and was selected by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to its All-Metro first team.
"Another St. Louis product, Chris is one of four players in the 2008 class who was developed within the highly successful Scott- Gallagher Soccer Club," Freitag said. "Chris is athletic and a hard-nosed defender. I see Chris developing into a top defender. He is good in the air and tenacious in his defending.
Playing on the Scott-Gallagher U-18 US?Soccer Development Academy team alongside future IU teammates Will Bruin and Luis Soffner, Haffner was the starting central defender on the USYSA Region II championship squad in 2007 and competed with the team at the 2006 Nike Friendlies where they played the U-17 U.S. National?Team to a 1-1 tie. The team recorded Missouri State Cup titles in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007 and was a U.S. National Club Championship finalist in 2005.
Haffner's teammate at St. Louis University High, Meyer is a two-time NSCAA/adidas All-American and was named to the all-state and all-metro first teams in 2007. He was also an all-state honoree and Parade All-American in 2006. As a sophomore, Meyer left SLUH to join the U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla. for one season before deciding to return to Missouri. Meyer was a member of the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup team which advanced to the round of 16. Meyer appeared in three matches for the U-17's in South?Korea.
"Tommy has achieved a high level of success," Freitag said. "He has represented the United Sates in the most recent U-17 World Championship and continues to be a fixture within our national team programs. Tommy is without a doubt one of the top defenders in the country. He is smart and very skillful. His leadership and distribution skills make him an outstanding addition to our squad."
The name Meyer should be familiar to IU soccer fans as his father, Keith, was a four-year letterwinner for the Hoosiers and was part of Indiana's National Championship teams in 1982 and 1983.
"Tommy's father, Keith, was one of the best players to come through the program and we couldn't be more proud to have another Meyer wear the IU jersey," Freitag said.
The?third St. Louis Univeristy High product to join the Hoosiers in 2008, Soffner spent his final two seasons with the Junior Billikens after playing his freshman and sophomore years at St. Ignatius in Cleveland, Ohio. As a sophomore, the goalkeeper helped lead the Wildcats to the 2005 Ohio state championship, as well as the NSCAA?high school national title. As a senior at SLUH, Soffner posted 18 shutouts in 23 matches with a 0.32 goals-against average as the Junior Billikens were the 2007 Missouri state runner up. For his efforts he was named to the St. Louis All-Metro first team and all-state team. He has also been a standout in the classroom, earning first honors all four years of high school with a 3.9 GPA.
"Luis is a big strong talented goalkeeper and teammate with Tommy and Chris at St. Louis University High," Freitag said. "Luis was voted the top goalkeeper at the 2007 ESP Camp and his size and technique offer him the potential to develop into one of the best goalkeepers in the country. It will take something special to get the ball past Luis."
From 1999-2005, Soffner played his club ball with the Internationals in Cleveland, leading the team to Ohio state titles from 2001-05. As a member of the North American All-Stars he competed at the Youth World Cup in 2000 and 2001. After moving to Missouri he joined the Scott-Gallagher Soccer Club with the team capturing Missouri state championships in 2006 and 2007. His grandfather, Jim Scott, was one of the founders of the Scott-Gallagher Soccer Club.
A four-time all-conference selection out of Evansville Central, Tolen tallied 79 goals and 53 assists from the midfield in his four-year career. A first-team all-state and all-region selection, Tolen was named to Indiana's Super 16 in 2007 and led his team to the regional final for the best finish in school history. He is Central's all-time single-season leader in scoring, assists and varsity starts. Tolen was also a standout on the football field, earning all-state accolades in 2007.
"Son of IU alums, Joe comes to us from Evansville with talent and a burning desire to be an IU Soccer player," Freitag said. "Joe's vision and ability on the ball made him one of the top prospects in the state of Indiana. Joe is a versatile player who can play as a forward or in midfield. He will be a valuable asset to Indiana Soccer."
A standout in the classroom, Tolen is a two-time academic all-state honoree and is a member of the National Honor Society and class valedictorian.
Wylie was a four-year starter at Fort Wayne Carroll High School where he was a first-team all-state and unanimous all-conference selection. Also earning all-conference mention as a sophomore and junior, Wylie helped lead the Chargers to a 54-19-4 record, two sectional and one conference title in four seasons. Over his career he tallied 34 goals (eighth in school history) and 95 points (seventh in school history). His 75 games played ranks 10th in school history.
"Tim is from Ft. Wayne, an area of the state that is putting out tremendous talent," Freitag said. "Tim's size and athleticism coupled with his skill and competitiveness are fantastic characteristics to help our program. Tim has the ability to score goals but is versatile and can play in midfield. He has the potential to be a force within the college game. Tim will be another threat in the air for the Hoosiers."
Playing club soccer with the Indy Burn Eagles he helped his team win one of six running state titles. Wylie also spent time with the Fort Wayne Fever of the Premier Development League (PDL) and was a member of the Super Y League Regional ODP Team in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
"This class possesses skill, size, and a competitive edge that will compliment our talented returning squad," Freitag said. "I look forward to watching them develop into champions. They will all be valuable assets to Indiana University and our soccer program."
The?Hoosiers open their spring season Friday, March 28 against UIC in Bloomington. Other home matches this spring feature Louisville (April 1) and Virginia Tech (April 19).
Indiana University 2008 Recruiting Class
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School Nick Blevins MF 5-10 175 Carroll, Ohio/Bloom Carroll Will Bruin F 6-2 194 St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Chris Haffner D 6-0 180 St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University High Tommy Meyer D 6-2 175 St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University High Luis Soffner GK 6-4 210 St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University High Joe Tolen MF 5-9 160 Evansville, Ind./Evansville Central Tim Wylie F 6-2 180 Ft. Wayne, Ind./Ft. Wayne Carroll
Players Mentioned
