Men's Soccer Announces Addition of Seven Signees for 2019

CHICAGO - Head men's soccer coach Mark Plotkin announced the addition of seven new members to the roster for the 2019 season on Thursday. Michael Anderson, McRay Drong, David Gripman, Grant Herbek, Dan Iscra, Joe McGee, and Brian Schwake have all signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Blue Demons at the beginning of next season.

"Myself, Coach Keever and Coach Bushue are thrilled to welcome our seven-member recruiting class who will join us next fall," Plotkin said. "I would like to thank Tyler and Cole for their fantastic work in the process to identify and attract a group of student-athletes who we feel will have an immediate impact on this program on and off the field.

"The class displays our university and soccer program's ability to attract local talent from the Chicagoland area as well as talent on a regional and national level. We expect this group to add depth and compete for playing time in every position on the field – from goalkeeper up to the forward line."

Michael Anderson (Winfield, IN – Crown Point High School) – Indiana Fire USSDA

"Michael is a true holding midfielder from the Indiana Fire Academy," Plotkin said. "Michael's size, athleticism, and technique will translate well to Big East soccer. He does a great job of breaking up plays defensively and connecting passes to sustain possession on the ball. We expect Michael to come in and compete for playing time immediately in midfield."

McRay Drong (St. Cloud, MN – St. Cloud Cathedral High School) – Maplebrook SC

"McRay is a creative midfielder who is versatile enough to play centrally or our wide," Plotkin said. "He has great passing range with both feet and vision going forward in the attack. His quickness, technique, and intelligence will enable him to compete for playing time right away."

David Gripman (Morton Grove, IL – Loyola Academy) – FC United

"David joins us from local club FC United and Loyola Academy where he won a regional championship last summer and a conference championship this fall," Plotkin said. "David has a unique quickness and ability on the ball that we are very excited about. He has the ability to create goals and assists through combination play or individual dribbling efforts. We will look for David to make an immediate impact in our attack next year."

Grant Herbek (Libertyville, IL – Libertyville High School) – GLSA FC1974

"Grant joins us from Libertyville High School and FC 1974," Plotkin said. "He led his team to back to back state championship appearances as a defender and a midfielder. Grant is a fantastic defender who can play anywhere in the back line or in midfield. He is great in the air and has the speed to keep up with the forwards he will go up against in the Big East. Grant's versatility and athleticism will enable him to adapt quickly and compete for playing time in his freshman year."

Dan Iscra (Northbrook, IL – Glenbrook North High School) – Sockers FC USSDA

"Dan is a quality center back from one of the top clubs in the country, Sockers FC Chicago," Plotkin said. "He is a tough, disciplined defender with great size and athleticism. Dan's competitive nature will enable him to adapt to Big East soccer immediately and challenge for playing time right away."

Joe McGee (Boerne, TX – Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School) – Dallas Texans USSDA

"Joe is a dynamic attacking player from Dallas Texans Soccer Club," Plotkin said. "He is comfortable playing out wide or up top. His ability to take players on in 1v1 situations and speed to stretch defenses really stood out to our coaching staff. We will look for his quickness and pace to add another dimension to our attack next season."

Brian Schwake (Mt. Prospect, IL – Prospect High School) – Sockers FC USSDA

"Brian is a quality goalkeeper coming to us from Sockers FC Chicago," Plotkin said. "Brian's presence in goal stood out to us in the recruiting process. He has a great confidence to him and is as competitive as they come. Brian has great shot stopping ability and a frame that will adapt well to the college game. He will be a great addition to our goalkeeping core."

Men's Soccer Announces Addition of Seven Signees for 2019

Related Videos