Bradley Soccer Announces 2017 Recruiting Class

Braves add seven newcomers for as program prepares to celebrate 30th anniversary season

BradleyBraves.com

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Soccer 6/7/2017 2:33:00 PM

PEORIA, IL - Bradley Soccer tapped some of its traditional recruiting connections, as well as connections in California and Europe, to produce a 7-man recruiting class intent on helping the Braves return to national prominence, according to the announcement of the commitments Wednesday by veteran head coach Jim DeRose.

Addressing every area of the field, Bradley's 2017 recruiting class includes a pair of college transfers, a player with ties to a program legend, a player from Chicago club power Sockers FC, a player from the Quad Cities and four European imports, including two who joined the Braves during the winter break and participated with the team during the spring exhibition season. The seven recruits join 26 returning players as DeRose prepares for his 22nd season at the helm of the Bradley program.

2017 Bradley Soccer Recruiting Class
Name	Pos.	Yr.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown (High School/Previous School)	Club
Brandon Barnes	GK	Gr.	6-2	195	Cary, IL (Prairie Ridge H.S.)/Seton Hall	Sockers FC
Younes Dayekh	MF	Fr.	6-0	172	Brentwood, CA (Heritage H.S.)	Sacramento Republic Acad. FC
Jack Dunn	D	Fr.	6-2	185	Davenport, IA (Bettendorf H.S.)	Bettendorf SA
David Gjeraker	MF	Fr.	6-1	175	Bergen, Norway (Stend Viderergående School)	SK Brann
Roman Schindler	F	So.	6-2	180	Vienna, Austria (BRG4 Waltergasse/Indiana Tech)	SV Wienerberg
Jordan Walpole	D	Fr.	6-2	165	Southend-on-Sea, England (The King Edmund School)	Genesis Futsal Club/Great Wakering Colts
Gerit Wintermeyer	F	Fr.	6-3	185	Wiesbaden, Germany (Fridrich-Ebert Schule)	FC Kaisterslautern

"We are very excited to welcome these student-athletes to Bradley University," said DeRose. "We believe with the addition of this recruiting class and the development of the student-athletes already in the program, we can re-establish ourselves to compete for the championships and NCAA Tournament berths synonymous with Bradley Soccer.

"We were very focused on specific needs for our team," DeRose added. "We believe we have addressed them with individuals who can be impactful right away and consistently challenge our existing group to make the overall program better each and every day."

"With Coach (Brian) Barnett receiving his first NCAA Division I head coaching job at IUPUI just days before the preseason, I first must thank Coach Joe Burger tremendously for his incredible work and diligence in assisting with bringing in such a quality class," DeRose continued. "He worked countless hours and logged many miles, while still having to do many of the tasks that are required on a daily basis. His dedication and the work he put in to forge relationships with these young men, their families and coaches was vital to their decision to attend Bradley and our entire program is incredibly appreciative."

Brandon Barnes | GK | Graduate Transfer | Cary, IL | Prairie Ridge H.S./Seton Hall | Sockers FC
A 6-foot-2 goalkeeper, Barnes is a graduate transfer from Seton Hall and will have one year of eligibility for the Braves while he pursues his master's degree in mechanical engineering. Originally from Cary, IL, Barnes was a 3-sport (soccer, football and cross country) athlete at Prairie Ridge High School, where he posted nine shutouts and a .828 saves percentage during his senior season in 2012. With the Pirates, Barnes played in eight games in 2015, including seven as a starter, finishing with a 2.81 goals against average.

"Brandon comes to us as a graduate transfer from Seton Hall University and will enroll in our master's program in mechanical engineering," said DeRose. "Prior to attending Seton Hall, Brandon played for Sockers FC Chicago, a club with great tradition, coaching and the youth development home of many former and current Bradley Braves. With the loss of Logan Ketterer to the MLS Columbus Crew, we will have a very young goalkeeping group with little Division I experience. Brandon's addition gives us a player that has experienced the rigors and competitiveness of the Big East and some of college soccer's finest competition. That experience will prove invaluable for our team as he competes with the other goalkeepers for the number one job and look to continue the great successes of past Bradley goalkeepers."

Younes Dayekh | MF | Fr. | San Jose, CA | Heritage H.S. | Sacramento Republic Academy FC
A 6-foot midfielder, Dayekh comes to The Hilltop from the same hometown - Brentwood, CA - that produced Bradley Soccer stars Gavin and Duane Glinton, and Dayekh also played for Gavin Glinton while advancing through the club ranks.

Dayekh played two years of varsity soccer at Heritage High School. After scoring 24 points on nine goals and six assists as a freshman in 2014, he produced 58 points on 21 goals and 16 assists as a junior in 2016, leading the Patriots to a conference title and the North Coast Section semifinals. His school's all-time scoring leader, Dayekh earned first team all-conference and All-NCS honors in 2016.

"Younes and his previous club team from Northern California, Impact Soccer Club, attended our team camp, and his play immediately impressed the coaches," said DeRose. "He is a dynamic attacking player who can play in multiple roles and possesses a great work ethic. His athleticism and ability to run at players will give us a much-needed boost to our attacking group. His ability to score goals and create for others makes Younes a great teammate and a player that can influence the game at any time."

"Currently, he is playing for Sacramento Republic, one of the country's top teams in the US Soccer Development Academy, which will compete in the USSDA Playoffs this June in Indiana," added DeRose. "Prior to his addition to Sacramento Republic, Younes played for former four-time Bradley All-American and MLS Cup winner, Gavin Glinton, and Impact Soccer Club. Gavin's influence and coaching of Younes in his formative years is evident today on both sides of the ball, and like Gavin, his passion to play, compete and be immersed in soccer every day is contagious to those around him."

Jack Dunn | D | Fr. | Davenport, IA | Bettendorf H.S. | Bettendorf SA
A 6-foot-2 defender from the Quad Cities community of Davenport, IA, Dunn starred at Bettendorf High School, where he was a four-year varsity letterman. Dunn recently was named to the Des Moines Register second annual All-Iowa Elite Team, which recognizes the top players among all classes in the state of Iowa. The center back for the Bulldogs, Dunn directed a defensive unit that has allowed just two goals during a state championship run this spring after posting 12 shutouts in 2016.

"Jack attended our individual player and team camp last summer and impressed us with his athleticism and toughness as a central defender," said DeRose. "He is also an intelligent center back who can organize and direct, and he has had great success at the high school and club level in Iowa. As a finalist for Iowa's Gatorade Player of the Year, Jack also exhibits very strong leadership skills, he is a determined competitor who takes great pride in his team's successes and he is a dedicated student.

"He played for one of Iowa's top high school programs, Bettendorf High School," DeRose added. "As a captain for Coach Ben Pennington, Jack has great experience competing for championships and the demands necessary to represent a program of great tradition and excellence. Jack will lend strength and depth to our defending group, which features four seniors this fall, and we are excited to have him."

David Gjeraker | MF | Fr. | Bergen, Norway | Stend Videregående School | SK Brann
Gjeraker becomes the first Norwegian national for the Bradley Soccer program and the midfielder was a member of the SK Brann club program that won Norway's U19 national championship in 2015.

"Coach Joe Burger had the opportunity to spend time in Norway watching SK Brann train and play and David's ability to impact our program was evident very quickly," said DeRose. "David is a box-to-box midfield player who we are hopeful will add a much-needed presence immediately to our team. His ability to cover ground, connect the appropriate pass, win balls and create or join the attack will add a dimension that allows us to maximize our team strengths. David grew up playing in the SK Brann youth system in Bergen, Norway, and the structure and immersion with some of the top players in the country has given David a background and development platform that will uniquely prepare him for the college game."

Roman Schindler | F | So. | Vienna, Austria | BRG4 Waltergasse School/Indiana Tech | SV Wienerberg
Schindler is a mid-year transfer from Indiana Tech and the 6-foot-2 forward competed with the Braves during the 2017 spring semester. As a freshman in the fall, Schindler earned second-team all-conference honors in the NAIA Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) after leading the Warriors with 29 points and tying as the league's second-leading goal scorer (13). He helped the Warriors to a 14-4-2 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the 12-team WHAC with a 7-3-1 league record.

"Roman has adapted well upon his arrival from Austria last year," said DeRose. "Roman's experience at Indiana Tech provided a solid foundation to continue his successful play in college soccer at the Division I level. While at Indiana Tech, he demonstrated his ability to score goals with 13 last fall, winning all-conference honors and helping Indiana Tech to a record-setting campaign on the field.

"The coaching staff and players around Roman at Indiana Tech were instrumental in assisting him as he adapted to the athletic and academic rigors of college soccer in the United States," DeRose added. "We are very happy to have him. He has a great sense of tactics and has shown the skill and determination to contribute quality on both sides of the field. Like Gerit (Wintermeyer), Roman was able to be with us during the spring semester and his impact was felt immediately as a forward and a winger. His size, athletic prowess and tactical acumen, no doubt, will lead to a much stronger attacking core."

Jordan Walpole | D | Fr. | Southend-on-Sea, England | The King Edmund School | Genesis Futsal Club/Great Wakering Colts
A 6-foot-2 defender from Southend-on-Sea, located on the southeast North Sea coast of England, Walpole has excelled Genesis Futsal Club and has earned a position with the English Futsal U19 National Team.

"Coach (Joe) Burger first identified Jordan at an early showcase in December hosted by First Point USA in England," said DeRose. "Jordan played primarily as defender and at 6-2, he did a great job reading the game, making decisions defensively and organizing his group. What really impressed us about Jordan was his ability on the ball technically and decision-making with his passes. He is extremely comfortable and confident on the ball, which lends to great positional flexibility.

"Currently, Jordan is representing England with the U19 Futsal National Team in hopes of qualifying them for the World Championships," added DeRose. "His composure on the ball will allow him to positively influence the players around him. We believe that Jordan's extremely high technical level will lead to increased scoring opportunities and in relieving pressure in the midfield and defensive third."

Gerit Wintermeyer | F | Fr. | Wiesbaden, Germany | Friedrich-Ebert Schule | FC Kaiserslautern
A 6-foot-3 striker who has excelled in his native Germany, Wintermeyer enrolled at Bradley during the winter break and was able to compete with the Braves during the 2017 spring season. Playing on the FC Kaiserslautern U19 team the last two years, Wintermeyer debuted as the youngest player in the Oberliga in 2014-15 and helped his team to a third-place league finish. He scored a goal in his league debut and went on to be his team's top scorer. In his second season in 2015-16, Wintermeyer helped FC Kaiserslautern earn the Cup championship and a promotion into the Bundesliga, Germany's top youth league, while earning a spot on the Oberliga Team of the Season.

Prior to aging up into the U19 division, Wintermeyer was a two-time league MVP and top scorer in the U16 (2012-13) and U17 (2013-14) age groups.

"Coach (Joe) Burger had the opportunity evaluate Gerit during his time in Germany and was immediately impressed with his goal-scoring prowess at a very high level," said DeRose. "Gerit is a proven and true finisher who possesses great size and strength, ability in the air and ball-striking ability of a very high standard.

"His addition adds more attacking presence to our current team and he has made those around him better," DeRose added. "He has the ability to set up teammates and create scoring chances for himself, and he brings high-level experiences from his youth career at a top European club. Having had Gerit with us in the spring semester gave him the opportunity to get established academically and athletically and his impact on the field with us was felt immediately. We are extremely excited to add him to our team."

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