Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Men's Soccer	SIUE Men's Soccer SIUE Athletics

Head Coach Kevin Kalish

June 2, 2008 Kalish, Cougars Sign Seven Standouts          EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - First-year men's soccer coach Kevin Kalish has put his stamp on the program immediately with the signing of his first recruiting class for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.          Kevin Kalish, who begins his first season as head coach at the same time that SIUE transitions into NCAA Division I status, has signed Kyle O'Brien, (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Brian Groark (Florissant, Mo.), Jack Twellman (St. Louis, Mo.), Nash Maduekwe (St. Louis, Mo.), Nick Collico (Florissant, Mo.), Yaw Danso (Gaborone, Botswana), and Nicholas Bigogno (St. Louis, Mo.)          "We are excited about the talent that our 2008 class brings to the SIUE soccer family. These seven young men are outstanding individuals who all are very dedicated and gifted in the classroom. We feel strongly that this group of players are going to make an immediate impact and help bring back SIUE Soccer to an elite status in Division I. They will all be valuable assets to the SIUE community and our soccer program," said Kalish.          O'Brien, a midfielder, earned most valuable player honors three out of the four years he was a member of the Marina High School varsity squad. He also participated in the U.S. Developmental Academy.          "Kyle is a gifted playmaker who can play centrally or wide in the midfield. He is a very intelligent player with a high skill level that fits in well with our style of play. We are excited to land a player from the Patedores Soccer Club in California, one of the top youth clubs in the country. Kyle will add immediate depth to our midfield and be a valuable asset to SIUE Soccer for many years to come."          Groark and Twellman will be second generation soccer players for SIUE. Tom Groark and Mike Twellman were both members of SIUE's 1979 national championship team, which won the institution's only NCAA Division I crown.          At Christian Brothers College High School Brian Groark, a midfielder was a first team All-State, All-Metro, and All-Conference selection.          "Brian is a very technical, intelligent midfielder with a remarkable ability to strike the ball. His father, Tom, was an All-American and played on the 1979 national championship team. We are extremely excited to have another Groark wear the Cougar jersey. Brian’s composure and decision making in the center of the field will help us control games. He reminds me a lot of former Cougar Brian Higgins, one of SIUE's all-time best center midfielders. We expect Brian to have a tremendous career at SIUE."          In 2007, Jack Twellman helped St. Louis University High School to a second-place finish from his forward position. He also was a first team All-State, All-Metro, and All-Conference selection.          "Jack is an extremely versatile and intelligent player that will fit well in our system. He is a crafty, clever player that seems to always be around goals. His versatility will help make him very valuable to our team. Jack is another player that comes from a family with incredible bloodlines in the game of soccer. His father, Mike, also played on our 1979 National Championship team and was one of the best players to come through the program during its glory years. We couldn't be more proud to have another Twellman wear the SIUE jersey."          While at Chaminade Prep College, defensive back Maduekwe helped the school win the 2006 Missouri State Championship. He also was a two-year All-Metro honorable mention selection.          "Nash is a young man with tremendous potential. He is a very athletic, hard-nosed defensive player that can play anywhere in the back line. He can be a very dependable center back or a dangerous attacking outside player. He is good in the air and tenacious in his defending. We look forward to watching Nash grow and develop over the next four years."          Collico, another Chaminade Prep College signee, led the school in its 2006 title run from his goalie position. As a three-year letter winner, he earned All-State honorable mention and third team All-Metro honors. His brother, Tim, played for the Cougars from 2004 to 2005.          "Nick has become one of the top goalkeepers in the region over the last two years. He has great shot-stopping ability and tremendous potential. We feel he will continue to grow and develop into one of the top goalkeepers in the college game. His brother Tim was on SIUE’s 2004 team that lost in the national finals and his father Peter was a star at Saint Louis University. The Collico family has a history of winning, and we are elated that Nick has joined the SIUE Family."          Danso, a midfielder, was a All-Conference selection at Principia College. He also competed on the Scott Gallagher U-18 2007 Missouri State Champions.          "Yaw is a strong, physical flank player that will help us in the attack. His athleticism coupled with his skill and competitiveness are fantastic characteristics that will help our program succeed at the Division I level. Yaw has the ability to score goals and has the potential to be a force within the college game. We look forward to helping Yaw reach his potential as a player as he will be an immediate impact to our team next season."          Bigogno, a former Lindbergh High School standout, should immediately bring experience and depth to the Cougar roster. As a Columbia College transfer, the midfielder already has two years of college experience.          "Nick will bring a winning mentality and toughness that will help our team win games. His presence on the field, ball winning ability and composure with the ball makes him a valuable asset to our program. We are expecting Nick to play a significant role on the team next season and be an anchor in the middle of the field. We believe Nick will follow in the footsteps of many of the great ball-winning center midfielders we have had over the last 8 years such as Ryan Stoddart, John Matthews and Randy Roy."                   -siue cougars-