July 21, 2005
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico men’s soccer 2005 recruiting class has been ranked 16th in the nation according to CollegeSoccerNews.com. The website ranked the top 40 schools in the nation based on incoming freshmen and transfers. The Lobos have eight newcomers on the 2005 roster, featuring two transfers (Josh Brown, David Peplinski), five freshmen (Jason Aul, Brandon Barklage, Mike Giffin, Jack Smithson, Chris Wright) and a former member of the UNM ski team (Lars Loeseth). New Mexico opens the 2005 campaign Sept. 2 vs. Penn State in Columbus, Ohio.
“We are thrilled with the guys that are coming in,” said UNM head coach Jeremy Fishbein. “They compliment our returning players and share a common goal to help the program continue to get better. They are committed to excellence on the playing field and in the classroom. We’re very excited about working with them this season.”
The website states, “if they focused, this class will be extremely competitive and very effective…the five freshmen have an excellent background of club and ODP play. Forward Brandon Barklage is among the freshmen who should make an impact.”