Lobo Men’s Soccer Signs 12-Member Class

February 01, 2006

Fishbein Named Regional Coach of the Year

University of New Mexico men’s soccer coach Jeremy Fishbein announced commitments from 12 standouts for the 2006 season. The Lobos will welcome one of the most talented group of recruits in school history. Represented in the 2006 class are four NSCAA All-Americans, four adidas ESP participants, two U.S.Y.S.A. National Champions, three state players of the year and a pair of international athletes.

Highlighting the group is 2005 New Mexico 5A Player of the Year Michael Reed. Reed, a 2005 NSCAA High School All-American and adidas ESP camp participant, joins the long list of New Mexico prep stars committing to UNM. The soon-to-be Sandia High School graduate led the Matadors to the 5A title game each of the last two seasons and was the 2005 Albuquerque Tribune Player of the Year.

PJ Wilson is another talented newcomer, joining the Lobos from Fort Wayne, Ind. He was the 2005 Indiana High School Player of the Year and a two-time NSCAA All-American. The 5-11, forward also competed in the adidas ESP camp last summer. Adidas ESP showcases the top-150 high school players in the nation. Zach Tierney, a 6-1 defender, is the third All-American joining the Lobos in 2006, earning NSCAA Youth honors each of the last two years. A native of Wildwood, Mo., he led Christian Brothers High School to back-to-back Missouri state titles and a No. 5 national ranking in the fall. He also participated in the adidas ESP camp each of the last two summers, being selected to the prestigious all-star team in 2005. Gardner Morrow is UNM fourth All-American commitment for 2006, receiving NSCAA High School recognition fro his play at Champlain Valley High School in Shelborne, Vt. He led his team to four consecutive state titles and was the 2005 Vermont player of the year.

New Mexico picked up a pair of Arlington, Texas, natives in 6-0, defender Stephen Brown and 5-6, midfielder Bryan Sajjadi. This pair guided the Dallas Texans club team to the 2005 U.S.Y.S.A. U-17 national title and are the leaders on the James Martin High School squad that is currently ranked No.11 in the nation. Sajjadi is a two-time participant at the adidas ESP camp while Brown was the Fort Worth Star Telegram Boy’s Area Player of the Year.

The Lobos also added a pair of goalkeepers to the roster, including Justin Fite (Spring, Texas) from Klein Collins High School. The four-year letterman was an honorable mention all-district selection as a junior. Also joining UNM in the fall is goalie Eric Staver (Portage, Mich.). Staver was a member of the 2005 Michigan Dream Team and a two-time all-state selection. Staver has played in several international tournaments with the Region II ODP team.

Also coming to Albuquerque in the fall are Justin Davis and Andrew Parsons. Davis is a 6-0, defender/midfielder and two-time regional player of the year at Westview High School in Avondale, Ariz. Parsons is a 6-2, defender/midfielder and all-state selection for Glendale High School in Springfield, Mo.

Passports have been stamped and approved for a pair of international players to join UNM in the fall. Simon Ejdemyr comes to New Mexico from Boras, Sweden, and hopes to be a contributor in the Lobo defense. He is a physical presence at 6-3, 190 and could see time in the backline. John Chisholm comes to UNM from Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealnd. He is a former teammate of current Lobo All-American Andrew Boyens at Dunedin Technical and Otago United. He will compete for time in the midfield. Both of these players will have four years of eligibility at UNM.

The Lobos will have to replace nine seniors from the 2005 squad that posted an 18-2-3 record and advance to the national championship game. The 2005 seniors were the most successful class in school history, winning three MPSF titles and posting a 61-16-8 mark. Eight of the nine seniors in 2005 were significant contributors with seven of those starting. The last two Lobo recruiting classes were ranked 15th and 16th in the country by CollegeSoccerNews.com. Mix in this strong 2006 class and UNM will be able to reload for another solid showing in the fall.

“We are very excited about this incoming group of players,” stated Fishbein. “We feel it is one of the top-5 classes in the country and some of these guys are going to have the opportunity to make an immediate impact as freshmen. We’ve got a lot of talent coming back, despite losing a large group of seniors, and I am confident we are going to be an exciting and dangerous team again next fall.”

Name	Pos.	HT	WT	Hometown (High School/Club)
Stephen Brown	D/M	6-0	165	Arlington, Texas (James Martin HS/Dallas Texans)
John Chisholm	M	6-0	167	Dunedin, New Zealand (Otago)
Justin Davis	D/M	6-0	170	Avondale, Ariz. (Westview HS/Sereno)
Simon Ejdemyr	D	6-3	190	Boras, Sweden (Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet (Elfsborg))
Justin Fite	G	6-2	175	Spring, Texas (Klein Collins HS/Houston Texans)
Gardner Morrow	F	5-10	165	Shelborne, Vt. (Champlain Valley HS/Nordic SC)
Andrew Parsons	D/M	6-2	170	Springfield, Mo. (Glendale HS/SPC)
Michael Reed	M	6-0	165	Albuquerque, N.M. (Sandia HS/Rio Vista FC)
Bryan Sajjadi	M	5-6	155	Arlington, Texas (James Martin HS/Dallas Texans)
Eric Staver	G	6-1	170	Portage, Mich. (Portage Northern HS/Vardar)
PJ Wilson	F	5-11	175	Fort Wayne, Ind. (Canterbury HS/Chicago Magic)
Zach Tierney	D/M	6-1	175	Wildwood, Mo. (Christian Brothers HS/Lou Fusz)

Stephen Brown

Stephen Brown D/M 6-0 165 Arlington, Texas James Martin HS Dallas Texans

Three-year letterman and current team captain at James Martin High School in Arlington, Texas…Martin is ranked No. 9 in the nation in the current NSCAA winter rankings…Named Fort Worth Star Telegram Boy’s Area Player of the Year, Dallas Morning News 1st Team All-Area, two-time All-District and district offensive Player of the Year in 2005…Plays club soccer for the Dallas Texans ’88 squad, current U.S.Y.S.A. U-17 National Champions…Texans are two-time Region III champs and four-time NTX State Cup winners…Club and high school teammate of 2006 Lobo signee Bryan Sajjadi…Competed with the North Texas State ODP team from 2001-05 and selected to the Region III team in 2005…Born March 15, 1988, Stephen is the son of Larry and Kathy Brown…Has two brothers, Daniel (21) and Taylor (13)…Daniel plays soccer at Midwestern State University…Plans on majoring in business at UNM.

Quoting Coach Fishbein

“We’re very excited about having Stephen come to UNM. In my mind he is one of the top players in the country. His club team is a perennial power and Stephen is sometimes overshadowed by his flashier teammates. I feel that he is the glue of his Texans team. He is extremely consistent and has the ability to both attack and defend from any position on the field. We feel he will be a player who makes an immediate impact on our team.”

John Chisholm

John Chisholm M 6-0 170 Dunedin, New Zealand Otago University
Transferring to UNM from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand and will have four years of eligibility remaining… Teammate of current Lobo Andrew Boyens both with Dunedin Technical in the Regional League and with Otago United in the New Zealand National League…Was the player of the year for Otago in 2005…Member of the New Zealand U15 national team and participated in the U20 training camp…Born on October, 27, 1985, John is the son of Bill and Georgie Chisholm…Has one older sister, Lara…Last named is pronounced CHIZ-um.

Head Coach Jeremy Fishbein on Chisholm:
“Chisholm comes in with successful experience at the highest levels of New Zealand soccer. He is a committed student and is very serious about his soccer. He grew up playing with 2005 All-American Andrew Boyens who holds Chislhom in high regards as a person and a soccer player. He will add a lot to our team for the next four years.”