ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Head coach Jeremy Fishbein, associate head coach Paul Souders, coach Mike Graczyk and the University of New Mexico Lobo Men’s Soccer program are pleased to announce their 2016 recruiting class. The class, which is ranked fifth in the country by Top Drawer Soccer, features two players with U.S. Youth National Team experience in Matthew Constant and Ethan Zubak, two local products in Chris Lovato from Los Lunas HS and Luke Lawrence from La Cueva HS, and a pair of blue chip recruits in Noah Bushey from Littleton, Colorado, and Grayson Dupont from the Soccer Institute at Monteverde Academy.
“It’s flattering to have the number five ranked class,” Fishbein said, “but more importantly these are excellent students who possess great values and have tremendous work ethics. They and their families share the qualities and beliefs our program is committed to. Luke, Chris, Noah, Grayson, Ethan and Matt are everything we look for in Lobo Soccer players and will be great representatives of our University, the city of Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico.”
Constant, Zubak and Bushey are all rated top 100 recruits by Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News and all three have extensive experience playing for USSF Developmental Academies. Lovato and Lawrence are both accomplished players who hail from New Mexico, while Dupont plays for the most elite high school program in the nation and also has previous USSF Developmental Academy experience.
“Paul Souders and Mike Graczyk both deserve the credit for bringing in such a talented class,” said Fishbein.”Paul and Mike have put in countless hours in the recruiting process to help these young men transition to the University of New Mexico.”
Lovato, Lawrence and Constant have already enrolled at UNM and are currently participating in winter training with the team. Zubak, Dupont and Bushey will join the Lobos this fall.
A captain for both his Olympic Development Program team in 2012 and for his father, Sean Bushey, for the Colorado Rush Academy team, Noah joins the Lobos with experience playing against the top competition in the nation. He is an exceptional talent who has trained at Real Madrid CF as part of the 2014 Real Madrid Select Program, which chose 29 elite players from the U.S. and Mexico to spend nine days at Madrid’s CF Training Complex and compete against top Spanish teams. Top Drawer Soccer rated him a four-star recruit that can “punish with his ability to strike the ball from distance. He also has the passing arsenal to destroy the opposition with his assists.”
Coach Fishbein on Noah: “Noah is a true midfielder with a great range of passing and vision. He’s tough, competitive, a leader and a winner. Being a coach’s son, soccer is a part of his life, and knows what it takes to succeed. Noah is a very ambitious student and player and is going to make an impact on our program.”
Ranked the 27th-best prospect in the nation by College Soccer News, Matt spent the past year in residency with the U.S. U-17 National Team in Bradenton, Florida. Prior to residency, he spent seven years playing for the Dallas Texans and head coach David Hudgell. In July 2015 Matt was named to the U-16 Developmental Academy Central Conference Best XI. His performance at the Academy Winter Showcase in December 2014 also earned him a coveted spot on the event’s U-18 Best XI.
Coach Fishbein on Matt: “Matt was under the radar in 2014 when he came to our elite camp. We loved him as a young man and as a player, and felt that this is a kid who is going to end up representing our country. He verbally committed in the fall of his junior year, and soon after was called into the U-17 National Team residency program. We think he’s one of the most dominant central defenders in the country; he’s special in the air, a great athlete and an impact player.”
Grayson has spent the last year at the prestigious Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy, which is consistently regarded as the top high school program in the nation, playing for head coach Mike Potempa. This season he helped the Eagles win a fifth straight national title and extend its unbeaten streak to a national record 134 straight games. Earlier this month Grayson was named to the All-Tournament Team for the MAST Tournament. Prior to his time at Montverde, he played two years for the USSF Concorde Fire Developmental Academy and three years for the Olympic Development Program Region III squad.Coach Fishbein on Grayson: “We watched Grayson at Montverde Academy in December and were extremely impressed. We’ve spent a lot of time recruiting him, and his passion and enthusiasm for the game have made a mark on us. Grayson has continued to follow his dreams of playing soccer at the highest level, and he has made an investment in furthering his career. He will never be outworked, and his passion and dedication will lead to great success as a Lobo and beyond.”
A 2013 graduate of La Cueva High School, the Albuquerque native has spent the last two and a half years at Fort Lewis College where he was a 2014 All-Region and 2015 Preseason All-Conference honoree. He tallied six goals and three assists as a freshman in 2013 and added nine goals and three assists as a sophomore before missing the 2015 season with an injury. He was a two-time state champion at La Cueva and was named the 2013 New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year. He scored 56 goals and had 31 assists during his time as a Bear and was a High School All-American. He played six years for NM Rush 95 and one year for Rio Vista 95. He was a six-time NM state champion and a regional finalist in 2014. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Coach Fishbein on Luke: “We made a mistake not recruiting Luke harder out of high school. He has spent the last three seasons with his brother at Fort Lewis College improving his game. He has two years left, and he’ll bring skill and energy to our attacking third. I can’t tell you how impressive he has been thus far this winter. Luke will be a big player for the Lobos.”
The winner of six state titles while playing for Rio Rapids 97, Chris comes to UNM as a heralded in-state prospect out of Los Lunas. He played for Belen High School as an eighth grader and freshman, but spent his last three years playing for Los Lunas HS. During his first season as a Tiger he scored a whopping 41 goals and was later an All-State performer. He gained experience at the highest level of youth soccer while training with the Colorado Rapids Developmental Academy in 2014.
Coach Fishbein on Chris: “We continue our tradition of getting the best players in New Mexico with the addition of Chris. He’s a great competitor and a multi-dimensional athlete. I think our environment will bring out the best in him, and his potential is limitless.”
Rated the 14th-best prospect in the country by College Soccer News, Ethan is a natural goal scorer with experience playing internationally and against professionals. He has 46 goals and 29 assists the last two seasons for the MLS LA Galaxy Academy, which ranks among the top three scorers in the country. His success also earned him a pair of MLS Youth All-Star selections. He has served as team captain for head coach Mike Muñoz each of the last three years. He made his debut for LA Galaxy II on Aug. 9 last year. He was recently named to the U.S. U-19 National Team and is currently in the Canary Islands playing in the Copa de Atlántico where he’ll play against the national teams of France, Spain and the Canary Islands. He is an excellent student with a 4.5 GPA with numerous AP and honors classes.
Coach Fishbein on Ethan: “Ethan is one of the best attacking players in the country. He has scored goals for every team he has played for. He’s dynamic, technical, and a fierce competitor. Ethan has size, strength, power – everything you look for in a goal scorer. His play for USL LA Galaxy II has allowed him to play against men, which will ease his transition to college soccer. We’re really excited to have him join our program, and our supporters will see Ethan provide many entertaining moments for the Lobos.”