ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Head coach Jeremy Fishbein, associate head coach Paul Souders and assistant coach Mike Graczyk are excited to welcome four outstanding student-athletes to The University of New Mexico and the Lobo soccer program for the fall of 2017. Nick Barreiro, Bailey Letherman, Nicolas Taylor and Alex Vedamanikam all signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday and will arrive on campus in the fall to kick off their Lobo careers.
This year’s signing class features four talented players, all with extensive experience with elite teams. Vedamanikam has represented the United States at various youth national team camps, Barreiro and Letherman currently captain two of the top developmental academies in the country and Taylor is one of the most decorated attacking players in the state of Texas.
“Through the efforts of associate head coach Paul Souders and assistant coach Mike Graczyk, we have put together a class that truly exemplifies what Lobo soccer stands for,” head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “These young men have all the characteristics that we look for when representing our university and the state of New Mexico. All four are tremendous students, are committed to their communities and embrace the responsibility of being role models. They are exciting players to watch and will impact our program for years to come.”
Nick Barreiro – 5-10 – Defender – El Paso, Texas
A skilled and tenacious defender from El Paso, Texas, Barreiro comes to the Lobos having started his career playing for the New Mexico ODP program and recently spent the past two years with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Real Salt Lake U18 team in Casa Grande, Ariz. Barriero serves as team captain of the Real Salt Lake squad and has started all 54 matches in which he has represented RSL. Real Salt Lake’s U18 team is currently ranked first in its division and fifth in the nation for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
Not only is Barreiro a standout at the club level, but he also led his El Paso, Texas, Franklin High School team to district and area championships while serving as team captain. Barreiro was named First Team All-District and Academic All-District as a sophomore prior to his move to Real Salt Lake.
Coach Fishbein on Barreiro: “Nick has already represented the state of New Mexico as a member of our ODP program and is now the captain of one of the top developmental academies in the country. He is a natural leader, a great student, and one of the top defenders in the country. He has all the characteristics we look for when recruiting a player to New Mexico. We think he has the ability to come in and compete from day one.”
Bailey Letherman – 5-10 – Midfielder – Sammamish, Wash.
Letherman comes to the Lobos from Sammamish, Wash. where he has served as captain of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Crossfire Premier U17/18 team for the past two seasons. Letherman brings to the Lobos a wealth of high-level experience in which he has started all games for the past three seasons for Crossfire Premier.
A two-time U.S. Club Soccer ID2 Program selection, Letherman was named 2014 Washington Youth Soccer State Championships Best XI. He also helped lead his team to 2016 Surf Cup Super Group Championship as well as the 2013-14 Washington Youth Soccer State Championship.
Coach Fishbein on Letherman: “Bailey comes from a very passionate soccer family. His father, Troy, is a nationally known coach and Bailey is the captain of one of the top developmental academies in the country. Bailey is passionate about the game and is a very gifted soccer player. His desire to grow and develop as a man and player will make him very successful at New Mexico. I am really excited to have the opportunity to bring in a player with his qualities.”
Nicolas Taylor – 5-10 – Forward – Coppell, Texas
Taylor comes to the Lobos from Coppell, Texas where he led his Coppell High School squad to the Texas UIL 6A State Championship in 2016. The Texas Gatorade Player of the Year Runner-Up has earned District MVP honors, the District Golden Boot award, was a Second Team All-American and was a First Team All-State selection all prior to his senior season. Taylor tallied 24 goals and 19 assists in 26 games for his high school in 2016 as a junior and also competes for Dallas Texans Red U99 where he has notched 13 goals and six assists in 11 games.
Taylor is currently in the midst of his senior season at Coppell High School, which boasts one of the top high school soccer programs in the nation.
Coach Fishbein on Taylor: “Nick is a very talented and ambitious attacking player, his drive is off the charts! We had the opportunity to watch him at our camp this past summer and were thoroughly impressed. He is not only a dynamic soccer player but also an excellent student and an even better person. We are lucky to be bringing in such a great young man. Nick will excel in our environment and will cause defenders nightmares.”
Alex Vedamanikam – 5-11 – Forward/Attacking Midfielder – Albuquerque, N.M.
An Albuquerque native, Vedamanikam brings with him three years of national-level experience from Real Salt Lake Academy as well as experience competing with the U.S. Men’s National Team U18 National Team Camp in January of 2016. As a member of Real Salt Lake, Vedamanikam has accumulated 45 goals and 17 assists from 2014-2017. Vedamanikam kicked off his playing career with local ties as he was invited to New Mexico Rush Select in 2014 and 2015. He was the leading goal scorer for the team in 2012 when his New Mexico Rush Nike 99 team won the state cup.
Vedamanikam was selected as one of the top 18 players in Region IV as a member of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) in 2013-14.
Coach Fishbein on Vedamanikam: “Our goal at New Mexico is to always attract the top players from New Mexico that can impact our program. Alex started his career locally with the New Mexico Rush and has shown tremendous growth throughout his youth. He is a top student and talented player who really exemplifies what it means to play soccer here at New Mexico. His passion for the game coupled with his desire will make him a tremendous addition to our program. Alex is a tireless worker with a knack for scoring, he will definitely score goals as a Lobo.”
These four extraordinary student-athletes are just the beginning for Fishbein and the rest of the Lobo soccer family. The Lobos will be adding additional players over the next few months to join Barreiro, Letherman, Taylor and Vedamanikam in the fall. Lobo fans can stay up to date by following Lobo Men’s Soccer on GoLobos.com, on Twitter @LoboMensSoccer and on Instagram at LoboMensSoccer.