ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s soccer program has added seven more talented student-athletes to the 2017 roster, head coach Jeremy Fishbein and coach Mike Graczyk announced Tuesday. The Lobos are excited to welcome Shamach Brussard, Ingiberg Jonsson, Evan Munn, Rio Murray, Aaron Scott, Michael Sprauer and Antoine Vial to UNM. The newcomers represent five different countries and include two Albuquerque natives.
“This class is truly an outstanding group that will join four more incoming freshmen for the fall season,” Fishbein said. “When we recruit players we are looking for student-athletes that embody what it truly means to be a Lobo and will excel in the classroom, in the community and on the field. This group of 11 young men is absolutely a reflection of that and we are excited to welcome them to campus.”
The newest additions to the 2017 roster feature a superior caliber of athletic talent as well as a collection of proven student-athletes, on and off the pitch. Four have competed at the international level including two for their country’s youth national teams. The combination of local and international talent represented by this group looks to compliment the Lobos’ four signees from January.
Shamach Broussard – 5-6 – Midfielder – Albuquerque, N.M.
Broussard, a talented local player quick on his feet at the midfield position, hails from Albuquerque, N.M. after competing for Sandia High School. The 2016 and 2017 Sandia Offensive Player of the year tallied 21 goals and 17 assists in his varsity career and is a two-time All-State honoree (2016, 2017), a two-time All-District honoree (2016, 2017) and was also named Second Team All-Metro in 2017. During his time at Sandia High School under coach Brian Weems, Broussard was outstanding in clutch situations coming away with eight game-winning goals from 2015-2017.
Not only was Broussard a standout at Sandia, he also competed at the club level under coach Dennis Genas for Elite 99 where he helped lead his squad to the state championship in 2016.
Coach Fishbein on Broussard: “Shamach is an exciting, local kid we’ve watched for a lot of years. He is an excellent student and an extremely talented player who will really grow in our program. He follows a tremendous line of talented local players and we are excited to add another New Mexican to the program.”
Ingiberg Jónsson – 6-2 – Defender – Kopavogur, Iceland
A distinguished center back hailing from Kopavogur, Iceland, Jónsson comes to the Lobos with a wealth of experience competing among the world’s most elite soccer athletes. Jónsson represented his country with the U17 Icelandic National Team in the European Championship Finals in Slovenia in 2012 as well as during stints with the U19 and U21 Icelandic National Team squads.
Jónsson also competed in the youth program at Breiðablik where he helped his U15, U17 and U19 teams to league cup titles and was also voted best player of Fram Reykjavík in the Icelandic first division by players and staff in 2015.
Coach Fishbein on Jónsson: “Ingiberg is a mature player who has represented Iceland at the youth national level. He has been successful against men and will certainly bring maturity, toughness and experience to our back line.”
Evan Munn – 6-0 – Goalkeeper – Olympia, Wash.
Munn comes to UNM from Olympia, Wash. where he spent three years with the Seattle Sounders Academy (U15-18) before serving as captain of the Tacoma Community College squad. In his first season with Tacoma CC, Munn was named the team captain and MVP before earning NWAC Tournament MVP honors in his second season as captain of the squad. He also spent time with the Sounders U23 PDL team, South Sound FC and Olytown Artesians FC.
Munn helped his USASA U23 team to a national title and was also a four-time player of the week (twice for South Sound FC, twice while on Olytown Artesians FC).
Coach Fishbein on Munn: “Evan is a leader, a competitor and is one of the most driven players we have been able to attract to our program. He is going to compete for playing time in goal and will be a big contributor to our program.”
Rio Murray – 5-11 – Forward – Manchester, England
Murray comes to UNM from Manchester, England where he competed for one of the top youth academies in England, Oldham Athletic FC, from 2014-2016 and currently plays for Ashton United FC. The fast-paced forward has also competed for Bury FC (2013/2014). While a member of Oldham Athletic FC, Murray scored 20 goals in approximately 30 appearances on the elite squad.
Coach Fishbein on Murray: “Rio is a dynamic attacking player who has excelled competing against men. He is a tenacious athlete and has a nose for the goal. We lost a lot of point production to graduation after last season and we are counting on Rio to help sure up that need.”
Aaron Scott – 5-9 – Midfielder – Edinburgh, Scotland
Scott comes to the Lobos from Edinburgh, Scotland where he made over 50 appearances in the U20 development league at the highest level of soccer in Scotland. The exceptional midfielder also made over 20 appearances for the Scottish National Team at the U15, U16 and U17 levels and competed in the Victory Shield and U17 European Championship qualifiers for Scotland. At the U16 level, Scott helped lead his squad to the Scottish youth cup final where the team played to a tie and ultimately fell in penalty kicks. Scott’s playing experience also includes growing up playing under the Hearts youth system, one of the top youth clubs in Scotland.
Scott looks to add the U.S. to his already impressive list of playing venues. Scott has competed in Scotland, as well as tournaments in Russia, Italy and Romania.
Coach Fishbein on Scott: “I am really excited about Aaron. He is a great student and a very decorated soccer player. He has represented Scotland on their national youth teams and played for two of the top clubs in the country. He is very experienced both as a student and a player and will add maturity and sophistication to our team.”
Michael Sprauer – 6-1 – Midfielder – Albuquerque, N.M.
A decorated midfielder, Sprauer comes to UNM after completing his final season at Eldorado High School in Albuquerque as his team’s captain. The two-time All-District honoree was named All-Metro Second Team in 2016 and also earned All-State Honorable Mention as a senior. He ranked among the state’s top scorers in his final high school season and racked up 47 points on 18 goals and 11 assists in his varsity career.
Not only was Sprauer a standout on the pitch at Eldorado, but he was also a four-time All-District Academic selection. As a member of the Rio Rapids SC, Sprauer was a two-time co-captain (2014, 2015) and helped lead his squad to the state championship title in 2014 and 2015.
Coach Fishbein on Sprauer: “Michael is a guy we’ve had at our camps and he is just a wonderful young man, an incredible student and an exceptionally talented soccer player. He is a guy who will continue to mature as a Lobo and can be a big player here. He is passionate about New Mexico and playing for the Lobos and that will make him a great asset for us. Michael had a lot of other options and we are fortunate that he chose to join our program.”
Antoine Vial – 5-10 – Midfielder – Sète, France
An attacking center midfielder, Vial will transfer to UNM following two years at Drury University in Springfield, Mo. where he led his squad with 21 points on eight goals and five assists as a sophomore in 2016. Vial was named NCAA Division II Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 12-19 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and also earned All-Region and All-Great Lakes Valley Conference First Team honors.
Prior to his time at Drury, Vial played for MHSC academy in Montpellier, France and also competed for the Selection Cup of Soccer Claire Fontaine (U15). He was also on Ligue de l’Herault U-15 FC Sète team and the champion de ligue de l’Herault U-15-MHSC team.
Coach Fishbein on Vial: “Antoine is an accomplished collegiate player. He is an exceptional student and a very intelligent soccer player. Transferring from a Division II school, he is excited to face a higher level of competition and will blossom in our environment. He can fill any attacking role and will help us score goals.”
These seven newcomers will join Nick Barreiro, Bailey Letherman, Nicolas Taylor and Alex Vedamanikam who all signed National Letters of Intent (NLIs) during the first signing period in January.