WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 - Brandt Announces Class of 2015 Navy Men’s Soccer Recruiting Class

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy men's soccer coach Dave Brandt released the names of the 2011 Navy men's soccer recruits on Wednesday as eight prospects representing seven states went through induction ceremonies and have begun plebe summer.

"It's a good class with eight more guys who fit the vision of what we want Navy soccer to be. They can all play the way we want to play," said third-year head coach Dave Brandt, who guided Navy to its first winning season in five years a season ago. "There are some guys with versatility and can play different spots. They will help fill in some gaps where we need to get better and further strengthen some areas that we think we are already strong."

he class joins a young, but experienced Navy team for the 2011 season, as Brandt welcomes back nine starters and 17 letterwinners. Of the 17 letterwinners returning, just three of them are seniors and the squad returns 88.6 percent of its scoring (62 points out of 70) from a year ago, as well as three starting defensemen and its starting goalkeeper.

Donny Burton • 5-10 • 140 • Midfielder • Lancaster, Pa. • Manheim Township
A 2011 graduate of Manheim Township High School, Burton lettered three times in soccer ... led team to the Lancaster-Lebanon League championship twice and participated in the U.S. Development Academy soccer playoffs ... was a two-time Lancaster-Lebanon League all-star selection ... served as the team captain as a senior ... played for the club team, PA Classics, and was named by TopDrawerSoccer.com as the eighth-ranked player in the Pennsylvania region ... was a three-star recruit by the same website ... full name is Donald S. Burton ... born Jan. 21, 1993, in Dover, N.H. ... son of Thomas and Gretchen Burton.

Taylor Cook • 5-7 • 126 • Midfielder • Rocky Point, N.C. • Wilmington Christian
Cook was a four-time letterwinner in soccer at Wilmington Christian High School, graduating from the school in 2011 ... was a three-time all-state honoree and served as the team captain as a senior ... owns the school record for career goals (100) and goals in a season (27) and was the first player in school history to have his jersey retired ... was a member of the Cape Fear Soccer Club ... full name is Taylor Jordan Cook ... born Aug. 10, 1993, in Charleston, N.C. ... son of Ronnie and Julie Cook.

Geoff Fries • 5-9 • 150 • Midfielder • Broken Arrow, Okla. • Broken Arrow
Fries lettered three times in soccer at Broken Arrow High School, graduating in 2011 ... also lettered in cross country ... led Broken Arrow to the 2011 Oklahoma Class 6A state championship, scoring the game-winning goal in the title game with just under 40 seconds left ... led his club team, Tulsa Soccer Club, to a state title in 2011 ... was also a member of the 2009 state champion cross country team at Broken Arrow ... as a senior, was first-team all-district, first-team all-conference, first-team all-metro, first-team all-state and was the all-state team captain ... served as the team captain on both his club and high school squads ... was an all-district performer as a junior ... competed in the Class 6A Oklahoma all-star game ... received several offers, but ultimately chose Navy over Cornell because of team chemistry ... was a member of band and National Honor Society ... full name is Geoffrey Allen Fries ... born July 8, 1993 in Tulsa, Okla. ... son of Dennis and Ann Fries.

Sean Gallagher • 5-11 • 164 • Defenseman • Westport, Conn. • Staples
Gallagher graduated from Staples High School in 2011, lettering four times in soccer and twice in track and field ... led soccer team to the 2010 state and county championship and the 2011 county championship ... was a member of the track team that won county, state and New England championships ... as a senior defenseman, Gallagher was an all-county and all-area selection as well as team MVP and team captain ... was a finalist for the FCIAC Player of the Year for being a shutdown defender ... with Gallagher out of the lineup, Staples went 1-2-0. With Gallagher in the lineup, the team went 19-1-1 ... Staples is one of the nation's top soccer program, winning 12 state title and 32 divisional titles ... was an all-county, all-area, all-state and All-New England honoree in track while serving as the team captain ... was a member of a 4x400-meter relay team that won the New England championship with a clocking of 3:19.26 ... full name is Sean Michael Gallagher ... born June 24, 1992 ... son of John and Mary Ellen Gallagher ... an active participant and leader in "Kick for Nick", a program in honor of Nick Madaras, who was killed in Iraq in active duty. The program was created by Madaras to give soccer balls to children in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far, over 30,000 soccer balls have been distributed.

Joseph Greenspan • 6-5 • 197 • Forward • Westfield, N.J. • Westfield
Greenspan lettered three times in soccer at Westfield High School, before graduating in 2011 ... led team to a state championship as a junior in 2009 and a county championship in 2010 ... was a two-time all-county, all-conference, all-area and all-state selection at Westfield ... also lettered in basketball and swimming and was an all-conference basketball player as a senior ... played for the prestigious Match Fit Chelsea Academy FC as part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy ... seven of his teammates at Match Fit signed Division I scholarships ... full name is Joseph Zachary Greenspan ... born Sept. 12, 1992, in Summit, N.J. ... son of Brian and Andrea Greenspan.

Michael Lemonick • 6-1 • 190 • Defenseman • Wynnewood, Pa. • Lower Merion
Lemonick graduated from Lower Merion High School in 2011, while lettering four times in soccer and once in track ... led team to a pair of PIAA AAA District I championships and three PIAA Central League titles ... was a first-team All-Central League honoree and first-team all-Southeast Pennsylvania ... earned team co-MVP accolades ... was named an honorable mention selection for ESPNRise National Player of the Week on Nov. 18 as a defensive midfielder, after helping his squad to the league title by shutting out four opponents in the district playoffs in what was considered the toughest district in the state ... from his defensive midfield position, Lemonick scored 18 points as a senior on three goals and 12 assists ... drew the responsibility of marking the opposing team's best player all year long ... a three-star recruit according to TopDrawerSoccer.com ...  in 2011, will face six other players from his club team that earned Division I scholarships ... full name is Michael Brent Lemonick ... born Aug. 10, 1992, in Philadelphia, Pa. ... son of John and Sherry Lemonick ... father, John, played football at Trinity College and grandfather, Bernard, played football at Penn and was a first-team All-American, is in the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and a member of the Pennsylvania Jewish Hall of Fame ... was active in the community by assisting with fundraising efforts on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Grant Valenstein • 5-9 • 165 • Midfielder • Laguna Hills, Calif. • Laguna Hills
An outstanding athlete, Valenstein was a four-year letterwinner in soccer at Laguna Hills High School, graduating in 2011 ... also lettered twice in football and baseball ... was a three-time first-team all-league selection and was all-CIF as a junior ... was third-team all-county and team captain as a senior ... talled 16 goals and eight assists for 40 points as a senior ... led team to a 13-5-3 record ... tallied seven points (3 g, 1 a) in a win over Beckman High School ... played on the Tustin United club team ... was a junior class commissioner ASB ... full name is Grant Richardson Valenstein ... born May 1, 1993, in Grosse Pointe, Mich. ... son of Rich and Kathleen Valenstein ... father, Rich, was a 1978 Naval Academy graduate.

Brendan Warshauer • 5-11 • 175 • Defenseman • Darnestown, Md. • Winston Churchill • Mercersburg Academy
Warshauer is a 2010 graduate of Winston Churchill High School, lettering twice in soccer ... spent the last year at Mercersburg Academy ... served as a team captain as a senior at Churchill High School ... was a member of the Potomac Soccer Club ... full name is Brendan Charles Warshauer ... born April 17, 1992 ... son of William and Laura Warshauer ... grandfather, Ernest Moreno, is a 1961 grad of the Naval Academy.