Signees include NSCAA/adidas high school scholar-athlete
of the year UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo
filled in the empty four spots on his roster this past week. Out of
the six athletes that signed national letters of intent,
NSCAA/adidas High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year Jason Leopoldo
headlines them all. Leopoldo, a native of Thousand Oaks, Calif.,
garnered All-American status as a forward leading his Thousand
Oaks’ team to two Marmonte League titles and the 2004 CIF
Southern Section Div. I. Along with being a member of the U.S.
Under-18 National Team pool, Leopoldo helped SoCal United, a club
soccer team, capture the 2002 youth national championship. Salcedo
also signed two out-of-state players in 6-foot-2
midfielder/defender Sean Alvarado from Newark, N.J., and 6-foot-4
defender Brad Rusin of Bradenton, Fla. Alvarado was a member of the
2004 U-16 National Championship club team. Maxwell Griffin, a
6-foot-1-inch forward from Palmdale, Calif., and Michael Meschures,
a defender from Beverly Hills, Calif., round out the list of
signees. “This year’s recruiting class is a very
well-rounded class. With their speed and skill, power and strength
and the technical ability that the group brings, they will be a
great addition to our returning team,” Salcedo said.
“Jason Leopoldo and Sal Zizzo, with their national team
experience, and with their great quickness and speed will help our
depth in the attack,” Salcedo continued. “Sean Alvarado
and Brad Rusin bring a different player than we’ve seen here
at UCLA. Both Sean and Brad possess a physical presence that will
help us in our defense.”
FRESHMEN PHENOMS: UCLA women’s soccer players Danesha
Adams and Valerie Henderson were recently named to Soccer
America’s freshmen All-America Squad. Out of 11 players
around the nation, the two are the only pair to be named from the
same school to be on the team. Adams, a forward, ranked second on
the Bruin team with 28 points, including five game-winning goals.
Starting all 25 matches, Henderson, a goalkeeper, ended the season
with a 0.67 goals against average and posted 12 shutouts.
Compiled by Bryan Chu, Bruin sports senior staff.