Individual Player Highlight Capsules

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Needing to replace an accomplished seven-member senior class, Eastern Illinois men's soccer head coach Adam Howarth has announced the signing of seven recruits who will join the Panthers in the fall.

 

Those signing National Letters of Intent to play at EIU includes: Kyle Bullock (Champaign/Champaign Centennial), Alex Koch (Belleville/Belleville West), Trevor Kohlrus (Chatham/Parkland CC), Jerry Maddi (Naperville/Naperville Central), Kendal Spurgin (Geneva/Geneva), Shailer Thomas (Bloomington/Bloomington) and Ryan Warren (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty).

 

Koch, Spurgin and Warren are all projected midfielders, Kohlrus a defender, and Thomas a goalkeeper. Bullock and Maddi could see action at either midfielder or forward.

 

“We are blessed to have again a solid core of student-athletes who will continue our EIU Soccer philosophy of achieving high academic success along with superior athletic achievement,” Howarth said. “These recruits, along with two transfers that are already on campus for the spring semesters, will add to an already deep pool of talent.”

 

Bullock is a three-time Champaign News-Gazette All-Area Team selection who scored a school-record 73 goals during his career at Centennial High School (where he played with current Panther Jonathan Hinds).

 

After playing at Belleville East High School his first three years, Koch transferred to Belleville West and led his new team to its winningest season in school history as a senior.

 

Kohlrus has played for some highly-successful teams recently. He was a member of the 2005 IHSA state champions at Chatham-Glenwood High School, and captained Parkland College to a 17-2-2 record and Mid-West Athletic Conference championship in 2008. He was an all-conference and all-region honoree as a sophomore at Parkland.

 

Maddi registered 29 goals and 22 assists during his varsity career at Naperville Central High School, ranking among the top three in program history in both categories. He helped lead NCHS to a six-week run as the No. 1 ranked team in the state and No. 5 ranked team in the country.

 

Spurgin was named All-State by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association as a senior. As a three-time All-Western Sun Conference performer, he helped lead Geneva High School to a No. 4 ranking in the state in 2008.

 

Thomas was the Bloomington Pantagraph Area Player of the Year as a senior, capping a prep career that saw him earn All-Big 12 Conference and All-Area honors from 2006-08.

 

Warren helped lead his Liberty High School team to a 2006 Colorado state championship, and another final four appearance a year later. He was named the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph Area Player of the Year as a senior, while also being named All-Sate by the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post.

 

 

 

Three-time Champaign News-Gazette First Team All-Area and First Team All-Big 12 Conference honoree from 2006-08… scored a school-record 73 goals during his career… led Centennial to the quarterfinal round of the 2007 IHSA state tournament… also runs track at Centennial… played for former EIU assistant coach Mike Kobylinski with the Little Illini Soccer Club… coach Howarth says: “I have watched Kyle grow up at my camp and through his playing days in club and high school, and he continues to get better. He is blessed with a great burst of speed and the knowledge of how to get in behind defenders. Kyle can play numerous positions for us and will give opposing team's lots to think about. I look forward to Kyle's contributions as a Panther, and it is great to have another student-athlete from Champaign.”

 

 

Belleville News-Democrat First Team All-Area and Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-Sectional in 2008… after playing at Belleville East for former Panther Mark Lasley, transferred to Belleville West for his senior year and led his new team to a regional title and its winningest season in school history… twice earned all-conference and scholar-athlete honors at Belleville East… played with the Metro United Soccer Club since the age of 10… coach Howarth says: “Alex wowed me at camp this past summer and has continued to grow as a player from there. He has good touch and vision, and can play sitting centrally or in a more offensive role. He has the ability to play multiple positions for us this season, and at a high level. I firmly believe his best soccer is still to come. He will get stronger as soon as he gets on our campus and will be a force to reckon with straightaway.”

 

First Team All-Region 24 and All-Mid-West Athletic Conference as a sophomore at Parkland… captained Parkland to a 17-2-2 record M-WAC title in 2008… honorable mention All-Region and All-Conference as a freshman at Parkland… member of Chatham-Glenwood's 2005 IHSA state championship team… coach Howarth says: “Trevor can flat out play. He is what you want in a typical defender – strong, courageous and has a good left foot. He led his Parkland team as the captain to its best season ever, and comes in with a fantastic winning mentality. He will impact our backs right away, and I look forward to working with him in his last two years of eligibility.”

 

 

Registered 29 goals and 22 assists during his varsity career, ranking among the top three in school history in both categories… Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-Sectional and Chicago Tribune Special Mention All-State as a senior… two-time ESPN Rise Player of the Week in 2008… led NCHS to a six-week run as the No. 1 ranked team in the state and No. 5 ranked team in the country… with his Ajax club team, won Potmoac and Germantown tournaments and finished as the runner-up at the Illinois Youth Soccer State Cup… coach Howarth says: “Jerry can do it all – he is a good dribbler, passer and has a great shot. Jerry is blessed with a solid physical presence, and has the ability to lead an offensive line. Following in the footsteps of other EIU goalscorers, Jerry is a hard worker with a never say die attitude to scoring goals and getting himself in a position to score goals. He will cause opposing defenders some serious problems when he is on the pitch.”

 

 

2008 All-State selection by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association… also named First Team All-Area by the Daily Herald, Kane County Chronicle and Aurora Beacon News… three-time All-Western Sun Conference honoree… led GHS to a No. 4 ranking in the state… also played for the Illinois '91 Olympic Development Program that took third nationally… coach Howarth says: “Kendal is a smooth central midfielder whose passing is second to none. Having worked with Kendal in ODP, he struck me as a player who is always looking to link up other players. He also has an uncanny ability to get himself open, along with not being shy in getting stuck into a tackle. Kendal will add great depth to our central midfield core.”

 

 

2008 Bloomington Pantagraph Area Player of the Year… three-time First Team All-Big 12 Conference and All-Area honoree… twice named All-Sectional by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association… also a member of the Illinois '90 Olympic Development Program team as a region 2 pool player… coach Howarth says: “Shailer has all the qualities needed to be a top-notch goalkeeper. He is aggressive, passionate and a very good communicator to the players in front of him.  Shailer, like other players in the class, has grown greatly as a player by working at getting himself better. He made the commitment to play ODP and driving to Chicago, and it has paid dividends as he has received top-quality coaching throughout that experience. He will be a great addition to our goalkeeping core.”

 

Ryan Warren – 6-foot-1, 165 lbs. midfielder from Colorado Springs, Colo. (Liberty HS/Colorado Rapids Academy club)

2008 Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph Area Player of the Year… also named First Team All-State by the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post as a senior… 5A Coaches All-League Player of the Year and NSCAA All-Region VII performer in 2008… NSCAA Academic All-American as a senior and a three-time Colorado High School Athletic Association Academic All-State honoree… helped both Liberty High School and the Colorado Storm to CHSAA and club state championships, respectively, in 2006… Liberty returned to the CHSAA final four a year later… captained his U-18 Colorado Rapids team in 2008… coach Howarth says: “Ryan comes in with great credentials and has the physical and technical ability to help our team right away. He has achieved everything possible in high school soccer, along with now playing on one of the premier academy teams in the nation. He is smart on the ball and will be depended upon to play in a holding role in the midfield. He, like many of our players here at EIU, typifies what a student-athlete should be.”