Drexel University Athletics
Photo by: Greg Carroccio
Men's Soccer Inks Seven for Incoming Class
5/14/2013 12:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA - Head coach Doug Hess and the Drexel men's soccer team have announced the addition of seven newcomers to the roster of the defending Colonial Athletic Association regular season champions for the 2013 fall season. Tyler Afflerbach, Adam Arana, Bardia Asefnia, Felipe Fagundes, Mark Matula, Colin McGlynn and Connor Ryan will be suiting up in the blue and gold for the first time this fall as they look to help the Dragons repeat as CAA champions and make another run to the NCAA tournament.
“We are quite pleased with this year's group of players," Coach Hess remarked when asked about the group. "It is never easy when you graduate such a large class as we did this year, but we are confident in the quality of these seven guys and have addressed all of the positional areas in our team that we needed. They come from winning programs and have winning mentalities which is important as we continue to build on this past season's successes.”
A graduate of Souderton Area High School from Harleysville, Pa., Tyler Afflerbach is one of two goalkeepers in this year's incoming class. A four-year varsity letterwinner, Afflerbach was a First Team All-Continental Conference as a junior and senior. After his senior season in 2012, Afflerbach was recognized by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a First Team All-Southeastern Pennsylvania keeper.
Afflerbach plays club soccer with Harleysville FC. He helped them to outstanding records over the past three seasons, winning the 2012 Pennsylvania State Championship and the 2012 and 2013 Annandale Cups. Harleysville FC also captured the 2012 CASL championship and reached the finals of the 2011 Disney Cup.
An intended engineering major, Afflerbach is the son of Mary Jo and John Afflerbach.
Adam Arana comes to Drexel from the west coast, where the Long Beach, Calif. native starred for Mayfair High School for two years before turning his soccer attention to his club team. Arana, a midfielder, was the league's Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2009, and an all-league selection the following season.
Arana is a member of the Chivas USA Academy club team, helping them to a third-place finish at the Generation Adidas Cup in 2011 and a Finals Week appearance at the 2012 USSDA. Chivas USA was ranked eighth in the nation last season and are currently in place to return to the Academy Playoffs. Arana also participated in the MLS SUM Cup in 2010, now known as the Generation Adidas Cup. The durable center back / midfielder has started 26 of 26 games played for his Chivas side this season, putting him in a tie for first for starts percentage leaders in the entire USDA Academy League.
The son of Veronica and Francisco Arana, Adam intends to major in engineering.
Bardia Asefnia joins Tyler Afflerbach as the goalkeepers in the incoming class of 2013. A graduate of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C., Asefnia played three years of varsity soccer there, helping Gibbons to NCHSAA/3A State Championships in 2010 and 2011.
Asefnia is a member of the CASL Chelsea FC Academy in Raleigh, earning the job as starting goalkeeper on the U-18 team for the last two seasons. Asefnia's teams won the USYS North Carolina state title in 2009 and 2010, winning the Southern Regional championship in 2009 and finishing fourth overall in the national tournament. His academy side claimed the Atlantic Division title last season and finished as the overall number one seed for Academy Playoffs for the Southern Conference of USDA. Asnefnia and his team are poised to return to the Academy Playoffs once again this season.
Asefnia intends to enroll in the pre-med program. He is the son of Sepideh and Farzin Asefnia.
A native of Brazil, Felipe Fagundes joins the Dragons after a successful two years at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Fagundes, a midfielder, had a goal and three assists in 19 games this year. He helped the River Hawks to a 15-6-1 record in 2012 as they advanced to the NCAA Division II East Region Championship. As a freshman in 2011, Fagundes was named to the NE-10 All-Rookie Team. Fagundes attended Lowell High School in Massachusetts, earning four varsity letters and receiving All-Conference recognition in the Merrimack Valley Conference.
Fagundes played for the New England Revolution Academy from 2008-11, where he played with current Drexel University forward Fabio Machado. He played in the MLS SUM Cup U-17 tournament after captaining his U-16 squad. He earned an invitation to the U.S. Soccer Market Training in Portland, Conn. thanks to his performance with the Revolution.
The son of Celina and Sergio Fagundes, Felipe is undecided on a major at Drexel.
Mark Matula comes to the Dragons from the Pacific Northwest. Out of Sammamish, Wash., Matula is a defender from Eastlake High School in Sammamish. There, Matula helped his team to a Boys 4A King County League Championship in 2011, advancing to win the Washington State Championship that year. Matula was a starting left back for Eastlake, and was an Honorable Mention All-King County selection in 2011.
A member of Seattle Sounders FC Academy, Matula is a starting defender for the MLS club's youth system, making appearances at the Generation Adidas Cup in both 2011 and 2012. Like Arana, Matula has been an iron man for his Academy team as well, starting 23 of 24 games played. Matula recently earned an appearance for Seattle Sounders reserve team, playing 84 minutes. His team have secured second place in the Northwest Divison of the Western Conference and will be appearing again in the USDA Academy Playoffs.
Matula intends to major in sport management. He is the son of Glynis and Timothy Matula.
A midfielder from Jamison, Pa. Colin McGlynn played three years of varsity soccer at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. McGlynn earned a starting spot as a sophomore on the team that won a Philadelphia Catholic League championship. As a junior, McGlynn was named a captain, a title he held for his last two years at St. Joseph's. A two-time All-Catholic League choice, McGlynn was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer All-Area Team and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Coaches All-Star Team in addition to back-to-back Team MVP awards.
McGlynn comes to Drexel from FC Philadelphia, where he played last season. He also starred for FC Delco from 2007-10 and FC Delco USSDA Academy from 2010-12. With FC Delco in 2009, McGlynn won a Pennsylvania State Cup Championship, and was a Region I semifinalist. He was also a member of FC Delco USSDA Academy U-16 and U-18 playoff teams.
An intended sport management major, Colin is the son of Donna and Charles McGlynn.
Connor Ryan comes to Drexel from Horsham, Pa., where he played for Hatboro-Horsham High School. Ryan was a three-year varsity letterwinner in the midfield, earning Second Team All-Suburban Conference honors as a sophomore in 2010.
Ryan plays for FC Delco Academy and was a part of the Philadelphia Union Academy from 2010-13. He was the captain of the Union U-16 Academy team in 2011, and was named to the ODP Eastern Pennsylvania State Team, Region I, in 2009. With the Union, Ryan played in the 2011 Generation Adidas U-17 Cup. His academy team has secured their spot in this year's USDA Academy Playoffs.
The son of Renee and Chris Ryan, Connor intends to major in sport management.
“We are quite pleased with this year's group of players," Coach Hess remarked when asked about the group. "It is never easy when you graduate such a large class as we did this year, but we are confident in the quality of these seven guys and have addressed all of the positional areas in our team that we needed. They come from winning programs and have winning mentalities which is important as we continue to build on this past season's successes.”
A graduate of Souderton Area High School from Harleysville, Pa., Tyler Afflerbach is one of two goalkeepers in this year's incoming class. A four-year varsity letterwinner, Afflerbach was a First Team All-Continental Conference as a junior and senior. After his senior season in 2012, Afflerbach was recognized by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a First Team All-Southeastern Pennsylvania keeper.
Afflerbach plays club soccer with Harleysville FC. He helped them to outstanding records over the past three seasons, winning the 2012 Pennsylvania State Championship and the 2012 and 2013 Annandale Cups. Harleysville FC also captured the 2012 CASL championship and reached the finals of the 2011 Disney Cup.
An intended engineering major, Afflerbach is the son of Mary Jo and John Afflerbach.
Adam Arana comes to Drexel from the west coast, where the Long Beach, Calif. native starred for Mayfair High School for two years before turning his soccer attention to his club team. Arana, a midfielder, was the league's Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2009, and an all-league selection the following season.
Arana is a member of the Chivas USA Academy club team, helping them to a third-place finish at the Generation Adidas Cup in 2011 and a Finals Week appearance at the 2012 USSDA. Chivas USA was ranked eighth in the nation last season and are currently in place to return to the Academy Playoffs. Arana also participated in the MLS SUM Cup in 2010, now known as the Generation Adidas Cup. The durable center back / midfielder has started 26 of 26 games played for his Chivas side this season, putting him in a tie for first for starts percentage leaders in the entire USDA Academy League.
The son of Veronica and Francisco Arana, Adam intends to major in engineering.
Bardia Asefnia joins Tyler Afflerbach as the goalkeepers in the incoming class of 2013. A graduate of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C., Asefnia played three years of varsity soccer there, helping Gibbons to NCHSAA/3A State Championships in 2010 and 2011.
Asefnia is a member of the CASL Chelsea FC Academy in Raleigh, earning the job as starting goalkeeper on the U-18 team for the last two seasons. Asefnia's teams won the USYS North Carolina state title in 2009 and 2010, winning the Southern Regional championship in 2009 and finishing fourth overall in the national tournament. His academy side claimed the Atlantic Division title last season and finished as the overall number one seed for Academy Playoffs for the Southern Conference of USDA. Asnefnia and his team are poised to return to the Academy Playoffs once again this season.
Asefnia intends to enroll in the pre-med program. He is the son of Sepideh and Farzin Asefnia.
A native of Brazil, Felipe Fagundes joins the Dragons after a successful two years at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Fagundes, a midfielder, had a goal and three assists in 19 games this year. He helped the River Hawks to a 15-6-1 record in 2012 as they advanced to the NCAA Division II East Region Championship. As a freshman in 2011, Fagundes was named to the NE-10 All-Rookie Team. Fagundes attended Lowell High School in Massachusetts, earning four varsity letters and receiving All-Conference recognition in the Merrimack Valley Conference.
Fagundes played for the New England Revolution Academy from 2008-11, where he played with current Drexel University forward Fabio Machado. He played in the MLS SUM Cup U-17 tournament after captaining his U-16 squad. He earned an invitation to the U.S. Soccer Market Training in Portland, Conn. thanks to his performance with the Revolution.
The son of Celina and Sergio Fagundes, Felipe is undecided on a major at Drexel.
Mark Matula comes to the Dragons from the Pacific Northwest. Out of Sammamish, Wash., Matula is a defender from Eastlake High School in Sammamish. There, Matula helped his team to a Boys 4A King County League Championship in 2011, advancing to win the Washington State Championship that year. Matula was a starting left back for Eastlake, and was an Honorable Mention All-King County selection in 2011.
A member of Seattle Sounders FC Academy, Matula is a starting defender for the MLS club's youth system, making appearances at the Generation Adidas Cup in both 2011 and 2012. Like Arana, Matula has been an iron man for his Academy team as well, starting 23 of 24 games played. Matula recently earned an appearance for Seattle Sounders reserve team, playing 84 minutes. His team have secured second place in the Northwest Divison of the Western Conference and will be appearing again in the USDA Academy Playoffs.
Matula intends to major in sport management. He is the son of Glynis and Timothy Matula.
A midfielder from Jamison, Pa. Colin McGlynn played three years of varsity soccer at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. McGlynn earned a starting spot as a sophomore on the team that won a Philadelphia Catholic League championship. As a junior, McGlynn was named a captain, a title he held for his last two years at St. Joseph's. A two-time All-Catholic League choice, McGlynn was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer All-Area Team and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Coaches All-Star Team in addition to back-to-back Team MVP awards.
McGlynn comes to Drexel from FC Philadelphia, where he played last season. He also starred for FC Delco from 2007-10 and FC Delco USSDA Academy from 2010-12. With FC Delco in 2009, McGlynn won a Pennsylvania State Cup Championship, and was a Region I semifinalist. He was also a member of FC Delco USSDA Academy U-16 and U-18 playoff teams.
An intended sport management major, Colin is the son of Donna and Charles McGlynn.
Connor Ryan comes to Drexel from Horsham, Pa., where he played for Hatboro-Horsham High School. Ryan was a three-year varsity letterwinner in the midfield, earning Second Team All-Suburban Conference honors as a sophomore in 2010.
Ryan plays for FC Delco Academy and was a part of the Philadelphia Union Academy from 2010-13. He was the captain of the Union U-16 Academy team in 2011, and was named to the ODP Eastern Pennsylvania State Team, Region I, in 2009. With the Union, Ryan played in the 2011 Generation Adidas U-17 Cup. His academy team has secured their spot in this year's USDA Academy Playoffs.
The son of Renee and Chris Ryan, Connor intends to major in sport management.
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