Wake Forest Men's Soccer Announces 2011 Class
5/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
May 31, 2011
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Eight players, including five high school All-Americans, make up the Wake Forest men's soccer team's 2011 incoming class, as announced by head coach Jay Vidovich.
Joining the Deacs in the fall will be freshmen Sam Fink, Andrew Malkiewicz, Sean Okoli, Matt Pacifici and Sean Wilkinson, along with transfers from St. John's Alex Bramall and Kovi Konowiecki. Incoming freshman Teddy Mullin graduated early from high school and enrolled at Wake Forest in January, training with the Demon Deacons during the spring season.
Five members of the 2011 class (Bramall, Okoli, Pacifici, Konowiecki and Mullin) are high school All-Americans, while five players have experience playing internationally, either with youth national teams, ODP teams, Disney All-Star teams or European youth clubs.
"We feel like all of the guys coming in really fit the mold of a Wake Forest player," said Vidovich. "They are willing to play on both sides of the ball, they value playing for the team and they all have the potential to get a lot better. We are extremely excited about what we see them developing into down the road."
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2010 (Freshman at St. Johns)
Redshirted the 2010 season while recovering from a knee injury.
Background
2009 ESPN RISE First Team All-American ... 2009 NSCAA/adidas High School All-America ... Was a member of the U.S. U-17 Residency Program from 2007-08 ...Also played with the U-15 and U-14 National Teams ... Two-year captain of Newburgh Free Academy, earning four varsity letters ... 2009 Gatorade New York Boys State Soccer Player of the Year ... born in Goshen, N.Y. ... son of Jason and Lisa Bramall ... has one brother, Nicholas
Vidovich on Bramall: "I followed Alex when he was a youth player where he played for Hack (John Hackworth, who was head coach of the U.S. U-17 Team and a former assistant coach and player at Wake Forest). He's a left-footed attacking player who has some versatility. He can play out wide or in the middle, and he has even played as a left back. Hopefully he can recover from the knee injury that he suffered and have a great year. "
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Scored 43 goals and 11 assists during his four years at Edwardsville High School under head coach Mark Heiderscheid ... Led the Tigers to the State Final Four three years in a row, including a second-place finish in 2008 ... Named team MVP in 2007 and 2010 ... Earned All-Conference honors in 2009 and 2010 ... Named to the Riverbend All-Stars First Team in 2008, 2009 and 2010 ... Made the St. Louis Dispatch's All-Metro Area First Team in 2010 ... Recipient of Player of the Year honors from the Belleville News Democrat, the Alton Telegraph and the Edwardsville Intelligencer ... Played club soccer for SLSG Metro Academy ... Born May 8, 1993 in Bridgeton, Mo. ... Son of Michael and Carla Fink
Vidovich on Fink: "Sam is a tremendous athlete who is very ambitious. We think he has tremendous potential to play the game. He's a great teammate, so he fits in the vein of a Wake Forest player. He has a big learning curve as far as how to play in the ACC and how to play Wake Forest soccer, but we feel that he is going to develop into a good player."
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2010 (Freshman at St. Johns)
Appeared in one match for the Red Storm
Background
Played club soccer for the Irvine Strikers ... 2009 NSCAA/adidas Youth All-American ... Two-time adidas ESP participant ... Spent two years in Germany playing for U17 TSV 1860 Munich ... Trained internationally with Club Brugge and Ajax ... born in Long Beach, Calif. ... Son of Joseph and Mirit Konowiecki ... Has two brothers, Leron and Tomer
Vidovich on Konowiecki: "Kovi has a great soccer pedigree. He spent a lot of time with 1860 Munich in Germany, so he understands the game of soccer. He's a darting, technical player with good running range, and we're excited about him joining the program."
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Played for coach John Burton at San Pasqual High School ... Helped the Golden Eagles win the 2010 CIF Championship and achieve a No. 8 national ranking ... Captained San Pasqual and was named the team's defensive MVP ... Earned All-CIF First Team and All-League First Team honors ... Named the 2010 CIF DIV I Championship Player of the Game ... As a senior, named the Athlete of the Year by the San Diego High School Sports Association ... Traveled to Manchester England in 2008 to compete in the Manchester United Premier Cup ... Recipient of the school's Golden Eagle Award which is given to the best all-around student ... Full name is Andrew Joseph Malkiewicz ... Born April 9, 1993 in Poway, Calif. ...Son of Mike and Connie Malkiewicz ... Father Mike played football at Georgia ... Sisters Marissa and Camille Malkiewicz played soccer at St. Mary's and John Brown University, respectively ... Uncle Mark Malkiewicz was a punter for the Georgia football team and later for the St. Louis Rams
Vidovich on Malkiewicz: "Andrew is another player who we think is a late bloomer. He has a lot of great tools if he can adapt to the way that we play the game and the speed of things here. He's a tremendous athlete. He's a terrific person who we think is going to fit in and grow to be a great player."
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Enrolled at Wake Forest in January and trained with the team this spring ... Notched two goals and one assist in 2011 spring games ... 2010 ESPN RISE First Team All-American ... 2010 NSCAA High School All-American ... Three-year letter-winner at Jordan High School ... In 2010, led the Falcons an undefeated season and the state championship ... Named the 2010 Gatorade North Carolina High School Player of the Year ... Played club soccer for Dewan Bader and Marlow Campbell at Triangle FC, winning the 2009 state championship ... Rated the No. 8 recruit in the country and No. 1 in the South Atlantic Region by TopDrawerSoccer.com ... Full name is Edward Hugh Mullin ... Born Dec. 8, 1992 in Durham, N.C. ... Son of Bob Mullin and Mary Hanlon
Vidovich on Mullin: "It was a pleasure having Teddy on campus this spring. If you look back at it, I think he was one of our leading attacking players during the spring. He's had the advantage of already adapting and seeing what it's going to take to play at this level. He has a good brain and a good feel for the game."
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Has extensive experience with the U.S. U-18 National Team ... Traveled with the U-18 squad to Portugal, Argentina and Israel ... Has spent recent seasons in the Seattle Sounders Academy ... Became the first Sounders Academy player to see match action with the Sounders' reserve team ... Four-year starter at Todd Beamer High School ... Had 19 goals and 14 assists his senior year to help lead the Titans to the SPSL South Division Championship ... Named the 2009 SPSL Co-Player of the Year ... Full name is Sean Ugo Okoli ... Son of Christopher and Christina Okoli
Vidovich on Okoli: "I've had Sean with the U-18 National Team. He's a player with tremendous potential. He has soft feet and the pace to stretch other teams, and also how to combine with other players. We think that once he adapts to the pace and the schemes here he will make an impact not only at Wake Forest, but in the ACC and around the country."
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ESPN RISE First Team All-American ... NSCAA Scholar All-American ... Four-year varsity player at Charlotte Catholic High School, helping the team win the 3-A state championship in 2008 and reach the state semifinals in 2007 and 2010 ... Posted a 46-4-4 career record in goal for Charlotte Catholic ... Led all high school players nationally in 2010-11 with 21 shutouts and 16 consecutive shutouts ... Totaled 36 career shutouts ... Played club soccer for the North Meck Soccer Club US Academy 18 team, serving as captain in 2010 ... ODP National Pool (2007-08)... Traveled with the Region III ODP team to Argentina, allowing only one goal in four games .. Member of the National Society of High School Scholars...Born Aug. 31, 1993 in Charlotte, N.C. ... Son of Dino and Susan Pacifici
Vidovich on Pacifici: "Matt comes from North Meck youth soccer. His goalkeeper coach, Scott Schweitzer, has helped develop him into one of the best young keepers, following in the footsteps of our former goalkeeper Brian Edwards, who he also coached. He comes from the same club of our former players Craig Conger and Thomas Finlay. He is another one that we think is going to be a good player. Once again, particularly for goalkeepers, it will take him a little while to get used to the pace of the game, but he has a tremendous upside and will be a big fixture in our future."
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Four-year starter at Tamalpais High School ... As captain in 2010, helped the Red Tailed Hawks to the 2010 Marin County Athletic League Championship ... Named to the 2010 MCAL First Team ... Played club soccer for Marin FC Blue ... Won the 2010 CYSA Norcal State Cup Championship ... Named the 2010 Bay City Invitational All-Team Player ... AP Scholar ... Traveled to Mexico to help build a medical dispensary in an impoverished town and also assisted in running a clinic ... Wants to pursue a career in the field of medicine ... Born March 17, 1993 in San Francisco, Calif. ... Son of Douglas Wilkinson and Susan Chang
Vidovich on Wilkinson: "Sean is a player that we also have high hopes for. He has the physical tools to be a good striker. It's going to be a big adjustment for him coming from youth soccer to playing in the ACC and playing for Wake Forest, but we think he's a late bloomer and he has a great future in front of him."
