July 18, 2002

George Mason University men's soccer head coach Fran O'Leary has announced nine recruits will join the Patriots for the 2002 season. Among the new players are three from Northern Virginia and another from the Maryland suburbs around Washington, DC. Midfielder Kyle Hansen, a Centreville (VA) High School graduate and a first-team All-Metropolitan Washington selection by The Washington Post, highlights the local players in the recruiting class. The other local signees include defender Brian Reid of Brooke Point High School in Stafford, VA, goalkeeper Brian Badger from Woodbridge (VA) High School and forward Joe Pancotti of Waldorf, MD, and St. Mary's High School (in Annapolis). Two international players are also included in the class as forward Steve Alabi comes from Rotterham, England, and defender Damian O'Rourke comes from Shannon, Ireland, and the remainder of the recruiting class includes midfielder Kephern Fuller (Marietta, GA/Wheeler HS), defender Chris Perkins (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo HS) and midfielder Mike Uremovich (Richardson, TX/Berkner HS).

Hansen is a two-time All-Concorde District and All-Northern Region selection from Centreville, and he led the Wildcats with 14 goals and added four assists in 2002. He also has been selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) regional pool of players in each of the past two seasons. Pancotti scored 10 goals over his final two seasons at St. Mary's, and Reid competed for the Virginia State ODP under-18 team.

Alabi was a football scholarship scheme player with Rotterham United and is a former English under-15 schoolboy international player. He also held the English schoolboy 100 meter record for five years. O'Rourke is a talented central defender who has competed at the under-21 and first-team levels for Cork City Football Club. Alabi will miss six games and O'Rourke will miss two contests at the beginning of the season as stipulated by the NCAA in regards to eligibility issues related to their international playing backgrounds.

Fuller contributed 15 career goals at Wheeler High School, while Perkins was the Defensive Player of the Year and an all-league selection in Southern California. Uremovich played with the nationally renowned Solar FC club team in Texas.

"I'm delighted with the quality and depth of this recruiting class," said O'Leary, who is entering his second year with the Patriots and his 14th overall as a head coach. "We have cast our net around the country and landed players from Regions III and IV, along with several talented local players, and this highlights the national appeal of George Mason University. I'm confident they will gel together with our returning players to develop a special camaraderie and team spirit to carry us through the season."

George Mason returns 11 veterans and seeks to improve upon its records of 8-9-1 overall and 2-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association last season. Included among the returnees are sophomore goalkeeper John O'Hara, who was the CAA Rookie of the Year and an All-CAA second-team selection along with junior defender Keith Nakai.