BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University head men’s soccer coach Greg Brisbon has announced an incoming class of eight freshmen and two transfers set to join the Vikings for the upcoming 2018 season.

The class features five midfielders, two defenders, two forwards and one goalkeeper. The incoming class joins a WWU program that placed in a tie for 3rd in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings during the 2017 campaign and finished in a tie for 2nd during the 2016 season before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II Championships.

WWU MEN’S SOCCER 2018 INCOMING CLASS
Name Position Height Hometown High School (Previous School)
Derek Carpenter Midfielder 6’1” Seabeck, WA Klahowya Secondary School
Gus Diehl Defender/Midfielder 5’10” Bellingham, WA Sehome HS
Teagan Eldridge Midfielder 5’11” Enumclaw, WA Enumclaw HS
Blake McMillian Midfielder 5’10” Puyallup, WA Puyallup High School (Tacoma CC)
Jacob Ramos Forward 5’10” Roseville, CA Woodcreek HS
Lucas Richardson Goalkeeper 6’5” Sammamish, WA Skyline HS
Ryan Schaefer Forward 5’10” Burien, WA Kennedy Catholic HS (University of Denver)
Iakov Shmelev Defender 6’1” Togliatti, Russia Eastlake HS
Dakota Stamnes Midfielder 5’6” Mount Vernon, WA Mount Vernon HS
Alessandro Tomasi Midfielder 6’3” Bellingham, WA Squalicum HS

“I am very excited for this recruiting class,” Brisbon said. “They are each great student-athletes, they all have played on teams that have been in big games that matter and also all have won big tournaments and championships in their club careers.”

After a trio of exhibition games, the 2018 schedule officially begins for the Vikings with four non-conference games in California against Chico State (Aug. 30), Sonoma State (Sept. 1), Point Loma (Sept. 6) and Azusa Pacific (Sept. 8). WWU hosts Hawai’i Hilo (Sept. 11) and Hawai’i Pacific (Sept. 15) before beginning the GNAC schedule on Sept. 20 at Saint Martin’s.

“It would not surprise me if all 10 made an impact with our program right away next fall,” Brisbon said. “Every one of these student-athletes makes our program stronger and that much closer with reaching our goals as a program next fall.”