Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Soccer Adds Four Recruits
5/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
May 23, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's soccer coach Joe Baum announced that four players, David Brogan (Defense; Okemos, Mich.), Joshua Rogers (Midfield; Sterling Heights, Mich.), Zac Scaffidi (Midfield; Geneva, Ill.) and Louis Stephens III (Forward; Saginaw, Mich.), will attend Michigan State this fall and play for the 2005 Spartan soccer team.
The 2004 Spartans captured the Big Ten Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, finishing the season with a 12-7-1 record. This year's MSU squad will look to replace its top scorers, including Jordan Gruber (12 goals, 8 assists) and John Minagawa-Webster (9 goals, 9 assists). In addition, the Spartans will also look to replace Kellen Kalso, a four-year starter at sweeper.
Brogan played four seasons at Okemos High School. He was co-captain as a senior when the Chieftans won the Division 1 state championship. Individually, he earned first-team all-state and Dream Team honors. The Lansing State Journal recognized Brogan as its player of the year. He is a member of the '88 Vardar club state championship team and the '87 Michigan ODP team.
"David is an outstanding all-around player who can play many positions due to his excellent athleticism and superior ball skills," said MSU head coach Joe Baum. "He is a real competitor who is driven to excel."
Rogers was a three-year varsity player at DeLaSalle High School, serving as team captain as a senior. He was a first-team all-state and The Detroit News all-metro selection as a junior and senior, and was a Mr. Soccer finalist in 2004. A three-time DeLaSalle team MVP, Rogers was a member of the ODP Region II team for three years from 2003-05. He has been a member of the Michigan ODP team since 2000 and is a member of the '88 Vardar club state championship team.
"Joshua is a very skillful midfielder/defender who can play many different positions due to his fine athleticism and superb ball skills," said Baum. "He is very confident in his offensive distribution."
Scaffidi was a four-year letterwinner at Geneva High School where he was a two-time first-team all-state honoree and an all-midwest selection as a senior. He was a member of the ODP Illinois state team from 1999-2003 and the ODP Illinois All-Star team. Scaffidi played club soccer for the Chicago Magic and was a State Cup finalist in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he was part of the Midwest Regional League championship team.
"Zac is an outstanding midfielder who can play all midfield positions extremely well," said Baum. "He has great skills and vision and is very composed under pressure."
Stephens played at Saginaw Heritage High School where he combined 40 goals and 21 assists during his junior and senior seasons. He earned first-team all-conference honors in 2003 and 2004 and was a second-team all-state honoree in 2004. Stephens is a member or the '87 Region II ODP team and the Michigan ODP squad. He played for the Michigan Wolves club team that captured the 2004 State Cup, earning MVP honors.
"Louis is a very athletic and explosive striker who is a constant threat to score," said Baum. "He is very aggressive offensively and very difficult to contain in a 1-v-1 situation."
