May 8, 2008

Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate head men's soccer coach Greg Hooks announces the signing of 11 student-athletes to national letters of intent for the 2008 recruiting class.

Joining the program for the 2008 season are Ben Brannan, Kevin Cawthon, Phillip Feichtinger, Timo Forster, Colin Francis, Hakeem King, Mike Kolhmeir, Tom Kruse, Christian Peterson, Pat Regna and Erkan Yilidrim.

"I feel as though this group of players will meet our needs and will be successful college players," said Hooks. "We have brought in a mixture of players in terms of positions, and I expect for many of them to play a role in our team immediately.

"I look forward to seeing this group of players develop and help our program have success in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference."

Brannan (Rock Hill, S.C.) was a standout defensive player at Spartanburg Methodist College the past two seasons. He earned SMC's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2006 and 2007 and was the team MVP as a sophomore. While he played a defensive role, he also possessed the ability to score and finished his two years ranked fifth all-time in scoring for the Pioneers. Prior to his stint at SMC, he was a standout at Northwestern High School in his native Rock Hill. He helped lead the team to the 2006 4A State Championship as the team's MVP.

Cawthon (Easley, S.C.) is a four-year starter in the midfield at Wren High School. He was an All-Region selection as a junior in 2007, tying for the team lead in points with 33 on 13 goals and a team best seven assists. He helped lead Wren to a 10-8 record last season. He has been a member of the South Carolina Olympic Development Program (ODP) for five years and played club soccer for the CESA 89 Premier team.

Feichtinger (Stuttgart, Germany) is one of four signees from Germany. He is a transfer student from the University of Trier and spent the majority of his youth development with the Stuttgart Kickers youth team. He attended Hegel Gymnasium Stuttgart-Vaihingen for his high school education.

Forster (Oberkirk, Germany) is one of four signees from Germany. He was a standout midfielder on the high school level for Hans Furler Gymnasium. He has been a member of the All-State State team from the time he played for the U-14 team. He has been invited to special coaching sessions by the German National Soccer Association throughout his youth soccer career.

Francis (Toronto, Ontario) was a standout midfielder/forward at Father Leo J. Austin School in Canada. He was the team's leading scorer and led his team to two LOSSA championships the last two years. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the International Robbie tournament playing for the Winstars Soccer Academy club team. In addition to his prowess in high school and club soccer, he is currently training with the Trinidad U-20 National Team.

King (Port of Spain, Trinidad) was a standout forward and leading goal scorer for his high school team, St. Mary's College, in Trinidad from 2006-07. He scored 15 goals in 11 games last season and was awarded MVP honors in the U-14 Russell Latapy Tournament. Prior to his stint with St. Mary's, he was a member of the Trendsetter Hawks Football Club from 2000-06. He currently plays for the St. Ann's Rangers.

Kohlmeir (Huntersville, N.C.) will join his brother, Chris, at Upstate. Chris was a freshman on the 2007 squad. Mike played both defender and in the midfield as a team captain at North Mecklenburg High School as a senior last fall. He helped lead the team to a 21-2-2 record en route to an appearance in the state semifinals. He helped lead North Meck to the state championship game as a sophomore and junior. He earned all-state and all-conference honors as a senior. A member of the North Carolina ODP since he was 12, he also played for the U18 89 Greensboro National Academy club team.

Kruse (Rostock, Germany) is one of four signees from Germany. He has been a member of the FC Hansa Rostock youth organization since 1995 and helped lead the team to a second-place finish in the 2005 German Cup. He has served as team captain of the team for six years, including five of the last six seasons. He played for the U-16 German National Team.

Peterson (Oslo, Norway) is a midfielder/defender with extensive experience playing in youth leagues in Norway. He has played with Stabaek Football throughout his late-teen years and was elevated to vice captain in 2005 for the U-19 squad. While a member of the team, he participated in the prestigious Lyngby Cup in Denmark. Prior to his stint with Stabaek, he played for Roa IL from 1995-2003.

Regna (Rochester, N.Y.) helped lead Monroe Community College to a 13-3-2 record in 2006 and an 8-6-3 record in 2005 as the team's starting goalkeeper. He earned First Team NJCAA All-America honors in 2006 and honorable mention NJCAA All-America honors in 2005. He was a two-time All-Region selection and led the 2006 squad to the Region III Championship and an appearance in the NJCAA national tournament. As a standout at Greece-Arcadia High School, he was a First Team All-Monroe County selection.

Yilidrim (Flensburg, Germany) is one of four signees from Germany. He is a transfer student from Flensburg University. The forward played for the DGF Flensburg youth team and attended Altes Gymnasium Flensburg for his high school education.