M. soccer mines East Coast for '09

The 2004 men's soccer team missed a share of the Ivy League title by just one loss, a fate that the six members of the Class of 2009 who will join the squad next season are determined not to repeat.

"We think it's a really strong class," head coach Jim Barlow said. "We're excited about what they can bring to the team soccer-wise and in terms of attitude and competitiveness."

While the class of recruits is fairly well-balanced in terms of positions on the field, it is unusual in that all six are from the East Coast. The team has about six or seven recruits each year, and this year one of Barlow's primary goals was to bring strong players in as many positions as possible.

Two of the recruits hail from the Philadelphia Soccer Club team Coppa — Pat Farrell, a center back whose sister, Meghan, is a sophomore on Princeton's women's soccer team, and Princeton local Matt Care.

According to Barlow, Farrell is a "strong defender [with] good feet and a great soccer brain."

Care, who currently attends the Hun School in Princeton, is most skilled as a defensive center and a midfielder. He has a competitive attitude and an instinctive feel for the game.

"He is very simple and clear with his decisions when he has the ball, [and] he sees a lot and is able to get the ball to the right guy," Barlow said.

Another two recruits, Joe Walter and Brad Fechter, also already have experience as teammates. They play for the same club program — the defending New Jersey championship team, the PDA Conquistadors.

Walter, a goalkeeper, will bring depth to the team in that position. His presence is critical because the Tigers will be without this past season's starting goalkeeper, senior Erik White. Walter has a particularly good command of high balls, and he is excellent at "navigating traffic in the box," Barlow said.

Fechter is an attacking player who will assist the team either wide or up front. With a remarkably hard shot, he is "very active in the attack [and is] a pretty dynamic player," Barlow said.

Jason Adams, whose two older brothers, Chad and Jamie, were both captains of the men's team in past seasons, will also be joining Princeton next fall. Though he lives in West Virginia, he plays for a Pittsburgh club team. He is an attacking midfielder and a skilled "playmaker," according to Barlow. He is particularly adept at navigating tight spots, and he is also comfortable setting up and making plays from the attack.

The final recruit, Bryan Brady, is from Maryland but plays for a club team in Reston, Va. He plays on the left side of the field, either at midfield or on defense. His play earned him a spot on his region's Olympic Development team. Barlow noted that Brady is particularly adept at positioning himself to stop difficult attacks.

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There is certainly no lack of talent among this year's recruiting class, but they will face tough competition for starting spots on the team. Many of this year's key players will be returning, including all four starting defenders and many players with a good deal of experience. Without the new recruits, the team has already showed its prowess in two spring tournaments — the Tigers won four games and tied two.

Nonetheless, Barlow said that he "wouldn't recruit guys who couldn't compete for those [starting] spots right away."

Overall, Barlow said, the incoming freshmen are a "good, solid recruiting class," and many have a strong potential "to be impact players." Their impact will be needed if Princeton is to improve on last year's showing.