DES MOINES, IOWA ? The Drake men's soccer program announced the addition of 10 high school standouts to join the Bulldogs in the fall of 2008. Hunter Kennedy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Colin Lawter (Wichita, Kan.), Logan Murphy (Lenexa, Kan.), Thomas Ostrander (Fort Dodge, Iowa), Nathan Polak (Lincoln, Neb.), Matthew Prather (Lee's Summit, Mo.), Steven Schultz (Coppell, Texas), Jordan Stanley (Roscoe, Ill.), Michael Thaden (Clive, Iowa) and Tony Weber (Olathe, Kan.) will join the Bulldogs program this fall.

“We are excited about the talent that our 2008 class brings to our Drake soccer family. These ten student-athletes are representative of the type of people that will do well at Drake University,” said Drake head coach Sean Holmes. “Not only do they bring great soccer ability to the table, but they are tremendous students as well as people.”


Kennedy is a 6-3 forward from Cedar Valley Chrisitan High School where he was team captain and was a first team 1A All-State selection. Kennedy played for the Cedar Rivers Soccer Association, which were eight time state champions and was on the 89 ODP team.

“Hunter is a big strong student-athlete that will help us in the attack. He has great potential to be a great player,” said Holmes. “His physical tools are not seen everyday in collegiate soccer. We will be counting on him to be a presence on our team for the next four years.”

Lawter joins the Bulldogs soccer program from Wichita Southeast High School where he earned first team 6A All-State honors as a defender in 2006 and second team All-State honors in 2007. He plays for the Springfield Soccer Club and was a member of the Blue Valley Stars during their 2007 Kansas State Cup Championship run.

“Colin is a crafty, clever player that seems to always be around goals. His versatility will help make him very valuable to our team,” commented Holmes. “Colin is a player that we can see contributing in five or six different positions on the field. He will be a fun player to watch grow over the next four years.”

Murphy played defender at Shawnee Mission West High School. Murphy also played on the Blue Valley Stars Grasshoppers Club team, which earned Kansas state titles in 2005 and 2007.

“Logan is one of the top center backs in the region. His presence on the field, ball winning ability and composure with the ball makes him a valuable asset to us. Logan will help us with our depth in a very young backline,” added Holmes. “We look forward to watching Logan develop into a key contributor to our team.”

Ostrander, a midfielder from St. Edmond Catholic High School, joins the Bulldogs after earning all-conference accolades in 2006 and 2007. His club team, West Des Moines Apollo, recorded a second place finish in the 2007 Iowa State Cup. Ostrander was also a member of the 1989 Iowa ODP team.

“Thomas is a player with great potential. Seeing him at our summer camp sold us on his ability. We can play anywhere on the field and competes like a champion,” said Holmes. “Thomas is a very technical player that has one of the best long-range shots we have seen in a long time. We look forward to seeing how Thomas will develop in our program.”

Polak a midfielder joins Drake from Pius X High School where he helped his team win the 4A 2006 Nebraska State Championship. He plays club soccer for the CSA Legacy where he won five state championships. He was also a member of the ?05 ODP squad.

“Nathan is a player that seems to never make a mistake. He can play any of 8 positions for us here at Drake,” said Holmes. “His steadiness and knack for making positive things happen for his teams is very exciting for us. He will be counted on to live up to the outstanding tradition that Nebraska players have had at Drake University.”

Prather, a defender from Lee's Summit North High School, reached the Kansas State Cup championships with his club team, the KC Legends. He earned second team All-State honors at Lee's Summit North in 2007.

“Matt is a strong physical left-sided player. He gives some of the best service from the left side that we have seen in a long time,” added Holmes. “Matt also has a calm presence on the ball that helps him work out of high-pressure situations very easily. We are excited for Matt to be with us at Drake.”

Schultz a goalkeeper at Coppell High School where he earned Academic All-State honors in 2007. Through the first few games of his senior season had notched a 0.53 goals against average and led Coppell High School to a No. 1 national ranking. His club team, the Comets '90 Blue team, won the Disney soccer showcase in 2007.

“Steven is going to push for a starting job at goalkeeper. He brings braveness to the position that we are excited to see here at Drake,” commented Holmes. “His experience in the Classic League in Dallas and training with some of the top goalkeepers coaches in the United States make him very valuable to our team.”

Stanley a midfielder at Harlem High School where he was a four-year starter and earned all-conference and all-section honors in 2007. Stanley played club soccer for the Rockford Campton Raptors that were national finalists in 2004 and semifinalists in 2005 and won the Illinois State Cup in 2005. He was a member of the Illinois State ODP teams in 2003, 04 and 05.

“Jordan is a dynamic midfield player. His vision and toughness will help us in our midfield. He will give us some great options all over the midfield. Every time we see Jordan play he gets better,” said Holmes. “We are excited for his potential. He will be a great addition to our outstanding midfield.“

Thaden, a midfielder from Clive, Iowa went to West Des Moines Valley High School where he earned all-tournament team honors in 2007 and all-conference honors in 2006 and 2007. He played club soccer for the West Des Moines Soccer Club, the Des Moines Menace Super 20's and was on the Iowa ODP squad.

“Michael is one of the best passers we have seen. He is able to cut open defenses with accurate 60 yard passes or can dissect you with quick combinations,” said Holmes. “Michael will add immediate depth to our midfield. With a little hard work he has the ability to become a great player at Drake.”

Weber was a four-year starter at Olathe Northwest earning 6A All-State honors in 2006 and 2007. He played club soccer for the Blue Valley Stars and was a four-year member of the Kansas State ODP team.

“Tony is a very athletic defensive player that can play anywhere in the back line. He can be a very dependable center back or a dangerous attacking outside player,” added Holmes. “Tony's experiences with the regional team will help him make the quick transition to the college game.”