DES MOINES, IOWA – Drake University head men's soccer coach Gareth Smith has announced the addition of five prep standouts and six transfers to the program for the 2021 spring season.
"Although the recruiting process has changed due to unique landscape over the past year, our goal remains the same; to identify student-athletes who have the ability, ambition, and application to pursue academic and athletic excellence as a Drake Bulldog," Smith said. "We are excited about the incoming 2020-2021 recruiting class because they bring a number of different qualities as well positional versatility to our team."
The men's soccer program continues to add new talent every season and is replacing nine seniors who graduated in May 2020. The program added six players in the fall semester and have another five entering this spring.
The Bulldogs reached the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament during the 2019 season but fell to then No.9 Missouri State. The team ended with an 8-9-1 record for 2019. The 2020 season was postponed to spring 2021 due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs begin their spring campaign Sunday, Feb. 28 at Loyola.
Fall 2020 Class
TC Anderson
Defender | 6-2
Gainesville, Fla | Buchholz | Florida Gulf Coast
Leg-A-ZC
Anderson, a transfer from FGCU, appeared in 24 matches on the Eagles' backline over the past three season. He earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in 2019.
"TC is a proven, impactful Division I player joining our program from Florida Gulf Coast. He is an exceptional athlete, is extremely competitive, and sets very high standards for himself which will push our program to another level. He will add a defensive steel to our team while helping mature our ability to effectively build from the back. TC brings another level of experience, maturity and leadership to our backline. TC checks all the boxes as a Bulldog, both academically (2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District) and athletically. We're looking forward to him having an immediate impact on the program." - Head Coach Gareth Smith
Quinn Millerd
Goalkeeper | 6-5
Bainbridge Island, Wash. | Bainbridge
Kitsap Alliance
Millerd competed for Bainbridge H.S., a 3A member of the Metro League in Washington. He played for Kitsap Alliance and helped lead them to the state championship match in 2019.
"Quinn is another exciting young goalkeeper who demonstrates all the qualities we are looking for in a Bulldog. At 6-5, he has an incredible presence in the goal and has the courage and bravery to back-up his physical stature. Quinn is a very good shot-stopper and brave in 1-v-1 situations. He manages his box well and has very good decision-making, timing and range in dealing with delivery into the box. We're excited Quinn joined the Bulldog family and look forward to him challenging our goalkeepers on several levels and leaving a lasting impact on our program." - Coach Smith
Cory Pitlik
Midfielder | 6-1
Frankfort, Ill. | Lincoln-Way East
Eclipse Select SC
Pitlik was a four-year letterwinner for Lincoln-Way East and scored 43 goals over his four seasons. He earned All-State honors his junior and senior seasons.
"Cory Pitlik is a player I have had the privilege of observing in a variety of competitions across the country and every time he has impressed me. He is a very good athlete who has a very big upside as he continues to mature and grow physically. He can play in the midfield and at the back with great composure and poise. I have always been impressed by his game understanding along with his ability to impact the game with his range of passing in attack. Cory is another top personality and player we have added to our program and we're excited to see his impact on our team." - Coach Smith
Absalom Solorio
Defender | 5-9
Kansas City, Mo. | Oak Park | Niagara University
Kaw Valley FC
Solorio is a transfer that comes to Drake after four seasons at Niagara University, where he was a three-year starter. He scored five goals and handed out three assists. He was an All-MAAC academic selection as a junior.
"Absalom Solorio is a gifted ball-playing midfield player who has the ability to influence, manage and change the rhythm of a game. Absalom is very composed, comfortable and courageous in possession. He will improve our ability to play through the midfield and will create opportunities from the middle to final third with his forward passing qualities. He has a very strong playing background having played five years in Sporting KC's US Soccer Development Academy and at the collegiate level. His commitment to academic standards is clear as a four-year honor roll student in high school and being named to 2018-19 MAAC Academic Honor Roll. We look forward to seeing the impact Absalom is going to have on our program."
Kevin Qi
Goalkeeper | 5-10
West Des Moines, Iowa | Valley
Sporting Iowa
Qi is a local product who earned three varsity letters, two honorable mention all-state honors for his outstanding play in goal for Valley High School. As a freshman, he helped Valley make the Iowa Class 3A State title match.
"As a local player, I've had the privilege of working with and watching Kevin Qi develop since the age of 10. As evidenced by his selection to regional and national events, he is one of the top goalkeeper prospects in the region. From a defensive perspective, he has very good positional sense, quick footwork and is a very good shot-stopper. One of Kevin's talents is his distribution and composure to build effectively from the back which is an important trait in allowing our team to retain possession, manage rhythm and construct attacks from the back. Our program has a strong history of excellent goalkeepers and we're excited about the opportunity for him to leave his imprint on the program." - Coach Smith
Louis Yuill
Midfielder | 6-0
London, England | St. John's School | Marquette
Birmingham City
The final member of the Fall 2020 class, Yuill is another transfer who joins the Bulldogs after one season at Marquette. He appeared in nine matches for the Golden Eagles and was a 2019 BIG East All-American Team selection.
"We're excited to bring Louis Yuill into our program as he has strong character, is very good in the classroom and is a talented soccer player. He is an excellent midfield player with a high level of game intelligence, very good range of passing and keen positional sense defensively. He has a strong background in the game internationally having played at the famous West Ham United Academy (English Premier League) and representing Scotland's U16/17 National Team in a UEFA Tournament in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Louis has demonstrated his ability to compete at the Division I level having played his freshman year at Marquette University in the BIG EAST. Louis adds strength, depth and leadership to our midfield and pushes us to another level as a program." - Coach Smith
Spring 2021 Class
Jaffer Murphy
Midfielder | 6-0
Marion, Iowa | Marion
Cedar River Soccer Association
Murphy, a two-year first team All-State player led his team to an undefeated season his junior year.
"We have been tracking Jaffer's development for several years and are very much aware of his ability and potential. He is an exciting young local player who is versatile and can play several positions effectively. He is a powerful athlete with a strong technical foundation, which will add a different dimension to our front line." - Coach Smith.
Nick Mishu
Midfielder | 5-7
Mason, Ohio | Summit Country Day | Wright State
Cincinnati United Premier
Mishu won three consecutive state championships, a team captain, and four year starter in high school. He attended Wright State for a year and a half before transferring to join the Bulldogs.
"We are excited about Nick's arrival to the program. He is a technically gifted attacking midfield player who is comfortable in possession and who will add quality to our ability to create in the middle to final third. We are looking forward to seeing him continue to develop and grow within our program over the next few years." - Coach Smith
Brian Brown
Outside Back | 5-8
Circle Pines, Minn. | Totino-Grace | West Virginia University
Minnesota Thunder Academy
Brown, a four year Development Academy attender, earned first team all-state and all honors his senior year of high school. He attended West Virginia University for one semester before transferring to Drake.
"Brian is a tenacious and tough tackling defensive fullback who has a lot of potential. He has a relentless work ethic and drive to grow and improve every day which is going to be the key quality for him to be successful at Drake. We have been looking to add quality and competition in the full-back position and he will help challenge in this area of the field." - Coach Smith
Loren Altman
Defender | 6-0
White Bear Lakes, Minn. | White Bear Lake | Univ. of Wisconsin
Prior Lake Predators
Altman attended Wisconsin for three semesters after earning all-state, along with all conference honors in highschool.
"We are delighted to add Loren as we recruited him during high school. Loren has the quality to play in various positions across the backline and in the midfield. He is quick, agile, and has great physical endurance. He is intelligent and comfortable in possession which allows us to use him in several positions. He has a bright future as a Bulldog!" - Coach Smith
Evan Carlson
Forward | 5-8
Sauk Prairie, Wis. | Sauk Prairie High School
FC Wisconsin
Carlson was a four year regional champion, two time conference champion, two time all-conference, and Badger North Player of the Year.
"Evan is a talented attacking wide player who will add a dimension to our ability to create in wide areas. He is good in 1v1 situations and has the awareness and ability to get into dangerous positions in the attacking third. He has a strong work ethic, is always willing to grow, and will mature into a very impactful division I player over the next four years." - Coach Smith
