Nine new faces join MOC men's soccer team

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on July 27, 2013 11:05 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- The 2013 recruiting class joining the Mount Olive College men's soccer program has an eastern North Carolina flavor.

Six newcomers hail from the Tar Heel state, while the remaining trio comes from Missouri, California and Georgia. Two played high school together, while another pair participated on the same club team.

Gabriel Aquino Jr., Romario Dyke, Adam Lawrence, Re'mon Schutte and Giovanni Troini each signed a national letter-of-intent. Josiah Saydee and Cody Suite each inked an athletic grant-in-aid.

Jared Miller and John Sonnendecker are walk-ons.

"This year's recruiting class is special," third-year MOC head coach Godfrey Miller said. "We brought in student-athletes who we expect to rise the level both academically and athletically."

Selected the male athlete-of-the-year at Jacksonville White Oak as a senior, Aquino Jr. tallied 12 goals and 10 assists this past fall. He also excelled in track and field, placing fifth among long jumpers in the Coastal 3-A Conference championships and helping the 800-meter relay take sixth overall in the N.C. High School Athletic Association state meet.

Born in the Netherlands, Schutte graduated from Raleigh Leesville Road and played club soccer for CASL 94 Elite. Miller, a goalie and Franklinton High graduate, played on the same club squad. He compiled 1,364 saves during his prep career and participated in the annual N.C. Coaches Association East-West All-Star game this past week.

Lawrence, another goalie, played club soccer for NC Alliance. He was named to the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association (NCCSA) All-Region team.

Suite is transferring from Wake Tech Community College. He participated in the 2008 Olympic Development Program National Camp and is a graduate of Apex High School.

Sonnendecker is a defender from Fuquay-Varina and won his team's Most Valuable Defender Award. He also played club soccer for TFC.

Dyke is an outside midfielder from Missouri and is a graduate of Wolmer's Boys School. He received the John Wolmer Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement and Gentlemanly Conduct.

Troini was a three-time All-Monterey Bay League first-team selection at Christopher (Calif.) High School. He played club soccer for SJ Independent.

A defensive midfielder from Clarkston, Ga., Saydee helped lead Tucker High School to a No. 9 state ranking and a second-round appearance in the 2013 Georgia High School Association Class 5-A state tournament. He concluded the season with 24 goals and 19 assists, and was named the MVP of the 2013 Dekalb County All-Star Game.

MOC compiled a 7-8-4 record last season and advanced to the Conference Carolinas tournament semifinals for the first time since 2006.