May 1, 2009

Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University men's soccer team earned a spot on Soccer America's Top 15 Men's College Recruiting Classes. The Hoyas will bring six talented recruits into training camp in August as they look to improve upon last year's successful season. GU was ranked 14th among the nation's top recruiting classes and was one of three BIG EAST schools to be recognized on the list.

Highlighting the incoming freshman class is Ian Christianson, a midfielder from Cedar Rapids, Iowa who is ranked on of the top 20 recruits in the country by TopDrawer Soccer and plays in the Chicago Fire's U.S. Development Academy. He will be joined by Matt Hammett, Mark Luxama from the U-17 Haitian National Team, Tommy Muller, James Nealis and local-product, Andy Riemer. These six make up the first ranked recruiting class for the Hoya coaching staff.

Georgetown will face five of the teams on the top 15 list this season including both West Virginia and Notre Dame in conference play. The Hoyas will meet Cal-Berkeley, UCLA early in the season at North Kehoe Field as well as the University of Maryland midway through the year.

GU lost six seniors to graduation including leading scorer Peter Grasso (Burr Ridge, Ill./Hinsdale Central) and co-captain Sean Bellomy (Dallas, Texas/Jesuit College Prep). Georgetown finished the 2008 season with an 11-5-3 overall record and a 5-3-3 mark in the BIG EAST. The squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament falling to the eventual champ, USF.