Albany, N.Y. -- University at Albany men's soccer coach Johan Aarnio announced April 19, that nine student-athletes have committed to play for the Great Danes, beginning with the 2005 season. Timba Bimont, Steward Ceus, Don Johnson, Brent "Tufi" Long, Kurt Ruhe-Lischke, Erik DiLorenzo, Taylor McNamara, Gabriel Seguin-Gauthier and Brad Ray have signed national letter of intents to become members of the UAlbany program.

     "We are extremely pleased with our incoming recruiting class which brings us height, athleticism, and talent," Aarnio said. "Timba (Bimont) and Tufi (Long) will add strength and quickness to our forward line. McNamara and Johnson are talented midfielders, while the other two Canadian defenders, Lischke and DiLorenzo, will give us size in the back. Ceus is a huge goalkeeper who was highly recruited by others."

     Bimont, a transfer from The Globe Institute, joins the Great Danes after scoring four goals and five assists for 13 points last season. He was named the best offensive player and helped his squad to the regional championship in 2003 with an 8-5-1 record. The Stockholm, Sweden native played for Tensta Gymnasium, which won the 1999 City of Stockholm High School Championship.

     Ceus, a 6-foot-6 goalkeeper from West Haverstraw, New York, was a four-year starter in the net for North Rockland. He recorded 36 shutouts and was named to The Journal News first team all-star in his senior season. He also played for the Hudson Valley in the scholastic division at the 2004 Empire State Games.

     DiLorenzo, a defender from Bolton, Ontario, was named the school's player of the year in 2004 as a junior. He is a two-year captain and a member of three division championship teams. He scored 13 goals a year ago. DiLorenzo competed on the Toronto Junior Lynx, who reached the finals of the Dallas Cup.

     Johnson tallied 53 goals and chipped in with 18 assists for 124 points in two seasons at Cardinal Spellman. The Bronx, New York native was the team's most valuable player in 2003 and 2004, first team all-Catholic League in 2003 and co-league MVP in 2004. The midfielder/forward helped Cardinal Spellman to a 16-1 record this past season and the Catholic League Championship.

     Long scored 66 goals and added 23 assists for 155 career points at McKinley High School. A forward, he was a two-time all-state selection, including third team as a sophomore and second team as a senior. The Canton, Ohio native is the first player from his high school to receive a Division I men's soccer scholarship.

     McNamara helped Iona C.S.S. to the Peel Division regular-season crown in 2004, when they went 8-0. The midfielder scored three goals and added 10 assists for 16 points. The Bolton, Ontario product also played on the Toronto Junior Lynx club team and had 36 points on eight goals and 20 assists.

     Ruhe-Lischke, a defender, played for the Toronto Junior Lynx U-17 squad. The team was undefeated against all other Canadian teams in the age group and did not lose in Super Y League play. The Lynx won the Super Y League Heartland Division Championship and were Super Y North American semi-finalists.

     Seguin-Gauthier scored four goals for Champlain College and helped his team finish 8-1-3. The Chateauguay, Quebec native has played on the U-17 Canadian National Team and earned 13 international caps. He also played on the U-16 FC Select Rive-Sud in the 2002 national championships.

     Ray joins the UAlbany program from Smithson Valley High School in Texas. In 2002, he was named to the All-District 27 5A first team and academic all-district. In that same season, he was a member of the district champions that went undefeated in the district. He is one of three players from his club team, the Austin Flyers 87, who have committed to a Division I program.

     In 2004, UAlbany went 12-4-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the America East Conference, sharing the regular season title with Boston University.

2005 University at Albany Men's Soccer Newcomers

Timba Bimont, F, 6-4, 190, Stockholm, Sweden (Globe Institute)

Steward Ceus, GK, 6-6, 210, West Haverstraw, N.Y. (North Rockland)

Erik DiLorenzo, B, 6-0, 165, Bolton, Ontario (Robert F. Hall CSS)

Don Johnson, M/F, 5-4, 130, Bronx, N.Y. (Cardinal Spellman)

Brent "Tufi" Long, F/M, 5-7, 150, Canton, Ohio (Canton McKinley)

Kurt A. Ruhe-Lischke, B, 6-2, 190, Kitchener, Ontario (Forest Heights Collegiate)

Taylor McNamara, M, 5-11, 160, Mississauga, Ontario (Iona Secondary School)

Gabriel Seguin-Gauthier, F, 5-5, 155, Chateauguay, Quebec (Champlain College)

Brad Ray, San Antonio, Texas (Smithson Valley)

UAlbany Athletics ? 1400 Washington Avenue ? Albany, NY 12222 ? Phone: (518) 442-2562 

Copyright ? 2003-04 University at Albany Athletics. All rights reserved. UAlbany Internet Privacy Policy