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Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University Penmen

Men's Soccer

Men's Soccer Welcomes Six Newcomers for 2013

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Southern New Hampshire University men's soccer coach Marc Hubbard announced Tuesday that six newcomers will join the Penmen program for the 2013 season. 

The six newcomers are Nathaniel Fournier (Belchertown, Mass.), Kent Legg (Ashburn, Va.), Curtis Pereira (Ludlow, Mass.), Ryan Reynolds (Springfield, Mass.) and transfer students Pierre Omanga (Paris, France) and Callum Williams (West Yorkshire, England). This class is already joining goalkeeper Andrew Pesci (Windham, N.H.), who enrolled this past January and played significant minutes through the spring season.

"I believe the mix of our incoming players with our returners gives us another squad that is ready to compete for a national championship. This class includes two transfers, two international players, three Western Massachusetts All-Stars, and one high school All-American spanning over four states and two countries. All believe in the winning tradition of the program and believe this is the best fit out on the soccer field and more importantly, in the classroom," said Hubbard of his new class.

Nathaniel Fournier

Fournier comes to SNHU after a standout four-year career at Belchertown High School.  A two-time All-State and All-League selection, Fournier tallied 17 goals and eight assists as a senior and was also named the team's Most Valuable Player.  He led the Orioles to back-to-back Western Mass. championships as a junior and senior and a pair of trips to the state semifinals while finishing 21-1 in 2012.  Fournier also most recently played club soccer for Western United.

"Nathaniel is another product of us seeing him with his club and inviting him to our summer College ID Days.  Nathaniel is a very technical and smart player and we believe he can grow into a very versatile attacking player in our system.  He enjoys keeping possession, which is very important to our program and above all is a Presidential Scholar," said Hubbard.

"On my first visit to SNHU I fell in love with the people and the campus, and the opportunity to participate in the honors program was what really sealed my decision to come and play at SNHU.  The combination of great staff, facilities, an opportunity to play with a premier soccer program did it for me," said Fournier.

Kent Legg

Legg, a 6-2 goalkeeper, is a 2013 graduate of Briar Woods High School where as a senior he totaled 11 shutouts and recorded a 0.75 goals-against average.  A four-year starter, he also posted six shutouts as a junior when he was named All-Dulles District.  The Falcons captured a regional championship and reached the state tournament semifinals in Legg's senior season and won the Dulles District championship in his junior campaign.  He most recently played club soccer with McLean MPS Celtic Green.

"Kent Legg is goalkeeper we have been tracking since his sophomore year in high school.  At the time, he wasn't physically developed but you could see that he had great distribution, could make big saves and really enjoyed the game of soccer.  Since then, he has grown considerably, attended our College ID Days and is really sold us on his passion for our program and university. He understands who we are and what we are about, has bought into our team philosophy and we look forward to continuing to watch him develop and mature in our program. Finally, I am excited to have pulled our first recruit from the state of Virginia," said Hubbard.

"The team camaraderie at SNHU was a big draw for me, as were the coaching philosophies of Marc Hubbard and (assistant coach) Josh Taylor.  The campus is warm and inviting and has a true family feel.  Finally, the academic climate seems conducive to learning and to launching a career after college," said Legg.

Curtis Pereira

Pereira joins a long list of players who have come to the SNHU men's soccer program in recent seasons from Ludlow High School.  A four-year member of the Lions varsity soccer team, Pereira was an All-New England and All-State selection as a senior as well as All-Western Mass., and was team captain and team MVP.  He was a member of three-straight Western Massachusetts championship teams and state champion squads in 2010 and 2011.  Pereira played club soccer with the Western Mass. Junior Pioneers and Viviano Soccer Academy.

"Curtis continues our connection to the perennial Western Mass high school power Ludlow High School.  Cousin of current SNHU player Chris Pereira, Curtis is a very industrious and versatile player that initially impressed us at our summer College ID day. We continued to track him throughout the course of his senior year and Curtis consistently got better each and every time," said Hubbard.

"I chose SNHU because it offers a great learning environment.  Smaller class sizes mean it is much easier to focus on my studies, and allows for a better one-on-one relationship with professors," said Pereira.

Ryan Reynolds

A four-year member of the Cathedral High School varsity soccer program, Reynolds totaled 40 goals and 26 assists over his career.  An NSCAA All-American and the Springfield Republican Player of the Year, Reynolds was a four-time All-League selection and twice garnered All-Western Mass. honors, while being named All-State and All-Region as a senior.  Reynolds most recently played club soccer with VSA United.

"Ryan is a left sided attacking player that impressed us with his blue-collar work rate and team-first attitude. Ryan does well keeping possession, provides good service, and when given the chance, can put the ball in the back of the net. Ryan's personality is a perfect fit for SNHU, where he can excel on and off the field.," said Hubbard.

"I enjoyed my visit to the SNHU campus and the people I met.  I think the school offers a great opportunity to succeed in the classroom, and I want to play at the highest level of soccer I can and reach my full potential.  I am confident SNHU men's soccer will provide every opportunity to do so with hard work," said Reynolds.

Pierre Omanga

Omanga comes to SNHU after a standout freshman campaign at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama.  A Peach Belt Conference First Team selection, Omanga led the conference with 15 goals and two assists for 32 points.  He also was a First Team Daktronics All-Region selection and earned Second Team All-Region honors from the NSCAA.  The Most Valuable Player of the Peach Belt Conference tournament, Omanga led the Falcons to a 13-5-2 record, the PBC tournament title and an NCAA tournament berth.

"Pierre is an experienced forward who will fit in well with our team culture here. He possess great strength on the ball, ability to eliminate defenders in 1v1 situations, and most of all, he is a proven goal scorer. Transferring schools is never an easy process, but we look for Pierre to have an immediate impact within our program. I am excited to see how he gels with our returning forwards," said Hubbard.

Callum Williams

Williams attended Loughborough University for three years and was a member of the varsity soccer program there.  While there, he led the team to a pair of league championships.  A longtime member of the Leeds United club program, Williams was a team captain in high school at St. Thomas A Becket.

"Callum is a left sided central defender that has the ability to play left back and potentially holding midfield for us in the next two years.  His best trait is that he is extremely calm under pressure and can easily deliver penetrating entry balls as well as switch the point of attack for us.  He is one of the most represented players coming out of Loughborough and has a lot of experience which will immediately help bring some leadership into our core."

"I was looking at several schools, but SNHU was very friendly and helpful, and when I visited, everyone I met was most welcoming.  I was also impressed with the soccer program and the commitment and enthusiasm of the coaching staff," said Williams.

Hubbard concluded, "We anticipate another competitive preseason and determining the best mixture of players that will help us reach our goal of winning a national championship. The new class is comprised of specific type of players that we have not had here before and I am excited with how they will blend with our strong returning squad."

SNHU is coming off a 19-4 2012 campaign where the advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. The Penmen, who are ranked No. 7 in the NSCAA Division II preseason poll, open the regular season Thursday, September 5 at home against Post University.

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Players Mentioned

Pierre Omanga

#11 Pierre Omanga

F
6' 2"
Senior
Chris Pereira

#24 Chris Pereira

M/F
5' 7"
Junior
Curtis Pereira

#15 Curtis Pereira

M/B
5' 10"
Freshman
Andrew Pesci

#00 Andrew Pesci

GK
5' 9"
Freshman
Ryan Reynolds

#5 Ryan Reynolds

M/F
6' 1"
Freshman
Callum Williams

#3 Callum Williams

B
6' 2"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Pierre Omanga

#11 Pierre Omanga

6' 2"
Senior
F
Chris Pereira

#24 Chris Pereira

5' 7"
Junior
M/F
Curtis Pereira

#15 Curtis Pereira

5' 10"
Freshman
M/B
Andrew Pesci

#00 Andrew Pesci

5' 9"
Freshman
GK
Ryan Reynolds

#5 Ryan Reynolds

6' 1"
Freshman
M/F
Callum Williams

#3 Callum Williams

6' 2"
Graduate Student
B