CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State University head men's soccer coach Kirk Harwat announced Friday that 10 student-athletes have committed to continue their careers with the Vikings this fall.
Nine of the 10 newcomers signed National Letters of Intent (NLI's) and will be freshmen this fall while CSU also adds a transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.
Seven of the 10 newcomers hail from northeast Ohio while the other three are international products—two from Europe and one from Canada.
Cleveland State returns 16 student-athletes from last year's squad that reached the Horizon League semifinals. The Vikings also added a pair of transfers—Rushoy Brown (Cuyahoga Community College) and Stephen Milhoan (Xavier)—to their roster during the spring season.
The 10 newcomers that will be joining Cleveland State this fall are as follows:
Ivan Babic
High School: Lake Catholic (OH)
Club Team: CSA Impact United
Harwat on Babic:
"Ivan is a player with a ceiling that we are extremely excited about. He is a very technical player that has the creative pass and is very good on the dribble. He also has the physical tools to step right in at this level and provide some quality to our attack."
Keagan Brown
High School: Wooster (OH)
Club Team: TCFC
Harwat on Brown:
"Keagan is a versatile player that can be slotted in as a central midfielder, on the wing or even as an outside back. He grew up in a soccer family, as his father is a former CSU Viking and current coach at the College of Wooster. We are excited to bring someone of his quality as a player and person to our program and expect big things from him."
Ryan Kolonick
High School: Olmstead Falls (OH)
Club Teams: Internationals Academy/TCFC
Harwat on Kolonick:
"Ryan is a quick, technical player that has the ability to get up and down the wide area all game. He has great leadership qualities and plays with tremendous passion. We see him playing as a left back or on either wing as he is a very good crosser of the ball."
Saahb Kular
Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
High School: Vaughan Academy
Harwat on Kular:
"Saahb is a central defender that we are very excited about as he comes to us from one of the top academies in the Toronto area. He has the size and physicality of a true center back, with quality feet and passing range that suits our style of play. We anticipate that Saahb will be an integral part of our back line this fall."
Jake Lynn
High School: Solon (OH)
Club Team: CSA Impact United
Harwat on Lynn:
"Jake is a quick attacking player that is very good on the dribble and in combination play. He is very confident in front of goal as he has always been a top goal scorer in the youth game. He has an extremely high work rate on both sides of the ball."
Stjepan Mijic-Barisic
High School: Kirtland (OH)
Club Team: Internationals Academy
Harwat on Mijic-Barisic:
"Stjepan is a player with great technical ability that can play in the central midfield or on either wing. He is clever in the final third and has the ability to score and create goal-scoring opportunities."
Tommy Paltani
High School: St. Edward (OH)
Club Teams: Internationals Academy/TCFC
Harwat on Paltani:
"Tommy has the leadership mentality and ability to be a mainstay in the deep central midfield. He reads the game very well from a defensive standpoint and does a great job at breaking up attacks. He also links up well in possession from the backs to the attacking third."
Hayden Parente
High School: Saint Ignatius (OH)
Previous School: John Carroll
Harwat on Parente:
"Hayden comes to us after two very successful seasons at Division III power JCU where he was very productive in the goals and assists categories. He will bring experience and add depth to our roster. He is able to play as a central midfielder and even as an outside back. He had a very strong youth career at the Cleveland high school and club levels."
Nick Rulle
Hometown: Saeby, Denmark
Club Team: Randers FC
Harwat on Rulle:
"Nick has been in the Danish professional youth set up of Randers FC since the age of 12. He has been held at a very high standard as he progressed through the different age levels. He is a very good shot stopper, can distribute with his feet and has a solid aerial game. We are very excited about Nick joining our squad."
Jannis Schmidt
Hometown: Gensingen, Germany
Club Team: Wehen Wiesbaden
Harwat on Schmidt:
"Jannis has been playing in a youth Bundesliga setup his entire youth career. He is technical box-to-box central midfield player that has the ability to help create in the final third. We feel his energy and soccer IQ will help our team from day one."