Four more added to 2016 men’s soccer recruiting class

After locking up three new players for the 2016 season in December, University of Evansville head coach Marshall Ray announced the addition of four more for his second campaign at the helm of the men’s soccer program.

“We are pleased to announce four more members of our 2016 class,” Ray said. “Coach Henry and the rest of our staff have worked tirelessly to bring in student-athletes who will help the continued development of this program.”

The signing class features yet another Danish product in Simon Waever as well as Ben Weber of Weldon Springs, Mo., Atlanta native Nicky Kodua and Jasper’s Caleb Williams.

Waever, who starred for Lyngby BK of the U19 Danish Superliga, was a regular starter for one of the nation’s top clubs, and he’ll be joining fellow Dane Frederik Reimer in the 2016 class. Currently, the defender in his final season with Lyngby has been involved in 19% of the team’s goals and earned a senior team call-up against Aalborg in the Danish Cup last fall. He was also a member of the International Carlsberg Sport Cup-winning side in 2015.

Scholastically, Waever graduated first in his class and was the MVP and captain for Skovlyskolen twice, setting a program record for the most wins while captaining a side at Denmarks’s largest school tournament.

“Simon is an athletic defender who has the ability to get forward out of the back,” Ray explained. “We expect Simon to add a level of maturity to our young group due to his development at Lyngby and Skovlyskolen. Coach Henry identified Simon early in the process and was able to track his season with Lyngby, while developing a relationship with his family. Simon fits the mold of a Purple Aces student athlete.”

Kodua comes to Evansville after an impressive club career with United Futbol Academy in Norcross, Ga. and Georgia United of the United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA).  Some of his many highlights during his club career included the 2013 Disney title as well as runner-up finishes in both 2014 and 2015. He was also heavily involved in the Georgia Olympic Development Program, earning a trip to the U.S. National Training Center as well as playing and training with academy sides from Stoke City, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Manchester City and West Ham United.

“Nicky is a technically sound defender who will add depth to our team and push for time across our back line or in midfield,” Ray said. “He could also be used up front, and he has been on a scoring run for his high school team in the last couple of weeks. Nicky is the type of player who enjoys the game and wants to compete every chance he gets. He will improve our training environment and helps us on match day.”

Weber, who starred for both St. Louis Scott Gallagher Academy from the USSDA and Chaminade College Prep, also put together a decorated career. During his club playing days, he helped his team to the playoffs twice, upending an academy side from the New York Red Bulls organization before transitioning into playing high school soccer. An All-Catholic Conference first-teamer, Weber only played one season with Chaminade, and it was a memorable campaign as he helped the school to a national top-10 ranking, finishing as the school’s leading scorer with 18 goals.

“Ben continues a long line of players from the St. Louis metropolitan area,” Ray said. “He attended our Winter ID camp where he made an impression on our coaching staff.  Coach Henry has been following Ben’s progression as a player since his time on the SLSG coaching staff. Ben is a target forward who is very clean with the ball in tight areas and has a heavy shot. He can also operate from a wide position up top.”

Williams, who is slated to become another in a long tradition of local products to play at UE, was a two-time all-state honoree for Jasper High School, scoring a career-best 47 goals to go along with 20 assists. He also played for Ray at Evansville Soccer Club, competing in multiple state cup championships in the process.

“Caleb is a player I wanted to join our program after his impressive high school career at Jasper, and I am happy he choose to pursue his dream of playing Division I soccer this spring,” Ray said. “Caleb is a crafty attacking player who can play anywhere in an advanced role.  He sees the game early and has the ability to get himself and his teammates forward.  Only time will tell if he can make an impact with us, but it has been a productive spring for him.”

“Each one of these student-athletes will add to our program and most importantly they will be great additions to our campus community,” Ray continued. “It is my hope and the hope of our staff that we are recruiting players who have a vision focused on the big picture of college athletics. We want to compete with the best in the country while providing our players the opportunity to better themselves in preparation for their lives after college.”

While the four signees will step on campus during the fall, fans will still have a chance to catch the Aces this week when they conclude the 2016 spring campaign on Thursday in a Mayor’s Cup showdown with USI at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.