BENNINGTON, Vt. – Head Coach Tim Penrod is pleased to announce the addition of nine new student-athletes to the Southern Vermont College men's soccer team.  The group consists of players from five different states and from as far away as Southern California.  Six of the players are true freshmen, while one is a transfer from a 4-year institution and two are from 2-year junior college programs.

Looking to continue the trend in strong goalkeeping from recent years, local prospect Christopher Dunham (Valley Falls, N.Y./Grace Christian Academy) joins the Mountaineers, looking to push returning-sophomore Brendan Shea for the starting spot this fall.  "Chris is a tremendous competitor," said Coach Penrod.  "He has been incredibly fortunate to work with one of the best goalkeeper coaches around (Bernie Watt), and he truly wants to play at a high level day in and day out."

The team will take on a very new look defensively with the graduation of starting center back Greg Gilmore and the positional change from defense to midfield for senior Chris Hansen.  Brian McSweeney (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham HS/Appian Soccer Club), James Tschinkel (Freehold, N.Y./Greenville HS/Bethlehem Soccer Club), Brian Mason (Belvedere, N.J./Belvedere HS) and Sean Deegan (Seymour, Conn./University of Connecticut – Danbury) bring in a great deal of quality as well as depth.  "Brian McSweeney was a starter on a state tournament team, James played in an incredibly competitive league and was a senior all-star, Bryan Mason is one of our most athletic incoming guys, and Sean can run down just about anyone he will play against over the next four years," Penrod noted.  "This group, even as younger players, will make significant contributions this fall.  I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with them as we push to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year."

Moving in to the midfield, the Mountaineers have big shoes to fill with the loss of seniors Noah Massucci, Brett Clatworthy, and 3-year captain Sean Moore.  "While we will be moving some players around positionally, we have three solid players who will be coming in to pick up where we left off last season," says Penrod.  Tyler Hickey (Troy, N.Y./Lansingburgh HS), Jorge Cuevas (Chula Vista, Calif./Southwestern  CC) and Ruben Olivares (Pico Rivera, Calif./ELACC) will all compete for starting time as newcomers to the program.  "Tyler is a very calm, dependable, and efficient player.  He knows when to play simple and rarely tries to do too much on the ball, which is rare in younger, more skilled players," stated Penrod.  "Jorge is lightning quick and can honestly play anywhere on the field, including in goal.  He plays much bigger than he is and will be a huge asset to our program over his time here.  Ruben is one of the most technically gifted players I have ever seen.  His first touch is impeccable, and his vision will be a huge asset in the middle of the field for us this year."

Finally, the lone true forward coming in for the Mountaineers is Seamus Landers (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham HS/Appian Socer Club).  Landers will look to help fill the void left by the graduation of standout Nick Haggerty, SVC's leading scorer the last four seasons.  Coach Penrod said of Seamus, "[he] is very athletic and accomplished with the ball at his feet.  He has a great attitude and is someone that I think will become a true leader very quickly in our program.  Even better, he has familiarity with Brian (McSweeney), as they played their high school and club ball together."

"Overall, I am quite pleased with this class," declared Penrod.  "From top to bottom, it is very consistent, and I think this group is made up of exactly the type of kids we need to continue the success we have enjoyed the past three seasons.  I'm really looking forward to the start of pre-season and starting to shape the group into the cohesive unit that our fans have come to enjoy watching."

In 2011, the Mountaineers finished as the regular season New England Collegiate Conference Champions and Tournament Runners-up with an overall record of 12-6-1.  They were invited to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference New England Tournament for the first time in school history.  The 2011 season marked the third consecutive year the program made the postseason, as well as the second consecutive year making the conference finals.  The 2012 season kicks off on the road on August 31 at Bard College (7 p.m.), before the team's home opener on September 2 against Salve Regina University at 3 p.m.

Incoming Class (Alphabetical,) Hometown, and Major

Jorge Cuevas – Chula Vista, Calif. – Criminal Justice
Sean Deegan – Seymour, Conn. – History and Politics
Christopher Dunham – Valley Falls, N.Y. – Business Administration/Sports Management
Tyler Hickey – Troy, N.Y. – Communications
Seamus Landers – Stoneham, Mass. – History and Politics
Bryan Mason – Belvedere, N.J. – Business Administration
Brian McSweeney – Stoneham, Mass. – History and Politics
Ruben Olivares – Pico Rivera, Calif. – Business Administration
James Tschinkel – Freehold, N.Y. – Criminal Justice