DETROIT (3/8/2018) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team and head coach
Nicholas Deren '99 have officially announced an eight-member 2018 signing class. All eight student-athletes are set to join the Titans later this summer prior to the 2018 campaign.
Signing with the Titans are
Jason Blackwell (Wilmington, Del. / Salesianum),
Bennett Brooks (Plymouth, Mich. / Plymouth),
Dylan Fillwock (Niles, Mich. / Ancilla College),
Dominic Gatson (Novi, Mich. / Novi),
Ryan Halloran (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Kalamazoo Central),
Evan Mazurek (Wyandotte, Mich. / Divine Child),
Jordan Norfolk (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Royal Oak Shrine) and
Joel Van Hook (Canton, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central).
"Every single player in this recruiting class has qualities on the field and off the field that fits our program and our culture," Deren, entering his ninth full season as the Titans' head coach, said. "The definition of the group is a very impactful group. They will impact this team immediately, whether it be some of the guys on the training field and getting better. There's a lot of flexibility when you have a group like this coming in that are all proper soccer players."
Seven of the eight are from various parts of Michigan, while Blackwell is the first signing from the state of Delaware in Deren's tenure. Like the past several seasons, the class is versatile with many different positions on the field represented. Take a look at the signings:
Jason Blackwell
Position: Forward
Hometown: Wilmington, Del.
High School: Salesianum School
Accolades: Played four years of soccer for the Sals and coach Scott Mosier ... 2016 Gatorade Delaware Player of the Year ... A three-time Division I state champion with the Sals ... Tallied a goal and an assist in 2-0 win in the state title game as a senior, with team finishing 16-1-1 and ranked No. 6 nationally in the final USA Today/NSCAA Super 25 rankings ... Earned 2016 NSCAA Fall National All-American honors ... Scored 19 goals in 18 games during his senior season ... Played club soccer with Delaware Rush for eight years.
Coach Deren on Blackwell: "He's the first kid we've ever had from Delaware. He was coached by a good friend of mine in Delaware for the Delaware Rush. He fancies himself as an attacking center-midfielder, but I have him coming in as a center forward. When I saw him at the Disney Showcase, he banged in some of the greatest goals I've seen in a long time. He knows where the goal is and he's probably technically the cleanest player that we are bringing in. His feet are amazing. He plays one-touch, two-touch and he knows how to put balls in the goal. He knows how to score with his head and on the ground, he knows what runs to make, he can do it all in and around the goal. I see him as a striker."
Bennett Brooks
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Plymouth, Mich.
High School: Plymouth
Accolades: A four-year letter-winner and starter for the Wildcats and coaches Jeff Neschich and Glenn Liguori ... Two-time Division 1 All-State, including First Team honors in 2017 and Second Team in 2016 ... Four-time All-League and All-Region ... EMU Gatorade MVP in 2017 ... Ranked No. 4 player individually in state as a senior by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association ... Played club soccer with Plymouth Reign (2011-17) and Michigan Jaguars (2017-18) ... Part of Olympic Development Program State Team (2014-16) ... His grandpa, Dr. William Clauss, graduated from the University in 1942.
Coach Deren on Brooks: "He's a box-to-box midfielder, extremely fit and athletic and very technical on the ball. He's a perfect link man in the midfield. He connects passes and opens up the whole field. I'm very excited to have Bennett Brooks as part of our program because I think he has a very bright future and one that will get him on the field immediately in our program."
Dylan Fillwock
Position: Defense
Hometown: Niles, Mich.
High School / Last School: Niles / Ancilla College
Accolades: A four-year letter-winner for the Vikings and coach Danny Rodts, graduating in 2016 ... Played two seasons at Ancilla College in Indiana, earning All-Regional Team honors both seasons, First Team All-Conference accolades and First Team All-MCCAA laurels in 2017 as well as Region XII All-Tournament Team honors in 2017 ... Scored four goals with six assists at Ancilla, helping squad to 27-8-1 record in two seasons and NJCAA National Championship Tournament semifinal appearance in 2016 ... Three-time All-Conference in high school, including First Team as a senior ... First Team All-District in 2015 as a senior ... At Niles, tallied nine goals and 12 assists ... Played club soccer with Junior Irish (two years) and Indiana Invaders (one year).
Coach Deren on Fillwock: "He's a junior college transfer from Ancilla, who had a lot of success there. He can play as a wide back or central back or as a holding midfielder. He's big and strong and great in the air and he's got good feet as well and can hit a 60-yard ball. He will have an immediate impact in our lineup, with his athleticism. He reminds me of a few players like Jason Leslie, even with the grit and determination like Jake Prud'homme, he has that too. He's just like those guys. He will have some success here as well."
Dominic Gatson
Position: Midfield / Defense
Hometown: Novi, Mich.
High School: Novi
Accolades: A two-year letter-winner for the Wildcats and coach Todd Phieffer ... Earned Division 1 All-State Honorable Mention laurels as a senior and Third Team All-State accolades as a junior ... Two-time First Team All-Region and All-District ... Part of squad that earned district and regional championships in 2017 ... Played club soccer for 10 years with the Michigan Jaguars and was part of team that was 2014 & 2015 State Cup champions, 2017 regional champions, 2017 national semi-finalists and 2016 State Cup finalists.
Coach Deren on Gatson: "He comes from the Jags club and is probably the most athletic player in the class. He's a wide midfielder and he plays wide back for his club teams and whips in some of the hardest crosses with curls and dip and pace that I've seen in a long time here. He's made to play wing back as one of those right wing backs that can get up and down the field. He's extremely fit and fast and good in the tackle because he's a defender by trade."
Ryan Halloran
Position: Defense
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Mich.
High School: Kalamazoo Central
Accolades: A four-year letter-winner for the Maroon Giants and coach Samir Sandhu ... Played four sports in high school, also lettering in track and field (four years), football (two years) and basketball (one year) ... Four-time First Team All-Conference in soccer, three-time All-District honoree and Third Team Division 1 All-State as a senior ... Three-time Team MVP (2015-17) ... Captain's Club and Citizenship Award, helping lead team to two district semifinal appearances ... Named First Team All-Conference and Special Teams MVP in football ... Season highs were 10 goals and 10 assists ... Started all but one game during four-year career ... Played club soccer for Kalamazoo Kingdom for two years, playing on squad that was 2016 Super Y National Champions, 2017 State Cup champions and ranked No. 1 in the state of Michigan.
Coach Deren on Halloran: "Ryan Halloran is about a 6-foot-4 center back who played for the state championship Kalamazoo Kingdom team last year. He's a multi-sport athlete at Kalamazoo Central and he's big time. This guy will come in and play immediately. He has a throw it about 50 yards on a rope. We will always have a chance to attack with that throw in when we get over midfield. I watched him play a year and a half ago and from then until where he is at now, playing as a very good player on a very good Kalamzoo Kingdom team, I expect him to come in and start and get in our lineup right away. He's fit and strong and long and he's very good on the ball. I think he's one of these kids that is only going up."
Evan Mazurek
Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Wyandotte, Mich.
High School: Dearborn Divine Child
Accolades: A four-year varsity letter-winner for the Falcons and coach Dean Kowalski ... Earned Division 2 First Team All-State honors as a senior and was Second Team All-State in 2016 ... Two-time captain ... Part of Division 2 state runner-up squad in 2016 ... Holds school records in shutouts, wins and saves ... Played club soccer with Michigan Jaguars, reaching state finals in 2017 ... Has an aunt who graduated from the University.
Coach Deren on Mazurek: "Evan should fit in perfectly. He's very similar to
Robbie Beckwell. Same size as Rob. He claims the high balls. He can come and get everything. But he's also technically probably the cleanest goalkeeper I've ever seen. He has very good technique. Evan's a Divine Child kid, so it's nice to have another Catholic kid coming in and fits our motto and mold and what we're trying to do with the team."
Jordan Norfolk
Position: Forward
Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
High School: Royal Oak Shrine
Accolades: Four-year letter-winner for the Knights and coach Mark Soma ... Two-time First Team All-State honoree in Division 4 and Second Team All-State as a sophomore ... Three-time All-Region, All-District, All-Catholic League ... Totaled 60-plus goals in high school career and 30-plus in one season ... Played club soccer with Force FC and Liverpool International Academy ... His cousin is former Penn State and current Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson ... Three family members, including mom and dad, graduated from University.
Coach Deren on Norfolk: "He's a Shrine kid, first one I've signed from there. Both his parents graduated from here, it seems like a perfect fit. He's a forward, about 6-1, extremely athletic. He was banging in goals in the Catholic League, he's very good at doing that. He's playing for a Liverpool club right now and doing really well there as well. We expect him to come in and contribute in his first year."
Joel Van Hook
Position: Midfield / Defense
Hometown: Canton, Mich.
High School: Detroit Catholic Central
Accolades: Three-year varsity letter-winner for the Shamrocks and coach Gene Pulice ... Won 2017 Division 1 state championship and earned back-to-back Catholic League championships in 2016-17 ... 2017 state title team went 21-2-4 ... Also three-time regional champions from 2015-17 ... Scored 18 goals across the final three seasons of high school, including nine goals as a senior ... Played club soccer for the Michigan Jaguars and part of team that was state finalists in 2017 ... Both parents graduated from the University.
Coach Deren on Van Hook: "He won a state championship this year so he has that winning mentality. Van Hook has a lot of different aspects that he brings to the game. He's about six-feet but strong and extremely quick. He's very dynamic. He fits in many different places (on the field), so he's a very versatile soccer player. Anywhere that he can get on the field, he will help us because of his athleticism."
The Titans enter their 31st season this fall and ninth with coach Deren at the helm. Detroit Mercy went 7-8-4 this past season, reaching the semifinals of the Horizon League Championship.
