Northern Kentucky University Athletics

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University men's soccer coach John Basalyga announced his signing class for 2012 today.  Fifteen players will join the Norse in the team's first season of NCAA Division I play.

NKU finished the 2011 season with a 14-5 record and advanced to the NCAA Midwest Region championship game for the fifth time in six years.  Next year, the Norse will compete as full members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

-- Collin Brent, a 2012 graduate of Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, Va., is a three-time All-Beach district honoree with the Eagles.  Brent helped the team to a spot in the district semifinals last year, scoring five goals and adding six assists as a forward and outside midfielder.

-- Gavin Colton, a 2012 graduate of Confey Community College in Leixlip, Ireland, was named the 2010 player of the year for the Confey team as a midfielder and defender.  Colton played his club soccer with University College Dublin AFC, scoring two goals and adding nine assists over the past two seasons with the team in the Airtricity League Premiere Division.

-- Sean Cooney, a 2012 graduate of Covington (Ky.) Catholic High School, was an offensive firecracker for the Colonials over the past two seasons, amassing 37 goals and 41 assists and leading the team to an appearance in the 10th Region championship game last year.  Cooney was named all-state last season and earned all-region and all-district honors in each of the last two seasons.

-- Lucas Edelen, a 2012 graduate of Boyle County (Ky.) High School, served as a stalwart defender for the Rebels during his four years, helping the team to an appearance in the state semifinals during his freshman year.  Last season as the team's captain, Edelen collected 14 assists from the back row and took all-conference honors in the process.  Successful on the field and in the classroom, Edelen is a four-time Academic All-State honoree as well.

-- Jacob Frank, a 2012 graduate of Evansville (Ind.) North High School, scored 13 goals and added 16 assists in 19 games during his senior campaign, leading the Huskies to an 11-6-2 record and a spot in the sectional finals.  He was named all-city and all-conference after his senior season, as well as the Huskies' Offensive Player of the Year.

-- Christian Johnson, a 2010 graduate of Fairfield (Ohio) High School, transfers to NKU after two seasons at Cincinnati State, where he helped the Surge to a 16-5 record last season and led a defensive unit that allowed just 16 goals in 21 games.

-- Austin Juniet, a 2012 graduate of Newport (Ky.) Central Catholic High School, was a four-year starter and the first Thoroughbred ever named the team's captain as a junior.  Juniet is a two-time All-State honoree, a Kentucky Enquirer Player of the Year in 2011 and holds NewCath school records for career goals (75), career points (192), goals in a season (29) and assists in a season (21).

-- Danny Laird, a 2012 graduate of Floyd Central High School in Greenville, Ind., was a masterful distributor from the back row for the Highlanders, totaling 21 assists over his last two seasons to go with eight goals.  Laird earned all-conference and all-area awards over each of the last two seasons.

-- Austin Pierce, a 2011 graduate of Archbishop McNicholas High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, transfers to NKU after spending last season at Slippery Rock University.  Pierce saw action in all 17 games last season, starting four, and scored three goals for The Rock, including the game-winner in a 3-1 win over Gannon.  In high school, Pierce was a four-time All-Greater Catholic League honoree andtwice was named All-Southwest Ohio.

-- Raymond Roberts, a 2012 graduate of Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, was a two-time Greater Catholic League selection with the Crusaders, scoring 25 goals and adding 15 assists over his four-year prep career.  Roberts helped the Crusaders to a regional semifinal appearance in 2009.

-- Brian Runyon, a 2012 graduate of Parkersburg (W.Va.) High School, scored 120 goals during his prep career with the Indians, including a single-season record of 49 during his junior year.  Runyon was named to the ESPN RISE watch list in each of the last two years and was twice named the West Virginia Coaches Association Player of the Year.  He is a three-time all-state honoree, and was the only sophomore elected to the team in the 2009 season.

-- Colyn Seikman, a 2012 graduate of Conner High School in Hebron, Ky., scored 35 goals and added 26 assists during his four-year prep career with the Cougars.  Seikman was twice named the team's offensive player of the year and is a four-time all-region performer.  Seikman also served as the captain of his club team at Kings Soccer Academy in Wilder, Ky. for the past four seasons.

-- Nick Toney, a 2012 graduate of Little Miami High School in Morrow, Ohio, scored 37 goals and had 27 assists during his four-year prep career with the Panthers.  Toney was twice named to the All-Fort Ancient Valley Conference teams during his career.

-- Kevin Walker, a 2012 graduate of Colerain High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, was a two-time All-Greater Miami Conference and two-time Enquirer All-Star forward and attacking midfielder for the Cardinals, netting 21 goals and adding nine assists over the last two seasons.

-- Justin Wolstenholme, a 2011 graduate of The Hills Grammar School in Sydney, Australia, transfers to NKU after a redshirt season at Cincinnati.  Wolstenholme scored 82 goals and added 43 assists as a part of various club teams including the Sutherland Sharks, which he helped to reach the championship Grand Final of the New South Wales Grade-18 Premier League in 2010.

The 2012 NKU soccer season will begin in August.