Men's Soccer: News Archives

UGF Men's Soccer vs. Wenatchee Valley CC (Great Falls,MT): August 24, 2007: 5-1 LOSS

UGF Men's Soccer vs. Western Wyoming CC (Great Falls,MT): August 24, 2007: 3-2 Win (Sudden Victory)

UGF Men's Soccer @ Corban College (Salem, OR): August 21, 2007: Box Score

UGF Men's Soccer @ Evergreen State (Olympia, WA): August 20, 2007: Box Score

Argos Announce the Hiring of Inaugural Men’s Soccer Coach

GREAT FALLS, MT (Thursday, April 5, 2007) — The University of Great Falls announced back in February that they were going to introduce men’s soccer to the Argo sports lineup for the fall. Until now, there has been only one four-year college in Montana that has offered men’s collegiate soccer in the state; MSU-Billings has the only other program. UGF has fielded a women’s soccer program for the last two years.

The University of Great Falls has announced their first soccer coach for their inaugural season in Great Falls. Tim Brooks has been hired as the men’s soccer coach. Brooks has been an assistant the past three years at the University of Cumberlands (Williamsburg, Kentucky).

“Coach Brooks has a proven track record as both a competitor and coach. He cares deeply about his team’s success and also being a role model for the young men he oversees,” said UGF Athletic Director Eric Van Kley.

While Brooks was an assistant the past three years, the University of Cumberland Patriots has compiled a 45-15-3 record and has developed into a regional and national powerhouse.

Brooks was a fine player in high school and at the college level. In high school, he was selected to represent the United States on the Under-17 national team. He began college at NCAA Division 1 Oral Roberts but later transferred to NAIA’s University of Cumberlands, where he earned second team All-American honors.

Brooks and his wife Misty have one daughter, Faith, who is four months old.

By: Kevin Scott

UGF’s new soccer coach Brooks signs first soccer recruits to the program

GREAT FALLS, MT (Wednesday, May 9, 2007) — The University of Great Falls men’s soccer coach Tim Brooks has signed his first four recruits of the inaugural men’s soccer program that will begin play this fall. The four new recruits are all from C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls, Montana and played for coach Rob Zimmerman’s successful program. The Rustlers finished second at the State Class AA tournament in 2005.

Josh Harris will be graduating from C.M.R. in June and plans to major in either business or criminal justice while attending the University of Great Falls. In his sophomore year in high school, he was an eagle scout. He played soccer for two years in high school playing both as a forward and a right midfielder.

Eric Fruge played all four years with the Rustlers and he was a starter for three and played as a midfielder. During the 2006-2007 soccer season, he earned All-Conference honors and he also played on the Olympic Developmental soccer program. While at UGF, Eric plans on pursuing a criminal justice degree. In 2006, he was also the only Great Falls student who was selected to participate in the Junior Police Academy. After college, Eric would like to pursue a career as a police officer or as an FBI agent.

Daniel Evans will also join the inaugural men’s soccer team at the University of Great Falls this year.  He was a forward and midfielder for C.M.R. Daniel also played for the C.M.R. Rustler soccer team and he plans to pursue a business management degree at UGF. In 2006, he played on the Montana All-State Soccer team and was also the recipient of the “Rustle Hustle” award that year.

Michael David will also be joining new coach Tim Brooks’ Argo soccer team for the 2007-2008 school year. Michael played all four years of high school soccer for C.M.R. playing  as a midfielder. He also was a member of two state championships on his soccer traveling team in 2004 and 2005. In the classroom, he was a “Who’s Who Among American High School Students in 2005 and plans to major in Business Management this fall at UGF and possibly a master’s degree too. David also volunteers with the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of America.

“I am excited to announce the first four signings of the Argonaut Men’s Soccer Program. I am pleased to offer an opportunity for our local talent to stay in the Great Falls community. Eric, Dan, Josh, and Michael all possess qualities that will contribute to getting our fledging program off the ground,” stated UGF coach Tim Brooks who was hired in April to start the men’s soccer program.

By: Kevin Scott

Idaho Product Signs with Argo Soccer Team

GREAT FALLS, MT (Monday, May 21, 2007) — The University of Great Falls men’s soccer coach Tim Brooks has announced his fifth soccer recruit that will join the Argos for the upcoming 2007-2008 inaugural season.

Jeremy Bevacqua has signed a Frontier Conference/NAIA letter of intent to join the UGF team this fall. He played two years on the varsity at Twin Falls High School in Twin Falls Idaho. While in high school, he was a member of the Twin Falls High School Finance Academy and a member of the Business Professionals of America for three years. As a freshman, Jeremy was nominated to go to Washington D.C. as part of the Congressional Student Leadership Conference.

“Jeremy is a solid goalkeeper and will compete for a starting spot this fall. He is a goal oriented young man and will be a great addition to our team. I have high hopes for him in the classroom as well as on the field,” said coach Brooks.

Bevacqua would like to obtain a degree in Accounting and obtain his CPA.

By: Kevin Scott

Capital’s Kozak to join UGF Inaugural Soccer Program

GREAT FALLS, MT (Friday, May 25, 2007) — The University of Great Falls men’s soccer coach Tim Brooks has announced his second soccer recruit this week that will join the inaugural soccer team this fall.

Zach Kozak, who is from Helena Capital High School in Helena, Montana, has signed a Frontier Conference/ NAIA letter of intent to join the Argos this fall. While at Capital High, Kozak was a starter and team captain for the Bruins soccer team that claimed third place honors at the 2007 State AA Soccer Championships this year. He was also selected to this year’s All-Conference team. Zach played as a midfielder and forward in high school.

Patrick Straub, Kozak’s high school soccer coach at Capital High, said “Zach was a huge part of the success of the Capital High men’s soccer program the past several years. It is great to see that Zach will stay in Montana. UGF should be very excited to have a player, and a person, of Zach’s caliber. As a coach, Zach is the ideal player – hard working, creative, and is a high class person.”

His other accomplishments include playing on the Olympic Development Program for five years where he traveled all over the U.S. playing in places such as Las Vegas, Oregon, Salt Lake City, Utah and San Diego, California.

“I am excited to have Zach join our program here at UGF. He will bring a great deal of enthusiasm to the table and will stand out as one of the hardest workers on the team. Academically and athletically, he is a great fit for the University of Great Falls,” said coach Tim Brooks.

By: Kevin Scott

New Hampshire soccer standout signs with inaugural team

GREAT FALLS, MT (Monday, June 4, 2007) — The University of Great Falls men’s soccer coach Tim Brooks has announced the signing of an athlete from Walpole, New Hampshire to an NAIA letter of intent.

Keirin Carroll grew up playing soccer and has played both the right and center fullback positions. He plans to study criminal justice while at the University of Great Falls and is interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. His family is moving to Montana to be closer to him and his sister, who is also enrolled at a college in Montana.

“Keirin will most likely be a defender for our team. He possesses a great attitude and a strong work ethic. Not only will Keirin help our team, but he will also be a great member of the UGF community,” said Argo coach Tim Brooks.

By: Kevin Scott

Four Argo soccer recruits chosen to play in this year’s Shodair Soccer Classic

HELENA, MT (Tuesday, June 12, 2007) — Three recent men’s soccer recruits and one women’s UGF soccer recruit have been invited to play in the annual Shodair Soccer Classic all-star game that will be held on Saturday, July 28 at Carroll College’s Nelson Stadium. Game times will be announced at a later date for both the boy’s and girl’s matches.

The four University of Great Falls soccer recruits invited to play include C.M.R.’s Dan Evans and Eric Fruge as well as Helena Capital’s Zach Kozak on the boy’s side and Amanda Haynes from Butte High on the girl’s side. Evans, Fruge and Kozak will be playing on the inaugural men’s Argo soccer team this year coached by Tim Brooks while Amanda Haynes will be competing on Jamie Rizzuto’s Lady Argo team this fall.

Players were chosen based upon their soccer abilities and academic skills. The players will arrive in Helena on Wednesday, July 25th for practice. In conjunction with the games, there will be a free soccer clinic on July 27 for players ages 5-12.

The game benefits the Shodair Children’s Hospital.

By: Kevin Scott

Argo men’s soccer team adds four more to roster

 GREAT FALLS, MT (Monday, June 18, 2007) —The University of Great Falls men’s soccer coach Tim Brooks has announced the signing of four more student-athletes to NAIA letters of intent.

Zev Vantrees comes to UGF from Galena High School in Reno, Nevada. He was a member of the Grizzlies soccer team and helped his high school win league titles in both years that he was a starter. Zev also helped lead the Strikers, the top team in Northern Nevada, to win tournament titles in Oregon and Nevada. In his final season, he was named team MVP.

In his spare time, he is an avid snowboarder, soccer referee and he also plays the cello and the guitar. He plans to study business administration and prepare for a career in physical therapy. His family is very excited about his opportunity here at the University of Great Falls.

“Zev has played competitive soccer in Nevada at a very high level for many years. His experience and vision on the field will help to make the players around him much stronger, enhancing our overall program at UGF," said Brooks.

Nick Fox joins the Argos soccer team from Helena High School in Helena, Montana. While in high school, he was a member of two state high school championship teams in 2003 and 2004. In his senior year, he was selected as MVP of the Bengals’ soccer team and was also selected to participate in the Shodair Classic All-Star game. He is a 2004 high school graduate and previously attended North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on a soccer scholarship for two years. Nick plans to major in elementary education at the University of Great Falls.

"Nick has a strong playing background and is very respected as a player. From the start, he will provide leadership for the Argos both on and off the field,” said the UGF soccer coach.

Colton Hoffman will also be joining Tim Brooks’ first year soccer team at the University of Great Falls. He is a 2007 graduate of Twin Falls High School in Twin Falls, Idaho where he played three years of soccer for them. Colton was named to the Class 5A Region 4-5-6 All-Conference second team as a Defender in his senior year. He also was an honor roll student and he also assisted in teaching soccer at the school’s “After School” mentor program for grade school children.

“I am excited to announce the signing of Colton Hoffman to the Argonaut men’s soccer program. Colton is a young man that has a strong desire to succeed in life. He has a winning attitude and a strong passion to play the game. Colton will step in and be an immediate impact,” said Brooks.

Brooks also announced that Ulyses Maciel from San Jose, California will be joining team for the upcoming 2007 season. “Ulyses is an individual willing to do anything for the team. Ulyses brings versatility to the program. I am happy to have him being apart of this program,” said coach Brooks.

By: Kevin Scott

Coach Brooks adds more student-athletes to the men’s soccer team

GREAT FALLS, MT (Thursday, June 28, 2007) — The University of Great Falls men’s soccer coach Tim Brooks has announced six more recruits to this fall’s inaugural men’s soccer team.

Robby Ekins of Hunting Beach, California has signed an NAIA letter of intent to join the University of Great Falls men’s soccer team this fall from Huntington Beach, California. He was named team MVP in his junior season and he got his first start as goalkeeper in his senior year and led his team to a perfect 7-0 record and an appearance in the Southern California soccer championship game. Unfortunately, Robby suffered a broken wrist but he was honored to be invited to the North vs. South All-Star game. He continued his collegiate career for the past two years at Golden West Junior College in Huntington Beach where he was a team captain.

Josh Cason comes to Great Falls from Pahrump Valley High School in Pahrump, Nevada, which is about 60 miles west of Las Vegas. He played all four years of high school soccer as a goalkeeper including three on the varsity team. “I am very excited to be playing soccer for the University of Great Falls. I am the kind of person who is hard working and I have a good knowledge of the game,” said Cason.

Chris Worthen is from Bonney Lake, Washington and attended Bonney Lake High School where he was team captain in 2006-2007. He was also the recipient of the “Coaches Award” for leading his team to overall success. He was also named the 2006 March Athlete of the Month by the Tacoma Athletic Commission.

Three student athletes will also be joining the Argos from Long Beach City College in California.

Assion Locoh-Adamagan played for four years at Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, California and played one year at Long Beach City College. He was born in the Western African country of Togo; raised in Lyon (France) and moved to the U.S. when he was an 8th grader. His college coach at LBCC, Patrick Noyes, said that he is “very athletic, strong and fast and tough to beat on the dribble and has a real bite as a defender.”

Santiago Bussato was a Second Team All-Conference selection at LBCC as a freshman and led the team in assists as a sophomore. "He is very crafty true left midfielder with excellent technical skills and has a natural ability to beat players on the dribble and find his targets,” said Noyes.

Ivan Valencia was also a Second Team All-Conference selection in 2005 and 2006. He was a Defensive Midfielder in his freshman year before moving over to Left back. Ivan is very physically strong and technically sound.

Each of these players helped LBCC finish as the 12th ranked Junior college team in the nation last year and 4th ranked in California. They were also conference champions with an 11-1-2 record and reached the second round of the Southern California regional playoffs.

“Recruiting has been very promising thus far. I am extremely pleased with the student-athletes we have signed in the few months that the program has been established," said UGF Coach Brooks. "These additional six players are one more important step in the building of our program’s success for the future. Through these signings we were able to add more depth in the goalkeeping position and quality players in the field. These young men will bring winning attitudes and a willingness to help the team be successful.”

By: Kevin Scott

Montana and Oregon Standouts to join the Argo Men’s Soccer program

GREAT FALLS, MT (Wednesday, July 25, 2007) — The University of Great Falls men’s soccer coach Tim Brooks has announced two more recruits to this year’s inaugural men’s soccer team.

Neil Young comes to Great Falls from Libby High School in Libby, Montana has signed an NAIA letter of intent to join the University of Great Falls men’s soccer team this fall. He played all four years of soccer for the Loggers where he was Co-Captain for two years. He was also the team’s Offensive MVP and earned All-Conference honors twice. Neil has participated at the Kootenai Spring Soccer League for five years and led his team to the Montana Cup three times. While in high school, he also participated in track, basketball, and tennis and also took part in the Close-Up program in Washington, D.C. During the summer, he has worked as a firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service.

Tim Hohnbaum comes to Great Falls from Sherwood High School in Sherwood, Oregon where he played soccer all four years and was the team captain in his senior season. Tim also captured Second Team All-State honors this past season. He has also played club soccer for the past four years and helped his team win several championships. 

“I am pleased to have Neil and Tim join our team. They are both great examples of what we are trying to accomplish here through our program," said UGF Coach Brooks. "With integrity and outstanding character, I expect an immediate impact from both of them.”

By: Kevin Scott

UGF adds Men's Soccer starting this fall

Great Falls, MT(Thursday, February 22, 2007) - The University of Great Falls Athletic Department continues to grow as on Thursday they announced plans to add another sport, men's soccer to the lineup beginning next season. UGF already has men's/women's basketball, women's volleyball, women's/men's golf, wrestling, men's/women's cross country, women's softball, and women's soccer and now they plan to add men's soccer with competition beginning in the Fall of 2007, according to a UGF press release. The school also hopes to coduct a limited track and field program this spring.

Soccer is very popular and is growing rapidly in Montana as all of the Class AA schools have teams as well as some of the smaller schools. There is also an increase in youth and club programs around Montana. Currently, there is only one other Montana college (MSU-Billings) that offers men's soccer in the state so the male-athletes seeking to play collegiate soccer is limited. The University of Great Falls see a unique opportunity to expand its athletic programs with quality student athletes.

UGF expects an additional 20 student-athletes that will compete in men's soccer by this fall.

By: Kevin Scott