BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University men's soccer head coach Greg Brisbon has announced the addition of eight players to the program that completes the Vikings recruiting class for the 2020 season.

 

The defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions will have 10 new players, with the latest crop of incoming players including four midfielders, two defenders, one forward and one goalkeeper. The incoming group is comprised of three freshman, a pair of junior college players, one NCAA Division I transfer and a transfers from each NCAA Division II and the NAIA level.

 

The eight player additions join forward Eric Bunnell and midfielder Kaydin Wall that were announced as program signees in November 2019. These 10 new players are scheduled to join the Vikings when athletic competition resumes in August or September 2020.

 

"This is a well-balanced class that we are excited to add to our program," said Brisbon, the 2019 GNAC Coach of the Year. "We are looking forward to getting ready for the season."

 

The 2020 WWU Men's Soccer Recruiting Class is comprised of the following 10 players:

 

 

De La Luz is a 5-11 forward that joins the program after a standout career at Tacoma Community College. He previously prepped at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma and is a product of Washington Premier. De La Luz led the Northwest Athletic Conference with 45 points in 19 games for TCC in 2019, scoring 17 goals and adding 11 assists. In two seasons with TCC, De La Luz scored 23 goals and helped lead the Titans to a 37-2-3 record. He was selected to the NWAC All-Star Team in 2019 and the 2A SPSL Mountain Division MVP at Franklin Pierce.

 

"What excites me about joining the WWU men's soccer program is continuing my soccer career with a team that has a long-term goal of winning. This in addition to staying in my home state while pursuing a degree at a great university," said De La Luz on joining the Vikings.

 

Fletcher is a 6-1 midfielder that hails from Salt Lake City, Utah and a product of East High School. Fletcher was a three-year varsity letterwinner and a team captain his senior year. He played club soccer for La Roca FC and was a member of the Utah ODP championship team every year he was eligible. 

 

"I am excited to play in a new environment at a very high level, that will also allow me to be near family in Bellingham with a chance to explore the Northwest," said Fletcher on his commitment to play for WWU. 

 

Hughes returns home to Bellingham after playing two seasons at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. The product of Squalicum High School appeared in eight games for GCU, recording one assist as a redshirt sophomore in 2019. At Squalicum he was a four-year varsity letterwinner and was a three-time All-State selection. As a senior in 2017 he was selected as the Northwest Conference Offensive MVP after scoring 15 goals. He gained valuable club experience with the Seattle Sounders Development Academy, Bellingham United, Seattle United, Crossfire Academy U18, and NIKE Id2 camps. 

 

"I'm excited to continue both my academic and athletic career close to where I grew up surrounded by family," said Hughes on transferring to play at WWU. 

 

Rains is a 5-9 midfielder that joins the WWU program out of Capital High School in Olympia. Rains attended WWU last season, but did not play soccer, and will be a freshman on the field in eligibility for the Vikings. As a senior at Capital High School Rains earned second-team recognition on The Olympians All-Area Team. Rains is a product of the Blackhills FC club program.

 

Restum is a 6-1 goalkeeper that transfers to WWU after playing two seasons at NCAA II Northern Michigan. Restum appeared in 16 games (all starts) for the Wildcats as a sophomore in 2019, logging 1,406 minutes between the posts. He allowed 26 goals for a 1.66 goals against average to rank sixth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association. His 62 saves were fourth-best in the GLIAC and he logged one shutout. Prior to Northern Michigan, Restum prepped at Okemos High School and is a product of the Michigan Wolves club program. He earned all-league, all-district, all-region, and honorable mention all-state honors during his prep career.

 

"I am excited to join a program that has a history of winning championships and playing in the NCAA Tournament," said Restum on transferring to play at WWU. 

 

Stein is a 5-11 midfielder that transfers to Western after one season playing at Whatcom Community College. He is a product of the Crossfire Premier club program and had a standout prep career at Redmond High School. In one season at WCC, Stein appeared in 18 games, making 14 starts, and scored 6 goals with 3 assists. At Redmond High School he was a team captain and second-team 3A All-State selection.

 

Sundberg is a 5-7 defender that is a product of Rocklin High School and Rocklin FC in Northern California. He was a three-year varsity letterwinner in high school and team captain during his senior season. As a senior in 2019 he earned Sierra Foothills First Team All-League honors. At the club level for Rocklin FC he participated in a number of high-level competitions and was a member of the second-place Northern California State Premier Championship League in the spring of 2019.

 

"What excites me the most about joining the WWU Men's Soccer Program is being a part of the winning culture that they have created. Seeing my dream of playing collegiate soccer come true is amazing. I look forward to joining the team and helping contribute to the success of the program," said Sundberg on playing for WWU. 

 

Zimmerman transfers to WWU after playing one season at NAIA Evergreen State in 2018. A product of Capital High School and the Seattle Sounders Academy, Zimmerman appeared in 15 games, making 5 starts with ESC as a freshman in 2018. As a senior at Capital he was a second-team All-Area selection by The Olympian.

 

"I'm most excited to be a to simply be a part of team and have fun, be competitive and improve," said Zimmerman on joining the Western program. 

 

Fans can follow WWU men's soccer online at WWUVikings.com/MSoc, and via social media on Twitter (@SoccerWWU), Instagram (@wwu_msoccer) and Facebook (@WWUsoccermens). All home matches feature a live webcast, as well as most road matches, with links on how to follow the games available at WWUVikings.com/Live.

 

The Western Washington University men's soccer program completed its 40^th season at the varsity level with head coach Greg Brisbon leading the program in his seventh season as the head coach. The Vikings were the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions, the third league title in program history, and advanced to the NCAA II Championships for the second time. The program has recorded an overall record at or above the .500 mark in seven of the last eight seasons, including a 13-5-1 mark in 2019 and 11-6-1 in 2018. In 2016 the Vikings advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships for the first time in program history, using a late-season surge that saw the Vikings 5-0-1 over the last six matches to advance to the postseason. Overall the program has produced 51 GNAC Players of the Week selections, 30 First Team All-GNAC players and 4 GNAC Players of the Year since joining the conference in 2001.