CHICAGO (February 9, 2018) – Preparing to begin his sixth season with the Ramblers, Loyola University Chicago head men's soccer coach Neil Jones announced the signing of eight student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Friday morning.  The balanced group features two forwards, two midfielders, two defender/midfielders and two goalkeepers.
 
"We are excited to welcome this group of fine young men, and their families, in to the Loyola Men's Soccer program," Jones commented.  "As with every player that we recruit to our program, we have high expectations for each of these student-athletes.  We feel that this is a very well-rounded class in terms of positions they play and the personalities they bring to the program.  As a staff, we identified early on the positional needs due to graduation of this incoming class, and so much credit must go to our Assistant Coaches Pat Flinn and Michael Mauro for helping piece together what we feel will be a great group of highly successful student-athletes."
 
FABIAN BECERRA
Forward | Conroe, Texas | Conroe High School | Texans SC Houston
 
The first of two recruits to call Texas home in Loyola's 2018 class, Fabian Becerra has experienced success on both the high school and club levels.  Becerra netted three goals as part of a sophomore campaign at Conroe High School that saw him start in every game.  The 5-foot-9 forward went on to focus his attention on a successful club career with Texans SC Houston and coach Eric Quill.  Becerra racked up 12 goals and 24 assists during his three-year stay with the team and captured a U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) U18 title in 2016-17.
 
BILLY HENCY
Midfielder | Fenton, Mo. | Rockwood Summit High School | Sporting STL
 
Fenton, Mo. native Billy Hency comes to Loyola with an impressive high school and club resume.  Hency rewrote the record books at Rockwood Summit High School with head coach Chris Kappler, setting career records for goals (81) and assists (55).  He was named the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3 Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore before being tabbed MSHSAA Class 3 Player of the Year as both a junior and senior.  Hency, who earned back-to-back United Soccer Association All-American selections in 2016 and 2017, won three state championships on the club level with Tommy Howe's Sporting STL to go along with an MSHAAA Class 3 state title as a junior.
 
SIMON JILLSON
Goalkeeper | Chicago, Ill. | Lane Tech High School | Chicago Fire Pre-Academy U19
 
Local product Simon Jillson makes his way to Rogers Park from Lane Tech High School on Chicago's North Side.  The 6-foot-3 goalkeeper was a three-year starter for head coach Andrew Ricks during his time with Indians and helped lead the school to a 2016 Chicago City Championship and a Region 2 crown.  Jillson plied his trade on the club level for the Chicago Fire Pre-Academy U19 side, under the direction of current Loyola assistant coach Michael Mauro, who he backstopped to an appearance in the 2017 Illinois State Cup Final.
 
BRADYN KNUTSON
Defender/Midfielder | Spring, Texas | Klein Oak High School | Texans SC Houston
 
Bradyn Knutson starred on the club level with Texans SC Houston, alongside fellow incoming recruit Fabian Becerra.  The Spring, Texas product was named the U17 Academy Team MVP after helping lead the club to a USSDA U18 National Championship.  Knutson has been a fixture along the backline this season for coach Eric Quill's team, contributing to four shutouts.
 
JOSH LAGUDAH
Goalkeeper | Canberra, Australia | Radford College High School | Moreton Bay United FC
 
Goalkeeper Josh Lagudah arrives in Rogers Park from Canberra, Australia, where he most recently saw action with Moreton Bay United FC of the Australian National Premier League.  Lagudah, who was tabbed as his team's MVP during his senior season at Radford College High School, owned a 1.09 goals against average and 0.765 save percentage last season with the Jets.  
 
ANDREW SCHWEINERT
Defender/Midfielder | Brookfield, Wis. | Brookfield Central High School | Bavarian SC
 
Andrew Schweinert, a 6-foot-1 defender/midfielder out of Brookfield, Wis., was the only player in the history of Brookfield Central High School to start in every game during his career.  A two-year team captain, Schweinert was named a First Team All-State honoree in back-to-back years to go along with consecutive First Team All-Greater Metro Conference selections.  He closed his time with head coach Dan Makal's team with 15 goals and 32 assists, ranking second overall on the school's all-time assists leaderboard.  Schweinert, a member of TopDrawerSoccer.com's Preseason All-American Watch List, captured a Wisconsin State Championship on the club level with coach Kyle Zenoni's Bavarian SC.
 
JARED SPARACINO
Forward | South Elgin, Ill. | St. Charles North High School | Sockers FC Chicago
 
A native of South Elgin, Ill., Jared Sparacino saw action exclusively on the club level with Sockers FC Chicago and coach David Richardson.  During his five-plus years with the club, the 5-foot-9 forward has found the back of the net 39 times, cracking the 10-goal plateau on a pair of separate occasions, en route to leading Sockers FC to three Midwest Conference titles.  Sparacino has also had the opportunity to train with professional teams in both Denmark and Italy in past years.
 
ETHAN STONEMAN
Defender/Midfielder | St. Charles, Ill. | Wheaton Academy | Sockers FC Chicago
 
The younger brother of current Loyola redshirt junior Grant Stoneman, Ethan Stoneman was a two-time All-Metro Suburban Conference selection at Wheaton Academy, where he won an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 2A State Championship with the Warriors, along with two Metro Suburban Conference crowns.  The defender/midfielder also excelled on the club level, playing alongside fellow incoming recruit Jared Sparacino with Sockers FC.  Stoneman has scored four goals in nine appearances so far this season for the club, who he helped lead to three Northern Illinois Soccer League (NISL) titles and consecutive appearances in the National Premier League (NPL) final.
 
The eight newcomers will join a group of 16 returning letterwinners, including a trio of All-Missouri Valley Conference selections from a year ago, when Loyola begins its 2018 season in August.