With Opening Night just three days away, the Des Moines Menace announces a dozen more new faces joining the Premier Development League team.
The Menace hosts Drake University on Saturday at Valley Stadium. The 7:30 p.m. exhibition is the only preseason tune-up for the Menace’s regular season, which opens a week from today (May 12) at Springfield (Mo.) and continues with a May 15 home match against Rochester (Minn.).
The number of players at the Menace’s training sessions is growing with each day, as more players continue to roll into town to prepare for the season. Menace head coach Laurie Calloway likes what he has seen so far.
“We’ve been seeing a good chemistry starting to develop,” said Calloway. “They’re all busting their butts.”
New additions to Calloway’s club in 2010 include a pair of local ties and a trio of goalkeepers.
Drake midfielder Matt Kuhn joins the Menace’s side after playing against the PDL team this Saturday. Kuhn will play for the Menace alongside fellow Bulldogs Nick Foster, Hunter Kennedy, Kenan Malicevic and Michael Thaden.
Husref Jupic, the 2009 Iowa High School Player of the Year, will also be part of the Menace’s midfield mix. Jupic is a graduate of Des Moines Hoover who played for Menace Academy teams through middle school and high school. As a freshman at Western Illinois last fall, he scored the Leathernecks’ only goal in their 2-1 NCAA Tournament loss to Drake – the Bulldogs first win on the road to the Elite Eight.
The Menace’s three goalkeepers are Billy Thompson, Jason Williams and Jake Wright.
Thompson and Williams each have a pair of college teammates donning Menace uniforms this season. Thompson is joined by Loyola Marymount (Calif.) teammates Roger Downes and Logan McDaniel; Williams, from the University of Mobile (Ala.) is joined by internationals Stephen Okai (Ghana) and Jubril Lawal (Nigeria).
Wright comes from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y.
Also joining the Menace for the first time are Hawaii native Lakahi Bounds from the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) and two pairs of college teammates: Juan Hoyos and Luis Mojica from Northern Illinois and Michael Lind and Kalen Ryden from Oral Roberts.
Calloway calls this Saturday’s game against Drake the first chance for his players to stake their claim for a starting spot with the 2010 Menace. The team sets out to defend its 2009 PDL Heartland Division regular-season and post-season titles and make it back to the U.S. Open Cup and PDL playoffs.
See what international players are new to the Menace this season.
See what players return from the 2009 team.
Player Capsules
Matt Kuhn
Position:Midfielder
College:Drake University(NCAA Division I; Des Moines, Iowa)
Hometown: Raytown, Mo.
In 2009, Kuhn appeared in all 25 games for Drake University. He scored five goals and was second on the team with seven assists.
Husref Jupic
Position: Midfielder/Forward
College:Western Illinois University(NCAA Division 1; Macomb, Ill.)
Hometown:Des Moines, Iowa
In 2009, Husref appeared in all 20 games for the Leathernecks. He scored two goals and had two assists. He scored the only goal against Drake in the 2009 College Cup first round.
Billy Thompson
Position:Goalkeeper
College:Layola Marymount University(NCAA Division I; Los Angeles, Calif.)
Hometown: Laguna Hills, Calif.
Thompson will be a sophomore in the fall.
Jason Williams
Position:Goalkeeper
College:University of Mobile (NAIA Division I; Mobile, Ala.)
Hometown:High Point, N.C.
In 2009, Williams appeared in eight games for the Austin Aztex U23 team. He held a 5-1 record with 25 saves and a 1.375 GAA.
Jake Wright
Position:Goalkeeper
College:Hartwick College (NCAA Division I; Oneonta,N.Y.)
Hometown: Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
In 2009, Wright transferred from California State University Northridge to Hartwick College.
Roger Downes
Position:Defender
College:Layola Marymount University (NCAA Division I; Los Angeles, Calif.)
Hometown:San Clemente, Calif.
In 2009, Downes started 11 games and had one assist for the Lions.
Logan McDaniel
Position:Midfielder/Forward
College: Layola Marymount University (NCAA Division I; Los Angeles, Calif.)
Hometown:Palmdale, Calif.
In 2009, McDaniel scored three goals and tallied two assists for the Lions.
Lokahi Bounds
Position:Midfielder/Forward
College: University of the Cumberlands(NAIA Division I; Williamsburg, Ky.)
Hometown:Honolulu, HI
In 2008, Bounds’ senior season at the University of the Cumberlands, he scored two goals and had two assists.
Juan Hoyos
Position: Forward
College: University of Northern Illinois (NCAA Division I; DeKalb, Ill.)
Hometown: Aurora, Ill.
In 2009, Hoyos scored five goals and had two assists for the Huskies.
Luis Mojica
Position: Midfielder
College:University of Northern Illinois(NCAA Division I;DeKalb, Ill.)
Hometown:St. Charles, Ill.
In 2009, Mojica started 11 games for the Huskies and had one assist.
Michael Lind
Position: Forward
Hometown: Denver, Colo.
College: Oral Roberts University (NCAA Division I; Tulsa, Okla.)
In 2009, Lind appeared in all 16 of the Golden Eagles’ matches, making 15 starts.
Kalen Ryden
Position: Defender
Hometown: Norman, Okla.
College: Oral Roberts University (NCAA Division I; Tulsa, Okla.)
In 2009, Ryden earned a spot on the Summit League’s All-Newcomer team, alongside college teammate Sterling Copeland, who is back for his second season with the Menace.