Feb. 12, 2007

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Notre Dame men's soccer head coach Bobby Clark has announced the signing of six student-athletes to national letters of intent. Matt Armstrong (Phoenix, Ariz.), Jeb Brovsky (Lakewood, Colo.), Bilal Duckett (Peachtree City, Ga.), Greg Klazura (Rockford, Ill.), Steven Perry (Edmond, Okla.) and Josh Thiermann (Stoughton, Wis.) will join the Fighting Irish next season.

"This is another very good class," states Clark. "It's pretty much all the guys that we targeted from the start. They all managed to come through and that's not something you can say every year when you set out in recruiting. We are very thrilled with this group and we feel that we've now put together a few good classes. It's an exciting group and they'll augment a very strong returning group. Several of them have the potential to help us right away, but it is a strong squad that they're coming into. We're very excited as this is a very athletic class."

Matt Armstrong, M, 5-7, 155 (Phoenix, Ariz./North Canyon)

Named an NSCAA youth All-American in 2006 ... played for the Arizona state ODP team at U-14 and U-15 ... member of U-15 Region IV ODP team ... played for Middlesbrough FC youth team in U-15 and U-16 ... selected for the adidas ESP camp in 2005 and 2006 and made the ESP all-star team in 2006 ... captained his club team, 89 Sereno White ... was a member of the U-17 national team and residency.

Armstrong on choosing Notre Dame: "I chose Notre Dame because of its high profile soccer program and academics. I know that the coaching staff is excellent and will help me to become a better player. The players are all very competitive and look after each other like a family. They seem to share a common goal of wining a national championship and playing professionally, which is the goal I have, too. I think that Notre Dame will be a good fit for me."

Clark on Armstrong: "I almost have the feeling that Matt could have been playing for us this year. He's a man. His father is a soccer coach. He's they type of player that when you watch him play, he's almost an extension of the coach on the field. He knows the game inside and out. Technically he's very strong. Physically he's very strong. He's not that tall, but he competes tremendously well. He's got tremendous experience with being in the junior national pools. He may be one of the guys looking to compete immediately."

Jeb Brovsky, M, 6-1, 160 (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain)

Has been a member of the Colorado Rush U-18 team for the past seven years ... the Rush have won the State Cup all seven of those seasons, along with representing Colorado at the regional tournament ... they have been the runner-up to SoCal Arsenal, the national champion, three times ... led the team in scoring last season ... was the leading scorer in Jefferson County his junior year while at Green Mountain High School ... runner-up for player of the year honors in the conference ... was a coaches all-state selection and earned honorable mention distinction from the media ... played football as a junior and senior ... was an all-conference selection as a wide receiver, safety and kicker ... earned seven total letters during his prep career ... also played basketball ... carries a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average.

Brovsky on choosing Notre Dame: "Notre Dame is truly a dream come true for me. From academics to athletics, this university has it all. The coaching staff is the best in the country and the level of play is extraordinary. The team comes off as a big family to me and the campus feels like home. This is one of the few universities where national championships are expected out of their athletes and I love that aspect about Notre Dame. I am very excited to be a part of the Notre Dame tradition."

Clark on Brovsky: "Jeb is a good-sized athlete, but he also has a silky touch. He is tremendously creative and can unlock defenses. He has good feet, good skills and is a very good passer. He has a lot of ability and comes from a very good club program."

Bilal Duckett, D, 6-2, 160 (Peachtree City, Ga./McIntosh)

Named the Region 4 AAAA Player of the Year ... two-time captain of his squad at McIntosh High School ... named first team all-Fayette County and first team all-Region 4 AAAA his junior year ... his club team is Cobb FC '89 Premier, which won the 2005 Georgia state championship and was the runner-up in 2006 ... the team also was the 2005 Region III Premier League Champions and the '05 Regional quarterfinalists ... they were regional quarterfinalists again in 2006 along with being the Region III Premier League runner-up ... he is a six-year member of the Georgia '89 ODP state team ... they were the 2004 Regional III champions and the 2005 national bronze medalist.

Duckett on choosing Notre Dame: "I chose Notre Dame because, after my visits, I felt like it could become a "home away from home". The rich tradition in religion, academics and athletics is second to none. The entire coaching staff is incredible and I know that I will grow tremendously under their guidance. The program has been improving each year and I look forward to our class building upon those previous successes and accomplishments. We have the talent. We will control how good we can be. I honestly feel like this opportunity is a blessing from God."

Clark on Duckett:. "Bilal is a young lad that I saw two years ago and he's a very good athlete. He's still developing physically and I think the best years for him are very much ahead of him. We see him as somebody that will develop athletically and technically to become an excellent player. He played on one of the best club teams in Georgia and the Region III area, but we feel he's still going to grow."

Greg Klazura, M, 5-10, 150 (Rockford, Ill./Boylan Catholic)

A 2006 Notre Dame Elite Soccer Camp all-star ... a three-year varsity player at Boylan Catholic ... an all-state, all-midwest, all-sectional and all-conference selection as a senior ... captained his squad along with garnering team MVP honors during his senior campaign ... copped MVP accolades at the Indian State Cup Tournament and at the Illinois Soccer Classic Tournament ... as a junior, he was named to the IHSA Class AA second-team along with earning all-sectional honorable mention honors ... also earned honorable mention all-conference distinction ... named to the all-tournament team for the Hononegah Invitational ... plays for the Rockford Raptors club team ... the Raptors were the 2002 semifinalists of the President's Day Cup in Phoenix, Ariz. and earned an eighth-place national ranking ... member of the 1989 state ODP team.

Klazura on choosing Notre Dame: "I was looking for a university with an outstanding academic reputation. Notre Dame not only fits that standard but is also one of the top soccer programs in the country. Notre Dame's academic and athletic prowess along with an extremely highly regarded coach and coaching staff makes Notre Dame a dream come true."

Clark on Klazura: "Greg is someone that we identified at camp. He's got a very mature head on his shoulders. He has the ability to see the field and run the game. It'll be interesting to see how he develops. He's not too big physically, but he's strong and he competes. The thing that we really liked about him is that he's got a good soccer brain and pretty good feet to go with it."

Steven Perry, F, 6-0, 160 (Edmond, Okla./Bishop McGuinness)

A 2006 NSCAA High School Scholar All-American ... a 2005 Notre Dame Elite Soccer Camp all-star selection ... team MVP at Bishop McGuinness as a sophomore and junior (has yet to play his senior campaign) ... selected as his team's top offensive player as a sophomore in 2005 ... has led his team in scoring the past two seasons ... named to the all-city second team his senior year by The Daily Oklahoman ... three-time team captain ... also captained his club team, Padova '89, for three seasons ... his club team took home the state title in 2002, 2003 and 2005 ... team was also a state-finalist in 2004 and 2006 ... was a kicker on his high school football team for two seasons, including the 2006 campaign when his team won the state title ... also competed in track ... state champion in the 4X100 relay in 2006 ... that same year his team won the state title in track ... member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honors Society.

Perry on choosing Notre Dame: "Notre Dame is the perfect mix of great academics and outstanding athletics that I was looking for in a university. I am excited for the opportunity to work with the coaches and to become a part of the Notre Dame community."

Clark on Perry: "Steven is another lad that we identified at camp. He's very fast and makes great runs in behind. He's a very, very good athlete. Like Bilal (Duckett), he runs track. He makes good tactical runs. I think again, the nice thing about him is that once he plays at this level, he can take it up another notch. That's the nice thing with several of the players, you feel their best days are ahead of them. He has the physical components to be a very good Division I player."

Josh Thiermann, F/M, 6-0, 170 (Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton)

An NSCAA/adidas Youth All-American in 2005 and 2006 ... played for the 89 regional team from 2003-05 ... has taken trips with his regional team to Italy, Argentina, Austria and Germany ... first team all-state as a junior and was a second-team member the following season ... was named honorable mention all-state as a sophomore ... led his high school squad in scoring each season ... was the conference scoring leader as a sophomore and junior ... his team won the conference title for the first time in school history during his junior season ... a three-year starter at Stoughton High School ... played his freshman season at Edgewood High School ... played in the National Premiere Soccer League (NPSL) from his sophomore through senior years ... league champion and national finalist with the Princeton 56ers ... plays club for the Madison 56ers.

Thiermann on choosing Notre Dame: "I chose Notre Dame because it is the best of both worlds as an athlete and a student. The environment, the players and the coaches were all very welcoming and the opportunity to attend such a place is a once in a lifetime offer."

Clark on Thiermann: "Josh is a great athlete. He can jump and he's fast, just very athletic. He plays up front for his club team. Sometimes he plays up front for his regional team and he can play wide as well. For his men's club team, he plays a defender. We're going to have to figure out where to best use his athleticism. He's one of the best athletes in the country who is playing soccer. He's a very good player. He certainly has the tools to become a top college soccer player."

The Fighting Irish are losing five members of the 2006 squad, which made the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals, to graduation. Greg Dalby (M), Ian Etherington (M), Justin McGeeney (F), Nate Norman (M) and Dale Rellas (D) are departing seniors that the Irish will look to replace with the six newcomers.

2007 University of Notre Dame Men's Soccer Signees

NAME           POS.     HT.   WT.    HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
Matt Armstrong  M       5-7   155    Phoenix, Ariz./North Canyon
Jeb Brovsky     M       6-1   160    Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain
Bilal Duckett	D       6-2   160    Peachtree City, Ga./McIntosh
Greg Klazura    M       5-10  150    Rockford, Ill./Boylan Catholic
Steven Perry    F       6-0   160    Edmond, Okla./Bishop McGuinness
Josh Thiermann  F/M     6-0   170    Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton