LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western men's soccer head coach Mike Shearon officially announced his recruiting class of 2019, which features 10 incoming student-athletes, Tuesday.
The 2019 class includes Jake Ruby (North Vancouver, B.C.), Tristan Torresan (North Vancouver, B.C.), Marcus Tjernagel (Maple Ridge, B.C.), Soren DiSabatino (Langley, B.C.), Nick Coulter (Langley, B.C.), Finley Oswald (Vashon Island, Wash.), Eh Hser Moo (Langley, B.C.), Declan Hunt (Surrey, B.C.), Nolan Newsome (Puyallup, Wash.) and Darren Jakana (Bothell, Wash.).
TWU is coming off an exceptional season that saw the Spartans capture a Canada West silver medal and earn a fourth-place finish at the U SPORTS championship.
Tristan Torresan (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Torresan will join the Spartans after graduating from Notre Dame Regional Secondary this spring and comes to TWU via Surrey United SC. The 5-foot-11 centre midfielder has spent seven years within the Vancouver Whitecaps organization – first with the Pre-Residency program (2012 to 2015) and then with the Residency program (2016 to 2018). With Surrey United, Torresan helped his team capture a provincial title in 2018 and, at the same time, was nominated for the BC Soccer Premier League's Player of the Year award.
“Tristan is a centre midfielder who fits our style perfectly,” Shearon said. “He has been getting better and better since coming back from his knee injury and I am very happy he chose TWU. He is a good player, a great kid, and comes from a fantastic family. With the loss of Joel (Waterman), there is a gaping hole in the midfield that Tristan will battle to fill that void.”
Torresan said: “I have chosen to come to Trinity Western because of its first-class soccer program and it's outstanding reputation. I have come here looking to win a U SPORTS national championship.”
Jake Ruby (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Ruby joins the Spartans with an impressive résumé that includes representing Canada at the CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship in 2017 in Panama, where he started all three games. Beyond that, the 5-foot-10 right back has earned preseason opportunities with both the Vancouver Whitecaps and Rasen Ballsport Leipzig U-19 in Germany. Ruby, who graduated from University Hill Secondary in 2018, played his club soccer within the Whitecaps Residency program.
“Jake is quality,” Shearon said. “He is athletic, smart and has good skill. His background speaks for itself. He definitely makes us better and I am looking forward to working with him to help him reach his goals.”
Ruby said: “I am very excited to commit to TWU and join the great group of guys currently on the team. It is looking like we are going to have a good young team and of course TWU has a great coaching staff to match. TWU has an amazing facility with two beautiful grass fields and a great campus. I am looking forward to join the team for preseason in August.”
Marcus Tjernagel (Maple Ridge, B.C.)
Tjernagel will graduate from Thomas Haney Secondary and arrives coming off a U-17 national championship last fall with Coquitlam Metro-Ford. The 5-foot-11 centre midfielder had a goal and five assists in leading his team to a national title.
“Marcus was our first signing for 2019 and we had been following him for a while,” Shearon said. “I love his versatility and the fact that he was a leader on his youth team that won nationals. He will be a good culture carrier.”
“I'm really looking forward to becoming a part of the Spartan community and having fellowship with new friends. 'As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).'”
Soren DiSabatino (Langley, B.C.)
Graduating from Pacific Academy this year, the Langley-based Di Sabatino will stay close to home as the attacking midfielder joins TWU this fall. Having played club soccer with Surrey United, the 5-foot-11 Di Sabatino most recently helped his U18 team to a fourth-place finish at the national championship tournament.
“Soren scored some important goals for his Surrey team from the attacking midfield position,” Shearon said. “He can penetrate defenses through his timely runs and his dribbling ability. Off the field, Soren gets TWU and will be great addition.”
Di Sabatino said: “I want to attend TWU because I know that it will help me grow in my faith and it will help me excel as a soccer player, while being able to study and learn in an excellent environment.”
Nick Coulter (Langley, B.C.)
Coulter will join Surrey United teammates Torresan and Di Sabatino with the Spartans in the fall after graduating from White Rock Christian Academy this spring. The 5-foot-8 midfielder, was part of Surrey United's U18 contingent that finished fourth at nationals last year. The multi-sport athlete was not only a soccer star at WRCA, but he was also the MVP of both his school's track and field team and cross country team.
“Nick is another player we have been watching for a while and I am happy we landed him,” Shearon said. “Nick can play a variety of positions and has been growing his overall game over the last year. For the most part every time we watched him play, he influenced the game in a major way. Nick is very motivated and will push our current roster.”
Coulter said: “I'm excited about getting a great education at a great school and making a big impact and contribution on the success of the Blue and Gold for many years to come.”
Finley Oswald (Vashon Island, Wash.)
Oswald comes to TWU via Washington Premier FC and will graduate from Vashon Island High School this spring. The 6-foot-2 centre midfielder helped his club side to a 17-4-1 record in the 2018-19 season, with his team set to compete in the 2019 US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships in mid-June.
“Finn is another player who fits our style,” Shearon said. “The first time I saw him play I knew he would be a fit. Finn has played in important games for his club team at the USA nationals and he will bring this experience to our group.”
Oswald said: “When I first started exploring where I wanted to go to college and play soccer, Trinity Western's program stood out to me. I then discovered they have an outstanding business program as well. When I had the opportunity to visit and practice with the team, I knew it was the right fit for me. I look forward to being a part of the Spartan community and close to my extended family in B.C.”
Eh Hser Moo (Langley, B.C.)
Moo graduates from Langley Secondary this spring and joins TWU via Langley United Youth Soccer Association, most recently playing with the U21 side. With Langley Secondary, 5-foot-8 defensive midfielder helped his team to a gold medal at the 2018 AA Fraser Valley Championships before a third-place finish at provincials.
“I couldn't be happier to have Eh Hser join our team,” Shearon said. “His story is inspiring. He can play and when he came to our ID camp, the staff knew we wanted him at TWU. He has skill and can play multiple positions and he will add some much needed grit to our team.”
Moo said: “I'm attending TWU because of the influence it had on me when I was younger. A lot of the former players did camps and indoor soccer sessions that were targeted not just for soccer but also to help get a across life lessons that I still remember to this day. I want to do the same as they did for me.”
Declan Hunt (Surrey, B.C.)
Hunt, who graduates from Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary this year, will help solidify TWU's goaltending. The 5-foot-10 netminder joins the Spartans from Coastal FC and was a recent winner of the club's Most Inspirational Award.
“Declan comes highly recommend from every person I talked to and everyone who reached out to me,” Shearon said. “He is a tremendous worker, he has good feet, which we like in our goalkeepers, and he has shown he can keep his teams in games. Declan will definitely push our goalies to be better.”
Hunt said: “I love the sense of unity at the school and on the soccer team. The school seems very welcoming and seems like a great place for me to study and play soccer.”
Nolan Newsome (Puyallup, Wash.)
The 5-foot-11 centre back has a strong record of success with both Spanaway Lake High School and Franklin Pierce Soccer Club. With his club, Newsome helped Franklin Pierce win the Washington Cup in 2018 before finishing third at nationals. He was also his high school team's MVP in 2018.
“Nolan came to our ID camp a while ago now and you could tell he has a growth mindset,” Shearon said. “He can defend well, has a great attitude and will make our team better. He is a quality kid on and off the field.”
Newsome said: “I am looking forward to attending TWU because I enjoy competing at a high level and want to study in a Christian environment.”
Darren Jakana (Bothell, Wash.)
The 6-foot-3 Jakana will give the Spartans midfield impressive size in what is always a physical Canada West season. Set to graduate from Woodinville High School this year and coming to TWU from Crossfire Select Youth Soccer Club, Jakana joins the Spartans already a winner of multiple championships, including taking the North Puget Sound League title in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.
“Darren is a midfield player who I think has a very large upside for development,” Shearon said. “He reminds me of a young Elie Gindo ('18) who is trying to get to the next level. Darren has good skill, good passing range, and can get around the midfield. He is a great culture fit and wants to be at TWU for all the right reasons.”
Jakana said: “TWU is everything I'm looking for to further my education, my athletic abilities and my relationships. The strong Christian ethos behind the school policies make me feel comfortable that I have made the right decision and I am very excited to start my life at TWU.”
About TWU
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field and women's rugby. TWU also competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in men's hockey and in the South Coast Women's Hockey League in women's hockey and is set to launch its men's rugby program starting in the fall of 2019. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships, 27 Canada West team championships and two BCIHL championships.
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