WILMINGTON — Wilmington Hammerheads PDL announced today the addition of six more college athletes to the 2017 PDL Roster, including five members of the current UNC-Wilmington team.
David Lozano (Gastonia, NC), Phillip Goodrum (Charlotte, NC), Matt Morgan (Johns Creek, GA), Ben Fisher (Chapel Hill, NC) and Joel Bylander (Stockholm, Sweden) are the five members of the UNCW that will spend their summer with the Hammerheads.
Tanner Roberts (Huntersville, NC), a member of the N.C. State Men’s Soccer team also joins the first-year organization.
Roberts, a rising junior at NC State University, earned his reputation as a goal-scorer when he scored 29 goals as a youth player in the U.S. Development Academy before joining N.C. State.
“Tanner has earned his reputation as a hard-working, goal-scoring forward,” Kevin Johnson, Hammerheads PDL head coach, said. “He has battled with injuries during his 1st two college campaigns, but looks to make an impact this summer leading the line for the Hammerheads.”
UNCW Sophomore, David Lozano who was also a former youth teammate of Tanner Roberts, joins the Hammerheads after a strong college season. Lozano started 15 games and logged more than 1,000 minutes for the Seahawks in 2016.
Lozano is joined on the Hammerheads roster by four other UNCW teammates: Joel Bylander, Ben Fisher, Phillip Goodrum, and Matt Morgan.
Bylander, a Swedish soccer player, received recognition in 2016 for Honorable Mention notice on the Preseason All-CAA Team and was named First-Team All-State by the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA).
Midfielder Ben Fisher will also play alongside teammate Bylander this summer for the PDL team. Prior to his time at UNCW, Fisher played for the Capital Area Railhawks Academy. As a freshman, he was named CAA Rookie-of-the-Year and earned second team All-CAA.
Phillip Goodrum, a UNCW forward, started all 17 games in his freshman year and was recognized as part of the CAA All-Rookie Team. Before attending UNCW, Goodrum was Captain of the USDA Carolina Rapids U-18 team, scoring 19 goals and 15 assists in two seasons.
Finally, Matt Morgan, a UNCW defender, will be joining the Hammerheads PDL team for the 2017 Season. Prior to his college career at UNCW, Morgan played for the Georgia United Development Academy and was a participant in the US Soccer National Training Center. Morgan has logged close to 3,000 minutes in his two years at UNCW.
“This is a really good opportunity for our players to continue their development over the summer,” UNCW Head Coach Aidan Heaney said. “Our five UNCW players will compete every day with other gifted college guys, as well as some older experienced former pros. PDL will provide valuable game and training experiences so they arrive back ready for our fall season in August.”
Heaney continued by saying, “After the departure of the Hammerheads’ USL team, I am delighted that we have a PDL team in Wilmington to help fill the void. I believe that the local fans will be pleasantly surprised not only at the quality of players on show, but also the level of play on view on the pitch.”
The Wilmington Hammerheads organization is looking forward to the upcoming PDL Season and the possibilities it holds for our community. For more information regarding Wilmington Hammerheads PDL, please contact (910) 392-0306 or visit www.wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com.
-Content provided by Shawn Guderian, GM, Wilmington Hammerheads Youth FC
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