LIU Men’s Soccer Signs Six to National Letters

2/8/05 -- Long Island University men’s soccer coach TJ Kostecky has announced the signings of Michael Gagliano, Adam Kelemet, Michael Marten, Mohammad Mashriqi, Joshua Merchant and Ryan Vignona to National Letters of Intent for the fall 2005 season.

Gagliano, a defender/holding midfielder, helped lead Seton Hall Prep to ledger of 17-3 overall and 17-1 Iron Hills conference mark last fall. A two-year starter for the Pirates, the Verona, N.J. product recorded five goals and four assists in his high school career. Selected team captain his senior season, Gagliano was an all-conference and all-county honoree. In addition, he received the Peter Butler team award which recognizes the player who best represents the ideals of the school and its soccer program. An honors student, Gagliano also plays for the Premier traveling program Parsippany Predators.

Kelemet, an all-state, all-league and all-county selection, hails from Morristown High School in Morris Plains, N.J. The attacking midfielder registered 11 goals and 11 assists this past season in leading the Colonials to a 12-10 record and the semifinals of the Morris County Tournament. A four-year varsity starter and 2004 team captain, Kelemut is also a member of the Spanish National Honor Society. He competes with the Parsippany Cougars, NJ Olympic Development Team and was selected to the Region I ODP Pool, competing in USA Select tournaments in Colombia and Germany.

Marten tallied 50 goals this past season at Judan Christian School in Ogden, Ill., leading his team to an 18-3-1 record. Selected All-Midwest and News Gazette All-Area Player of the Year, the team captain was also named to the Chicago Tribune Special Mention squad. A midfielder/forward, he finished sixth in the state all-time in career goals, tallying 142 in four seasons. Marten competed in the IHSSCA KELME Soccer Classic in late November which recognized the top talent in the state and also hones his skills for the Illinois State ODP team. Marten is a member of the Little Illini Soccer Club, captaining the squad the past four seasons.

Mashriqi, a forward/midfielder, is considered one of the top signees in the nation. The Flushing, Queens product reached the highest level possible as a youth player in this country by being named to the top 18 on the United States U-14 National Team. He joined the BW Gottschee club team at the age of 9, playing on four state championship squads and one state finalist squad. He now plays for the Brooklyn Knights Soccer club in the Super-Y-League. Mashriqi has trained with the U-17 club team Paris St Germai, one of top clubs in France’s First Division that featured Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho. Other European experience includes matches against Manchester United, Atlas (Mexico) and Ajax. In 2003, Mashriqi tallied 28 goals in leading Flushing HS to a 13-2 record. He was named the NYC Newsday Player for the year. Mashriqi’s older brother, Sabir played at LIU from 1997-99.

Merchant comes to LIU from the Pendleton School in Bradenton, Fla. Merchant has played at the IMG academy, the world's largest and most successful network of multi-sport training facilities, for the past three years. A defender/left back, Merchant hails from New Orleans, La. where he played one varsity season at Archbishop Rummel High School. At IMG, Merchant has faced competition from Major League Soccer teams Columbus Crew and Colorado Rapids, the United States and Brazilian Under-17 National teams and English League runner-up Chelsea FC. Merchant also played for the Louisiana ODP club for five years.

Vignona makes the short trek to LIU from St. Anthony’s High School in Manorville, N.Y. where he was a two-year varsity starter. A forward/outside midfielder, he tallied a school-record 25 goals in leading to Friars to the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) crown this past fall. Vignona scored the game-winning goal with seven minutes remaining in his team’s 2-1 triumph over Chaminade, to give the Friars their first win in a title contest in a decade. The CHSAA Most Valuable Player and a Newsday All-League selection, Vignona is the leading all-time scorer in CHSAA and St. Anthony’s history. He is a member of Stony Brook Premier, Region I and state semifinalists in 2004, and Super-Y-League Storm Academy, a national team participant. Vignona’s father, Patrick, coaches soccer at Molloy College and older brother, Pat, played for LIU from 2000-2003.

“I'm thrilled to welcome an extremely talented class of soccer players. We believe that each individual will continue to raise the standards set by the previous team of champions.” Kostecky noted of his incoming class. “I am also grateful to our current players and coaching staff that showed the six signees how special it is to be associated with LIU."

LIU, 2004 Northeast Conference tournament champions, clinched its first trip to the NCAA College Cup since 1986 this past fall with a thrilling 1-0 victory over top-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the final.

The Blackbirds’ success was not limited to the field as the team closed with a 3.30 grade-point average to finish first in the country among Division I schools. LIU was one of only 73 schools cited and the squad had 11 student-athletes named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll, the most of any school. Gagliano, Marten, Kelemet and Merchant will be enrolled in the University Honors Program in the fall of 2005.