Who are we expecting to join UB Soccer on National Signing Day?

By Matt Gritzmacher Jan 29, 2015, 9:00am EST

National Signing Day drives a ton of interest. Even now, a ton of our Twitter time is spent following up on recruiting rumours and figuring out the make up of Coach Leipold's first class.

For most non-football sports, the early signing period comes in November, and then the regular period runs from mid-April to very near the beginning of the school year. Soccer (and Men's Water Polo!), though, also wait til early February.

To catch up on the incoming Bulls for all the other sports, catch this link to the right for our story from mid-November. To get to know the incoming soccer Bulls (that we know of), keep reading.

Men's Soccer

Ryan Aspenleiter, Midfield, Pittsford-Mendon (Rochester, NY)

Per his twitter, Ryan Aspenleiter of Pittsford-Mendon (Rochester) will play for Stu Riddle next season. Played for the '13 NY Class A title
— Bull Run (@UBBullRun) January 18, 2015

We know about Aspenleiter thanks to his own Twitter. The midfielder had a goal and an assist in Pittsford-Mendon's state semifinal victory in 2013, was also named tournament MVP in his team's State Championship run that year, and was named to the NSCAA 2014 All-East Region First team at the end of his senior season.

Ryan is also an accomplished skier, but I'd like him to keep his knees in one piece, thanks.

Scott Doney, Forward, Marshall and Joseph Kuta, Goalkeeper, Robert Morris

Aspenleiter is the only incoming freshman to the Bulls, but Stu Riddle has also pulled in a pair of transfers, both with international experience, for next year. Doney and Kuta each have three years of NCAA eligibility remaining and were covered in this piece:

UB Men's Soccer adds two transfers, a recruit for 2015 - Bull Run
Compared to the women, I've found nearly nothing on Men's Soccer recruiting this year. To an extent that's been understandable, since Stu Riddle is replacing only three players, but it all makes sense now.

You?

Stu Riddle is hosting an open tryout! It's like a real-life version of Be A Pro Mode.

"With a very large student body at our University, including over 5,000 international students, we are excited about the potential of finding a diamond in the rough at next months open tryout," stated UB men's soccer head coach Stu Riddle.

If you're actually interested, follow that link. I want just as much as you for you to score a goal in the NCAA tournament.

Women's Soccer

Rachel Villalta, Midfield, Shattuck-St. Marys (MN), (Godfrey, ON)

There hasn't been much out there on Villalta, other than her player page on the school's website, so much so that it took an embarrassing amount of Google to figure out what position she plays. But. Sophie Therien, McKenzie White, and Abdulla Al-Kalisy all came form Shattuck, so that's nice.

Lindsay Sammis, ???, Shattuck-St. Marys (MN), (Prior Lake, MN)

Congrats to @LindsaySammis who has verbally committed to the University of Buffalo!
— ShattuckGirlsSoccer (@ssmgirlssoccer) January 1, 2015

Sammis committed after I knew about Villalta, but they are teammates at Shattuck. I *think* she's a midfielder/forward, but I'm not 100% sure. Just watch the video, that's fun. Also, we might get to see Martin Brodeur at UB Stadium. That would also be fun.

Bri Shingary, Midfielder, Medina (OH)

Shingary was originally committed to Cleveland State, but Burke swooped her up after a coaching change for the Vikings. Since I last Googled up her name, she's had a hell of a finish to her senior season, named Medina County Gazette Player of the Year, Northeast Ohio Conference MVP, and to the All-Ohio First Team a season after being named to the Second Team.

One outlet calls her a striker, all the others midfielder, but the 5'2" Shingary scored a 16 goals in her senior year regardless of where she was playing.

Rebecca Bramble, Striker, Brampton (ON)

It took *forever* to track down this name, even though I've know she's coming since the end of the season, when she attended at least the MAC semifinal and final in person, and perhaps some regular season games, at UB this year.

Canadian Club U16 Championship from a few years ago with the Brams United Girls Soccer Club. Still, I know she's already got a connection with a few of the ladies on the team, and will be able to step right in.

Carissima Cutrona, Forward, Williamsville South (Colgate)

My jaw dropped when I put this one together. Let me just tell you she was originally a four-star recruit and quote her bio from gocolgateraiders.com:

Before Colgate: Cutrona was a three-year captain at Williamsville South High School ... Throughout her time there she recorded 161 goals and 68 assists ... During her senior year alone Cutrona posted 40 goals and 28 assists ... She was a member of the 2014 division and sectional championship team, 2013 sectional championship team, and the 2012 division, sectional and regional championship team ... Cutrona was a two-time NSCAA All-American (2013 and 2014), and was named to the All-Western New York First Team all four years.

There's no public info on the move, but Coach Burke and a ton of the current team follow her on Twitter, where her profile says she's "University at Buffalo Women's Soccer #8". That's Katie Roberts' number, so I assume she's coming in to take that jersey.

I do not know if she'll be eligible to play next year, but either way, what a get for UB. For what it's worth, she doesn't seem to have played at all during her freshman year at Colgate. Just look at that bio, though. TWO TIME ALL AMERICAN. ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY ONE GOALS.

That's five incoming players I know about, filling eight departing seniors. Coach Burke only has 14 scholarships to split up and go around, so while there may be three more names, there may not be.

2016 Women

They won't be signing this year, and we still have to hold onto them for another year as they (hopefully) find greater success, but while I'm talking soccer recruits I might as well show you what I've got.

Gurjeena Jandu, Defense, North Mississauga (ON)

Jandu is part of a loaded club team that's already got nine players headed to the NCAA on scholarship. Another Canadian I don't have a ton of info on, but at a minimum she plays with a talented group and gets high-level competition as a result.

Sydney Cerza, Forward, Clarence

Cerza is a huge get for UB, but we've got to wait another year for her to come in. As a junior in 2014, she scored 30 goals, was named Buffalo News WNY Player of the Year, and led Clarence to an unprecedented run to the state semifinals.

I'm not overdoing it, either. Historically, the Rochester area has dominated Buffalo in high school soccer, and Clarence moved past them to lose only narrowly to national power Massapequa of Long Island. Massapequa themselves won the State Championship in a 1-0 game. Cerza was named First Team All-New York as a junior, the lone representative from WNY, after making the Second Team as a sophomore.

Mairead Martin, ???, Mahopac (NY)

We really don't know much on Martin, but she exists and is coming, barring a change in plans.

Go Bulls

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