Men's Soccer Adds 10 Players To 2017 Team

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis men's soccer team and head coach Richard Mulrooney announce the additions of 10 players to the 2017 Tiger squad. Three of those players, Jordan Parron, Ben Roberts, and Ian Story, are transfers and have joined the Tigers this semester.

"Overall we're very pleased about this group coming in," said head coach Richard Mulrooney. "This group fills needs that we lacked last fall along with giving us depth in areas we were exposed in as well. You never know how these classes will turn out, but I believe this class will develop into one that strengthens the program here at the Univers ity of Memphis."

Memphis has brought in student-athletes from all over the world. A couple of players are from Canada, a couple are originally from England and then Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Georgia are represented.

The Tigers graduated three players last season and welcome back 14 returners to the 2017 squad.

Jordan Parron
Defender | 6-1 | Senior
Brandon, Miss. | IUPUI

Jordan Parron joined Memphis at the semester break after spending time at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and IUPUI. Most recently at IUPUI, Parron competed in seven matches with six starts before suffering a season-ending injury in the second half of the season. In 483 minutes at IUPUI, Parron scored one goal, and in the classroom, he was named to IUPUI's Academic Advisor's List for having a GPA higher than a 3.0 in the fall.

At Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, Parron started all 17 games as a freshman and received the All-State Men's Soccer Award. As a freshman, he helped the team reach the 2014 Regional Championship. In 2015 he became more of a versatile player, playing both center back and forward. That season Parron was nominated for the MACJC All-Star Game.

Parron is the son of Michele Jones and was a member of the MS Fire 97 Blue Club Team.

Coach Mulrooney on Jordan Parron
Jordan transfers to us from IUPUI and with him being an upcoming senior; he will already have valuable experience needed to help guide us on and off the field. His athletic ability allows him to not only play center back, but also right back which offers us a bit of flexibility on his positioning and what the team needs at that point in time. Have Jordan join us at semester will allow for him to get to know the team now instead of waiting for the fall, which is always a plus.

Ben Roberts
Defender | 6-0 | Sophomore
Birkenhead, England | Mississippi College

Ben Roberts joined the Tigers at the semester break from Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss. Roberts, a defender from Birkenhead, England, helped lead his team to a 10-4-2 overall record last year and a Gulf South Conference Championship. While at Mississippi College, Roberts earned All-Conference and All-Region accolades after helping lead his team to six shutouts.

Under the direction of coach Kevin Johns, Roberts played in a total of 1067 minutes last season and scored one goal as a center back.

Roberts is the son of David and Gail Roberts.

Coach Mulrooney on Ben Roberts
Ben joins us after competing one year at Mississippi College out of Clinton, Miss. Prior to that, he was youth team member with Preston North End in England where he had a solid youth career with that storied club. Ben is a vocal leader on the backline, communicating with his teammates around him. Communication is something we have been lacking in previous years.

Along with that, Ben is a player who reads the game extremely well with a strong technical ability, allowing him to get out of tight situations that present themselves along the backline. Ben has a quiet confidence about him that I feel will spread throughout our team and breed confidence not only with our defenders, but our defensive mentality in general.

Ian Story
Defender | 6-3 | Junior
Gulfport, Miss. | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

A native of Oxford, Miss., Ian Story is one of three players to join the Tigers as the semester break. Story comes to Memphis from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where he was a two-time letter winner. Last season, Story helped guide his team to a 15-3 overall record with time on the back line as well as notching a pair of goals. At Mississippi Gulf Coast, Story was an All-State and All-Region selection.

Story attended Pass Christian High School where he was a member of the Beta Club and the Honor Roll. For eight years, Story competed on the Gulf Coast United Club Team. Story is the son of Jonathan and Regina Story.

Coach Mulrooney on Ian Story
Ian is a transfer coming from Mississippi Gulf Coast CC and we are happy to have him join us this spring. He is a player who has size, athleticism, and skills to be a dominant center back at the Division I level. Along with that, we believe Ian will bring immediate experience and leadership to our team who just graduated two starting center backs. We are pleased that Ian has decided to join us this spring.

Edgar Alaniz, Jr.
Midfielder | 5-7 | Freshman
Houston, Texas | Jersey Village High School

Edgar Alaniz, Jr. joins the Memphis Tigers from Jersey Village High School under the direction of Clinton Dyer where he helped lead his 2016 squad to the District Championship with a 10-2-1 overall record. Alaniz, a forward in high school, was named the All-District Offensive MVP and Second-Team All-State after scoring 19 goals in 13 games with eight assists.

Alaniz is a member of the Texans SC Houston Academy where he has played for six years. Dating back to 2013, Alaniz was a two-time Texans U16 Academy Player's Player of the Year.

In addition to playing soccer, Alaniz was a member of the FFA Club and the National Honor Society. Alaniz is the son of Edgar and Valeria Alaniz.

Coach Mulrooney on Edgar Alaniz
Edgar is a player out of the Texans SC Houston Academy and a player we feel that can play multiple positions and be very good at all of them. He is very quick and explosive and has an incredible change of pace, allowing him to do well at the collegiate level. He is technically sound and composed on the ball which again makes him a bit of utility player as to where we can play him. At the end of the day, we know wherever Edgar steps on the field for us he can contribute because of all his attributes.

Luke Biasi
Midfielder | 5-11 | Freshman
Buford, Ga. | Flowery Branch High School

Luke Biasi, a native of Buford, Ga., joins the Tigers after competing with the United Futbol Academy last season. In addition to his experience with the UFA, Biasi has six years of experience with the Atlanta Fire United and a year with the Georgia United DA. With UFA, Biasi led his team to a 7-0-2 record and a Region Championship. The National League recognized Biasi in 2016.

In high school, Biasi excelled in the classroom. Not only was he a member of DECA and the Spanish Honors Society, Biasi completed the Foreign Language Pathway, was an AP Scholar Award recipient, and was ranked in the top five percent of his graduating class.

Biasi is the son of Lou and Frank Biasi.

Coach Mulrooney on Luke Biasi
Luke joins us from United Futbol Association out of Atlanta and we feel he is a very exciting piece to add to this class. Not only can he be dangerous in 1-v-1 situations in the attacking third, he can also play with his back to the goal and hold players off. He is a great addition to this class due to his versatility on the field and his excellent technique and understanding of the game.

Brantley Bice
Forward | 6-0 | Freshman
Moore, Okla. | Southmoore High School

A two-sport athlete, Brantley Bice joins the Tiger squad from Moore, Okla. Bice lettered in both soccer and football and has multiple accolades to his name. On the soccer pitch, Bice has been named All-District and All-Conference. As a junior, Bice scored 31 goals with 12 assists while in his career at Southmoore he has a total of 52 goals and 25 assists. His 52 career goals rank him as the leading goal scorer in Southmoore history. At Southmoore, Bice was led by Kit Stephenson.

Bice comes from a soccer family as his father is a college soccer coach and his mother and sister both played soccer in college.

For seven years, Bice competed with the Norman Celtic, 98' Club Team. While on the team, Bice was a two-time Man of the Match in the 2016 College Cup Showcase. Bice was responsible for scoring two goals including the game-winner in the 3-2 victory over OFC to send his team to the State Finals.

Bice is the son of Zach and Lori Bice.

Coach Mulrooney on Brantley Bice
Brantley will be joining us from the Norman Celtic Soccer Club out of Oklahoma. We feel he can play as a #9, #10, or on either flank because of his good feet as well as his ability to create goal-scoring opportunities for himself and others around him. He glides with ease when on the ball which helps put defenders on their heels and we feel that given all these abilities he will gel well with his teammates on the field.

Marcus Brooks
Defender | 6-0 | Freshman
Brampton, Canada | Castlebrooke Secondary School

Marcus Brooks comes to Memphis from Brampton, Canada where he was a two-sport athlete at Castlebrooke Secondary School. In addition to soccer, Brooks was a linebacker and running back on the football team.

Brooks has competed on multiple club teams, most recently with Vaughan Azzuri for the last two seasons. Last year, Brooks helped lead his team to a 16-4-2 overall record. As a member of Brampton Youth the four years prior to Vaughan Azzuri, Brooks was on three championship teams in 2012, 2013, 2014. Brooks competed on the Vaughan Azzuri team with fellow newcomer Zachary Zitoli under the direction of Patrice Geiser.

At Castlebrooke Secondary School, Brooks was involved in the Bullying Prevention Program as well as the Athletic Council. He was named the Athlete of the Year, a three-time football Most Valuable Player, and a two-time soccer Most Valuable Player during his time at Castlebrooke.

Brooks is the son of Laura and Mark Brooks.

Coach Mulrooney on Marcus Brooks
As a player out of the Vaughan SC, we believe Marcus is a one of a kind talent that has a ton to offer to the team. We find him to be a very powerful, explosive player that brings a great first touch on the ball that will do him well in tough situations along our backline next year. Defensively, he is very difficult to get around 1-v-1 and has no trouble winning aerial challenges. Along with that and depending upon where we play him, he can easily join in the attack by offering his technical ability as well as athleticism. Marcus is a great addition not only to our backline, but also to our team in general and we are happy to have him join us.

Alex Bruce
Forward | 6-1 | Freshman
Newcastle, England | Tompkins High School

Alex Bruce comes to Memphis from Houston, Texas where he is attending Tompkins High School. Last year, Bruce led his Tompkins High School squad to a 14-7-4 overall record and was named First-Team All-State and the District Offensive Most Valuable Player. In 2016 alone, Bruce scored 22 goals and was credited with 12 assists.

Bruce is a native of Newcastle, England. He is a member of the Texans SC Houston Academy along with Edgar Alaniz and Bryant Huerta. He is the son of Robert and Katrina Bruce.

Coach Mulrooney on Alex Bruce
Alex comes to us from the Texans SC Houston Academy which is a club we have followed extremely closely for the past couple years. Alex is as complete a forward as I've seen come out of high school in quite some time. His composure on finishing in the box is second to none and his movement to set up the finish is probably the more impressive part to that equation. His understanding of runs on and off the ball is off the charts and that is what makes him a complete team player. In our eyes, he will not only get himself stats for us in years to come, but for his teammates as well.

Bryant Huerta
Midfielder | 5-6 | Freshman
Houston, Texas | Cypress Woods High School

Bryant Huerta joins the Tigers out of the Texans SC Houston Academy where he has played for the last 14 years. Huerta is a two-time captain of his U18 Academy team and as a junior, he started in every game. Huerta plays on the Texans with Edgar Alaniz and Alex Bruce.

In 2013, Huerta played in the 2013 U.S. Soccer DA Select Game and also played in the MUPC in England as a guest player with the Dallas Texans.

Huerta is the son of Miguel and Maribel Huerta.

Coach Mulrooney on Bryant Huerta
Bryant is another product of the Texans SC Houston Academy and we feel like we got a diamond in the rough from all that he offers on the field. A true defensive midfielder with a relentless work ethic and never say die attitude is just a part of what Bryant brings to our team. He has a smooth technical ability, which leads to making the correct decision on the ball by setting up other teammates. He reads the game extremely well which allows for him to cover tons of ground to either break plays up or start the attack for his team.

Zachary Zitoli
Midfielder | 5-5 | Freshman
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada | Bill Crothers SS

Zachary Zitoli joins Mulrooney's squad out of the Vaughan Azzuri Club in Canada. Zitoli attended Bill Crothers Secondary School, but never played soccer in high school due to devoting time to Vaughan Azzuri and Toronto FC Academy from 2012-15. In two of the three seasons with Toronto, Zitoli was the team's leading goal-scorer.

In all, Zitoli has played over seven seasons of club soccer and has been a member of the U16 Canadian Youth National Team. Zitoli played on Vaughan Azzuri with fellow Memphis newcomer Marcus Brooks under the direction of Patrice Geiser.

Zitoli is the son of Maria and Tony Zitoli.

Coach Mulrooney on Zachary Zitoli
Zachary comes to us from the well-known Vaughan SC out of Toronto and is a player who has represented his country at the youth level. That speaks volumes to the type of talent he possesses. He is a very quick player who likes to play on the flank, bringing great technical ability as well as a fire and passion that can ignite a play at any time. Zitoli brings a level of commitment and effort every time he steps on the field and that is why we think his impact will be tremendous for our team on and off the field.

University of Memphis Athletics

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