DALLAS (SMU) - SMU head men?s soccer coach Schellas Hyndman announced the signing of eight student-athletes for this coming fall season. They include Paulo Da Silva (Colleyville, Texas), Bruno Guarda (Cedar Hill, Texas), Jeff Harwell (Dallas, Texas), Daniel Lopez (Dallas, Texas), Kevin Mackey (Mesquite, Texas), Ryan Mirsky (Tyler, Texas), Richard Oliva (Flower Mound, Texas), and Luiz Rizental (Austin, Texas). Seven of SMU?s newest members are current players on the national powerhouse Dallas Texans club team.
?We are ecstatic to have these recruits join us at SMU,? states Hyndman. ?We believe this is a great class for us and will contribute to our program right away. This is a fantastic group of new players. They are proven winners with their club teams and great young men off the field. Each of these players fill an important need for us and it will be a lot of fun to see how they develop in the next four years. It is great that we have a group of players exclusively from Texas with seven from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. These student-athletes bring great pride in their hometown to SMU. It will be exciting to have their friends and parents in the crowd supporting our team as we strive to achieve our goals.?
Paulo Da Silva is a 5-8 forward who attends Oakridge School in Arlington, Texas. A member of the Dallas Texans club team, Da Silva also played soccer with Santos Futebol Club (1998-2001) which won Associacao Paulista de Futebol in 1999, the Nike cup in 2000, and the Associacao Paulista de Futebol title in 2000. An adidas ESP participant, Da Silva is also an NSCAA All America selection and SPC All South Zone (2003-04). Named Oakridge MVP the last two years, he was selected the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. ?Paulo is a natural goal scorer who works very hard to create chances for himself and others,? says Hyndman. ?Having watched Paulo for a long time, he will be a great addition to our team and university. Paulo can score with either foot and has a very infectious personality. All of his coaches in Brazil and the U.S. have nothing but great things to say about what kind of player and teammate Paulo will be.?
A 5-8 midfielder, Bruno Guarda joins current teammate Paulo Da Silva at SMU. Guarda also attends Oakridge School in Arlington, Texas. His club team affiliations include XV de Piracicaba ? Brasil (1998-2000), Capivariano ? Brasil (2000-02) and the Dallas Texans (2002-2005). Bruno?s achievements and awards include team awards (1998-2000 campeao regional, 2001 campeao da liga de piracicaba, and 2001 campeao do estado). The Dallas Texans earned the State Cup and the Classic League championships the last three years. The Dallas Texans also captured the 2003 Dallas Cup. At Oakridge, Bruno was named SPC all team and all south zone the last two years. ?Bruno is a great addition to our team and can play a variety of different positions in attack,? states Hyndman. ?Bruno is exceptionally skilled and works very hard when defending. He has been a part of great teams both in his native Brazil and in the United States with the Dallas Texans. It will be very exciting to see him play with the players we have here at SMU.?
Jeff Harwell is a 5-7 midfielder and attends Jesuit College Prep. A current member of the Dallas Texans club team, Harwell is also a member of the United States U-20 Men?s National Team Pool. He is a USYSA ODP National All-Star Team 2005 and named to the Region III team. Harwell was selected to the Dallas Morning News All-State team as a junior and earned District Offensive MVP honors as well. Named Varsity MVP in 2004, he is serving as team captain at Jesuit this season. ?Jeff is an exciting young player,? says Hyndman. ?He plays with relentless energy and passion for the game. He has fantastic technique and works very hard on both sides of the ball. Jeff is a prototypical midfielder for SMU and he has a very bright future. He will be a marvelous addition to our team!?
A 5-8 defensive midfielder, Daniel Lopez attends Red Oak High School and has served as team captain for his high school team the last three years. He has also served as team captain for the club team, the Dallas Texans. A member of Who's Who Among American High School Students since 2004, Lopez is a two-time District 9-4A MVP and was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas All-State and All-Region teams in 2003. His high school team won the state championship (4A) in 2003 and was named to the State 4A All Tournament Team in 2003 as well. Lopez was named the Dallas Morning News All Southwest Team MVP (2003) and to the Dallas Morning News second team midfielder (2003). In 2002, he was named Newcomer of the Year and was selected to the North Texas State Team in 2002 and 2003. ?Daniel is a fantastic young player and is a leader both on and off the field,? states Hyndman. ?He is a terrific young player who has fantastic positional sense and can both pass and defend. He is very bright and can direct the game from the field. Daniel has the ability to compete and play right away.?
Kevin Mackey is a 6-2 defender and attends Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas. A four-year starter for Mesquite Poteet, Kevin is serving as team captain his senior season. Selected All-District Defensive MVP in 2004, he earned Dallas Morning News Player of the Week honors and District All-Academic first team honors. His high school team captured the district championship and was a regional finalist in 2004. As a sophomore, he was named to the All-City first team as a defender. Kevin has been a member of the Dallas Texans the last eight years and helped his squad to various championships (six Classic League titles, Dallas Cup championship, Premier League championship, and Disney championship). The Texans also earned four state titles and was a national semifinalist. ?Kevin is a big, strong defender with very good speed,? says Hyndman. ?He is great in the air and is very hard on the tackle. Kevin gives us some depth on the left side of defense, and physically can contribute right away.?
Ryan Mirsky is a 6-2 defender and attends Tyler Lee High School in Tyler, Texas. An NSCAA All-America selection, Ryan has attended ESP camp and was a member of the ?86 and ?85 Region III teams and state team. In addition, he is a member of the National Honor Society, serves as team captain of high school team, and is a member of the Dallas Texans club team. Listed in ?Who's Who Among American High School Students?, Ryan is a three-time All-District selection and is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. ?Ryan is a fantastic player,? says Hyndman. ?He is big, strong, and very fast. He has competed well for his club team and for the regional team. He uses his size and stature well in the box and has great feet. I look forward to seeing him to come and compete for time right away and watch him improve during his four years at SMU.?
A 6-1 outside midfielder, Richard Oliva comes to SMU from Flower Mound High School, where he has enjoyed an outstanding high school career. A three-time All-District 7-5A selection, Richard was twice named to the All-Denton County and All-Region teams. He also earned All-Northeast Tarrant County honors as a sophomore. As a senior, Richard was honored with NSCAA/adidas All-State and All-America honors. He currently holds his high school records in every offensive category (career goals, goals in a single season, goals in a single game, assists in a single season, and assists in a single game). As a member of the Dallas Texans club team, Richard has scored 218 goals for the Texans ? a team which records a 298-37-21 mark. ?Richard is a fantastic talent who has continued to improve the last few years,? states Hyndman. ?He can play effectively on both sides of midfield and as a forward. We are fortunate to have Richard as part of our program. We expect great things from him in the years to come!?
A 6-1 defender from Austin, Texas, Luiz Rizental currently attends Cedar Park High School and is a member of the Austin Capitals club team. He is also a member of the South Texas ODP state team. ?Luiz has a lot of upside as he has played for a great coach in Rob Weaver with the Austin Capitals,? states Hyndman. ?Luiz has very good feet and great size. He has the ability to contribute to the team at a variety of positions.?
