(MSUB Athletics release)
BILLINGS – The five newest additions to the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team were announced by head coach Alex Balog on Friday, as the Yellowjackets continue to build towards the 2018 campaign.
The latest batch of signings includes three incoming freshmen and a pair of junior college transfers who are set to make their debut at MSUB next year. The quintet joins MSUB’s first early signing, Ludvig Rhodin, who is a transfer from the University of Mary.
2018 MSUB Men’s Soccer Signings
Name Position Year Hometown Previous School(s)
Adama Kante Forward Sophomore SeaTac, WA Tyee HS/Highline College
Liam Knox Defender Junior Kirkland, WA Lake Washington HS/Bellevue College
Bryan Maxwell Defender Freshman Spokane, WA Lewis & Clark HS
Dalton Mauzay Goalkeeper Freshman Cheney, WA Cheney HS
Andres Perez Midfielder/Forward Freshman Pittsburg, CA Pittsburg HS
Ludvig Rhodin Goalkeeper Senior Hoganas, Sweden Filbornaskolan/University of Mary
Adama Kante
SeaTac, Washington
Tyee High School/Highline College
5’10” – Forward
Intended Major: Business
As a sophomore in 2017, Kante ranked sixth in the NWAC and led his team with 14 goals in 17 games. The talented forward chipped in three assists for 31 total points, and placed 38 of his 46 shots on the season on target. Among his 14 goals, four of Kante’s strikes counted as game-winners for Highline. Kante was selected as an NWAC all-star and helped his team capture the league title last fall.
Prior to his collegiate career, Kante was a four-year star at Tyee High School in SeaTac, Wash., where he was a four-time all-Seamount League selection and thrice led his team in scoring.
Coach Balog on Kante: “Adama had an outstanding sophomore season at Highline. He has a nose for showing up in the right spot and is a constant offensive threat. Adama possesses a great attitude and wants to constantly get better. In our eyes, he could be one of the offensive dark horses in the GNAC next year. We are looking forward to him contributing to our offense early on.”
Kante on choosing MSUB: “I feel like MSUB is the best program for me and I want to be part of it. The school has one of the best academic programs to help students achieve great things in life.”
Liam Knox
Kirkland, Washington
Lake Washington High School/Bellevue College
5’9” – Defender
Intended Major: Business
Knox is another product of the NWAC, who will transfer to the Yellowjackets’ program with two years of experience as a collegiate defender. Last fall, Knox started 10 games and played in a dozen along the back line. His efforts in the back helped the team record a pair of shutouts on the season as well.
Knox is a graduate of Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Wash., where he was a three-year letterwinner under head coach Rod Smith. Knox earned all-KingCo 3A recognition during his junior season, after missing all of his sophomore campaign with an injury.
Coach Balog on Knox: “With the void of (2017 graduate) Alexis Chavez at the left back position, we needed to bring in a player who is able to get up and down the line and get involved offensively. Liam brings that to the table, on top of being very sound defensively. He’s been a captain and leader in the past, and has experience at the college level. We believe that experience will serve our program and him well. His quickness, passing, and ability to challenge are going to be qualities that will allow him to fight for a starting spot right away.”
Knox on choosing MSUB: “I was attracted to MSUB by the unique balance it offered: A thriving soccer program guided by a dedicated coach, a personal academic fit, and a tight-knit campus surrounded by incredible natural beauty.”
Bryan Maxwell
Spokane, Washington
Lewis & Clark High School
5’11” – Defender
Intended Major: Undecided
Maxwell participated in soccer at Lewis & Clark High School in Spokane, Wash., for four seasons, winning three letters playing primarily as a fullback and midfielder. Maxwell also served as the team captain for the Spokane Sounders from 2015-2017 aside from his high-school duties with the Tigers. In the classroom, the 5-foot-11 defender maintained honor roll status for the final three semesters of his prep career.
Coach Balog on Maxwell: “Bryan is the archetypical MSUB men’s soccer player. He has a great attitude, is a blue-collar worker, and he gets the job done on the field and in the classroom. Those characteristics got him recruited to our program. We believe Bryan will learn a lot in training and in games, but because he is a fast learner he will quickly become a valuable member of our squad. Bryan is highly motivated to come in and do well, and I foresee him becoming a player who will do very well at MSUB and in the GNAC.”
Maxwell on choosing MSUB: “I chose MSUB because of the high-quality soccer program. I like the style of play this team provides along with the competitive environment that the coaching staff has created. This opportunity will allow me to grow as a teammate and a person. Also, I like the sizes of the classes offered at MSUB, and I look forward to getting a great education.”
Dalton Mauzay
Cheney, Washington
Cheney High School
5’10” – Goalkeeper
Intended Major: Secondary Education
Set to join MSUB’s goalkeeping corps next fall, Mauzay is a versatile athlete who participated in three sports at Cheney High School. He earned three letters in goal and served as team captain as a junior and senior. In 2017, Mauzay was named most inspirational and his team’s most valuable player. One of his top high-school moments was a 6-5 penalty-kick shootout win over Pullman High school after double-overtime. In addition to soccer, Mauzay competed in wrestling for one season and was the kicker on the football team for one year as well.
Coach Balog on Mauzay: “With Dalton we are getting a very agile, dynamic, and quick goalkeeper who will provide depth at the position and push Javier (Hernandez) and Ludvig (Rhodin). We have followed Dalton for a long time and believe he’ll have a chance to maneuver himself into a great position within our program down the line. We have no doubt that with hard work he will be able to follow in the footsteps of the excellent goalkeepers we have had here and continue that tradition.”
Mauzay on choosing MSUB: “I chose MSUB because of the small class sizes, which will allow me to connect with professors on a personal level. I want to go into secondary education and give back to my community, and graduating from MSUB will look good when applying for teaching jobs in the future. Another big reason I chose MSUB was the people I met when on visits there. The kindness I felt when talking to those I met was truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to meet more.”
Andres Perez
Pittsburg, California
Pittsburg High School
5’8” – Midfielder/Forward
Intended Major: Undecided
Perez comes to MSUB after participating in soccer for four years at Pittsburg High School. He will rejoin former prep teammate Javier Hernandez, who will be a sophomore for the ‘Jackets next fall. During his tenure with the Pirates, Perez was a first-team all-Bay Valley Athletic League selection, and was picked as his team’s most valuable player as a sophomore. He was also recognized as a scholar athlete and as an academic achiever during his prep career.
Balog on Perez: “Andres comes from one of the soccer hot-spots in California. Pittsburg has produced many quality players in recent years, and is proving to be a great area to recruit from for us. We heard about Andres before seeing him play in person, and when we saw him he confirmed all the good things we had been told. He’s a very technical forward who can take players on and who is not afraid to go straight to goal. Academically, Andres gets the job done, and we believe that with his attributes he can compete for playing time right from the get-go.”
Perez on choosing MSUB: “I chose to commit to MSUB because Coach Balog showed a lot of interest in me while I was making my decision.”
MSUB went 9-10 in 2017 and finished in a tie for third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a league record of 6-6.
