OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha men's soccer head coach Jason Mims announced the signing of six student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Thursday.
The six players committed include two are transfers and four true freshmen. They will join previously announced signees Elvir Ibisevic, Joey McCain and Seth Rinderknecht, all of whom were part of UNO's Top 25 recruiting class according to Topdrawersoccer.com.
"We are so excited with all of the new faces we are bringing to Omaha but we would be remiss if we did not mention our seniors that are gone," said Mims. "Our hope is this exciting and energetic new class can maintain these standards and raise the bar even higher as they create their own legacy here at Omaha."
The following is a list of the new incoming players sorted by position:
Forwards
Oluwagbemiga Hamzat (5-10) | Forward | West Valley College (CA)
Hamzat led West Valley College (CA) to a 31-8-5 mark over his two seasons and was twice named team MVP. He was twice selected as a NSCAA All-American, including a first-team selection in 2013. In his final season at WVC, he had 35 points on 13 goals and nine assists. During his career, Hamzat produced 83 points on 26 goals and 31 assists. He will be a junior at UNO with two seasons of eligibility remaining and becomes the third Viking to come to Omaha following the paths of former Mavs Matt Grosey and Thomas Torres.
Fred Frimpong (6-0) | Forward | Ankeny High School
Frimpong is a three-year varsity letter winner and two-time all-state performer for Ankeny High School. During his senior season, he keyed the Hawks to a 12-8 record as they won the CIML Eastern Division championship and advanced to the Iowa High School state tournament. This spring, Frimpong led his team with 43 points on 14 goals and 15 assists and garnered Class 3A First Team All-State accolades. He received all-state honorable mention honors as a junior after racking up a team-high 28 points on 11 goals and six assists. Frimpong has also been a member of the Iowa Rush Soccer Club and has been a part of the ODP State and Regional teams.
Midfielders
Aladeen Younes (6-0) | Midfielder | Qatar International School
Younes, originally from Mesa, Ariz., completed his high school education at the Qatar International School. He has represented the Libyan U-20 national team in African Cup qualifying, where they lost in the final qualifying round to Ivory Coast. Younes has six caps and two goals for that team.
Defenders
Ray Barajas (5-9) | Defender | Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Barajas appeared in 14 matches with five starts over two seasons with Loyola Marymount University, primarily at left back. Last season, he had one assist in 408 minutes of action and was a West Coast Conference All-Academic Honorable Mention selection. Prior to attending LMU, Barajas graduated from Glendora High School and played his club soccer for the Chivas U.S.A. Academy, the LA Galaxy Academy and Fram Soccer Club.
Goalkeepers
Jose Camberos (6-1) | Goalkeeper | Oak Park High School (Mo.)
Camberos won three varsity letters at Oak Park High School. During his senior season, he helped the Northmen to a conference and district championship with a 20-6 record. Camberos earned Class 4 Honorable Mention All-State honors along with first-team all-conference and all-district distinctions. He spent his junior year as a member of the Sporting Kansas City Academy. Camberos played for the three-time Kansas State Cup Champions, Sporting Blue Valley Pre-Academy 97-98.
Ugo Tritz (5-11) | Goalkeeper | Lycée Louis de Cormontaigne (France)
A 5 foot 11 inch goalkeeper from France, Tritz played club soccer for US Jarny (U6-U8) and most recently for FC Metz (U9-U19). During his tenure with FC Metz, he earned call-ups to the U17 French National Team.
Information on previous signees
The trio joined the program at the start of classes in January and trained with the team during the spring.
Elvir Ibisevic (6-2) | Forward | Johnston High School
Ibisevic has made two appearances for the United States' U-17 national team and plays club soccer for Sporting Iowa. He has also represented Sporting Kansas City's academy team on number of occasions. As a sophomore at Johnston High School, Ibisevic scored 20 goals for the Dragons. He missed his junior season as was part of the US National Team residency program in Bradenton, Fla.
Joey McCain (5-9) | Defender | Papillion LaVista South High School
McCain joined UNO after graduating early from Papillion LaVista South High School. The defender has been a member of four-straight Nebraska State Cup Championship teams, including the last two with the Omaha Football Club. Last season, he earned second team all-state and all-metro honors. During his high school career, McCain had 18 points on six goals and six assists in 37 games.
Seth Rinderknecht (6-3) | Defender | Cedar Rapids Prairie High School
Rinderknecht comes to Omaha from a winning background. The former Cedar Rapids Prairie High School standout led his club team, CRSA, to four straight Iowa State Cup championships. Rinderknecht earned first team all-state honors during his junior season at Prairie. He has also been a member of the Region II ODP team and captained the team during its international tour of Costa Rica.
