NEWARK, DE -- The University of Delaware men's soccer team has added nine student-athletes for the 2007 season, head coach Ian Hennessy announced on Friday.

Announcing their intention to attend Delaware are E.J. Alvarado (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo HS), Stephen Cavalier (Aston, PA/Salesianum), Courtney Hewitt (Bowie, MD/Archbishop Carroll), John Koutsounadis (Flushing, NY/Francis Lewis HS), Kevin Mitten (Dover, DE/Salesianum), Tolu Ololowafe (Bear, DE/Glasgow HS), Ben Rodkey (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial HS), Conrad Rusnak (Glenwood, NJ/Vernon Township HS), and Demar Stephenson (Upper Marlboro, MD/Archbishop Carroll).

"This is a class rich on quality, not only as players but as individuals," Hennessy (at right) said of the recruiting class. "They are a classy group of young men who will serve the Delaware community well on the field, in the classroom and in many of the local community projects that our squad is involved in. With a strength of schedule that is arguably the toughest in school history, I expect our RPI to be one of the toughest in the country this year with the addition of Duke, NC State and Rutgers and two other teams that made it to the NCAA tournament last year. I believe, with the pedigree of this class and the strength of our returning team, these are games that we can win. I would not have scheduled these games if I felt we could not be competitive."

Below are profiles of the new Delaware recruits:

E.J. Alvarado (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo HS): A former NY/NJ Red Bull player, Alvarado joins the Blue Hens from the well known Ironbound club in New Jersey. He is a three-time all-state player and enjoyed a successful senior year with Ramapo High School in 2006.
Coach Hennessy's comments: "EJ is very competitive and carries an edge to him that will see him do well in college."

Stephen Cavalier (Aston, PA/Salesianum/U. of Pittsburgh): Cavalier was a three-time first-team all-state and regional All-America selection...named an Adidas All-American, National All-American, and Gatorade All-American as a senior...played in two USYSA National Championships....led F.C. Delco to USYSA National Championship in 2001...also is the school record-holder in the 400-meters. A transfer from the University of Pittsburgh, Cavalier started in 31 contests and registered five career points.
Coach Hennessy's comments: "Steve has very good pedigree as a Delco player and will be a super contributor at Delaware."

Courtney Hewitt (Bowie, MD/Upper Marlboro HS): Courtney was a member of the Maryland Olympic Development Program 2006 team. In high school at Archbishop Carroll he was WCAC all-conference as a junior in 2005.
Coach Hennessy's comments: "Courtney has a wonderful perspective on the game and on winning and will enjoy time as a freshman."

John Koutsounadis (Flushing, NY/Francis Lewis HS): Koutsounadis was a member of a very talented ENY Olympic Development Program in 2006 and captained both his Kosmos club and high school season. He was the 2005 Tampa Bay Sun Bowl MVP and attended the Super Y national camp that same year.
Coach Hennessy's comments: " John is a gifted player, with a spontaneity and creativity that I am a big fan of."

Kevin Mitten (Dover, DE/Salesianum): A native of Delaware, Mitten is an all-state and ODP player out of Salesianum High School. At Salesianum Mitten enjoyed three state titles and his squad recently finished the 2006 season ranked 12th in the nation by the NSCAA.
Coach Hennessy's comments: "A tremendous athlete, once Kevin finds his feet I believe he has a huge upside and can be one of the best defenders in the conference."

Tolu Ololowafe (Bear, DE/Glasgow HS/ U of Michigan): The 2003 Delaware State NSCAA player of the year finished his four-year varsity career with 72 goals. Olowolafe earned all-state honors three of those four campaigns, and is a two-time NSCAA High School All-American. Ololowafe transfers from the University of Michigan where he played for two years, scoring twice.
Coach Hennessy's comments: "Tolu is a very pacy player, and I am sure that he is looking to make his mark on the college circuit. I think he has all the motivation in the world to be successful at Delaware."

Ben Rodkey (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial HS): Another NJ All-State selection, Rodkey was also the Star Ledger Ocean County player of the year in 2006. Rodkey was a member of the New Jersey ODP team in 2006.
Coach Hennessy's comments: " Ben plays the game with a wonderful simplicity, which allows him to control the flow of games. I have great faith in his vision of the game."

Conrad Rusnak (Glenwood, NJ/Vernon Township HS): A regional ODP player, Rusnak was a New Jersey all-state pick in 2006. The Vernon native is a starting member of the Red Bulls club team crowned New Jersey state champions in 2006. Rusnak recently traveled to California with the Region 1 ODP team that included fellow Delaware recruit Demar Stephenson.
Coach Hennessy's comments: "Conrad is a very enthusiastic young man, whom I believe has the quality of leadership that great goalkeepers need. As a regional player I expect that he will compete for a spot from the start."

Demar Stephenson (Upper Marlboro, MD/Archbishop Carroll): A standout for Archbishop Carroll High School in Maryland, Stephenson also plays club soccer with the Bethesda Mavericks. He is also a member of the Region 1 ODP team that traveled to California in January and played for the Maryland State ODP squad in 2006.
Coach Hennessy's comments: "Demar has electric pace and a fantastic attitude. He loves to be challenged and I don't think will have difficulty transitioning to college."