Last February, head coach Jeremy Fishbein and the rest of the Lobo men’s soccer staff got what Top Drawer Soccer ranked as the fifth-best recruiting class in the country.
The head coach said he feels just as confident about this year’s signings.
Four new players signed National Letters of Intent and will be ready to join the University of New Mexico in the fall: Nick Barreiro, Bailey Letherman, Nicolas Taylor and Alex Vedamanikam.
“Every class you bring in is an A+, you got to believe that,” Fishbein said. “You believe in these guys, you’re excited. They are our future, so yeah, I think they are all going to be stars. You don’t bring them in if you don’t feel they are capable of that.”
Nick Barreiro is a 5’10 defender whose soccer career has spanned more than one state. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Barreiro was part of the New Mexico Olympic Developmental Program, as El Paso players are welcome to play in New Mexico.
For the past two years, he has been in Arizona with the Academy Real Salt Lake U18 team, a U.S. Soccer Development team that is currently ranked first in its division and fifth in the nation. He has been doing well there, serving as team captain and starting in every match.
Alex Vedamanikam is another player with RSL ties. The 5’11” Albuquerque native has been with the team for three years as a forward/attacking midfielder. From 2014 to 2017, he contributed with 45 goals and 17 assists.
He began his career with an invitation to the New Mexico Rush Select in 2014 and 2015. Today, his experience goes as far as attending the U.S. Men’s National Team U18 camp last January.
Vedamanikam’s story might sound familiar to some Lobo fans, as current UNM player Aaron Herrera is also a New Mexico native with ties to RSL and the national team.
In fact, four Lobos from the 2016 fall roster have RSL listed on their resumes, so Barreiro and Vedamanikam will have something in common with some of their future teammates.
Nicolas Taylor, like Barreiro, is another 5’10 player from Texas. He is a Texas Gatorade Player of the Year Runner-Up and has earned District MVP honors.
Last season, Taylor led his Coppell High School team to the Texas UIL 6A State Championship. In 26 games, he helped out with 24 goals and 19 assists.
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Outside of school, the forward plays with Dallas Texans Red U99, where in 11 games, he has recorded 13 goals and six assists.
Bailey Letherman is not as physically close to New Mexico as the other three recruits, but his experience is just as good.
The 5’10 midfielder from Sammamish, WA has served as captain of the Academy Crossfire Premier U17/18 team for the past two seasons. He’s been a starter for the past three.
Letherman is a two-time U.S. Club Soccer ID2 Program selection, and was named 2014 Washington Youth Soccer State Championships Best XI.
Fishbein said all four new players will be a good fit for the UNM soccer program not just on the field, but also academically and in the community. Every year the team is different, and the coach said he is looking forward to seeing how 2017 will play out.
“You never replace graduating players, you bring in guys with special attributes who are going to impact the program,” he said. “Returning guys change, grow, mature — they are going to fill new roles. As a collective unit, I’m excited.”
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She mainly covers men’s soccer and basketball. She can be reached at sports @dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
