Feb. 11, 2004

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern University's Men's Soccer Head Coach Tim Lenahan has announced the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent. They will join the Northwestern program in 2004.

Lenahan landed one in-state prospect and signed three others from some of the best high school soccer locations in the United States. Matt Witt, a Wheaton, Ill. native joins David Roth (St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade College Prep), Will Briley (Longview, Texas/Longview) and Drew Ratner (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal) to round out the class.

"I am really pleased with the recruiting class," said Lenahan. "Without losing too many players over the next couple years, we did not need to bring in the large classes that we have the previous two years. We did, however, meet our needs by adding a dynamic attacking player in David Roth and provided depth in the defense and goal with Drew, Matt and Will."

"All four players have a chance to contribute immediately and help the continued development of our program. We have added players from the top club teams in the nation from Busch in St. Louis, the Sockers FC in Chicago, and Solar in Dallas. We recruited in areas of the country known for outstanding soccer. We feel as though we have made four solid additions to our program."

NORTHWESTERN MEN'S SOCCER SIGNEE BIOS

Will Briley
Longview, Texas/Longview
GK * 6-4
High School: Broke previous career shutout school record in only three years ... Four-year starter ... Three-time all-district selection.

Club: Currently playing with the DFW Tejanos, one of Texas' top club teams ... Previously played for the Longview Elite in the Dallas Classic league.

ODP: Four-year participant ... Starting goalkeeper for the North Texas state team ... Trained with Major League Soccer's Dallas Burn in 2003.

Personal: Born William Briley on 3/21/86 ... Son of Steve and Janine Briley ... Chose Northwestern over Centenary and Saint Louis.

Coach Lenahan's comments: "Will is a big goalkeeper with great size and a work ethic to match. The several times we have seen him play, he kept his team in the game. He was one of the top goalkeepers in Texas, a soccer hotbed."

Drew Ratner
Dallas, Texas/Episcopal
D * 6-2
High School: Four-year starter ... Two-time all-Southwest Preparatory Conference selection ... Named All-MISC in 2002 ... All-North Zone selection in 2002, '03 ... Named Most Valuable Defensive Player in 2002 ... Voted Team MVP as senior ... Member of 2002 lacrosse state championship team.

Club/ODP: Eight-year member of Solar Soccer Club, where he has served as captain ... Classic League Division I Grand Champions in 2001, '03 ... Member of the State Cup Semifinalist teams from 2001-03 ... Disney Showcase semifinalist in 2001 ... Dallas Cup semifinalist in 2003.

Personal: Parents are Claudia and Dr. Ian Ratner ... Born 10/16/85 ... Chose Northwestern over Furman, Richmond and Cornell.

Coach Lenahan comments: "Drew is an absolute warrior on the field. He has a tremendous ability in the air and a winning mentality. He should be a force for the program and the Big Ten in the not too distant future."

David Roth
St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade College Prep
MF * 5-8
High School: Two-year starter ... As captain, led team to state-runner up in 2003 ... First-team All-Metro (2003), First-team All-State (2003) ... NSCAA All-Midwest (2003) ... Missouri Offensive Player of the Year (2003) ... Named Chaminade's MVP as senior ... Member of 2001 state and national championship team ... Played on state championship team in 2002 ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Four-year honor roll student.

Club: Eight-year member of the Busch Soccer Club which won the state championship three consecutive years (2001-03) ... Regional runner-up in 2001-02 ... Regional semifinalist (2003) ... attended the Adidas Elite Soccer Program in 2003 for nation's top 150 players.

Personal: Born David Anthony Roth on 12/4/85 ... Son of James and Peggy Roth ... Chose Northwestern over Michigan.

Coach Lenahan's Comments: "Dave is a dynamic player with a personality to match. We had him rated as the best player in St. Louis, which is one of the top prep soccer areas in the country. His one vs. one ability and overall game savvy should help him have an immediate impact in the Big Ten."

Matt Witt
Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville
D * 6-2
High School: Four-year starter ... IHSA All-State selection in 2002 ... Three-time IHSA All-Sectional selection (2001-03) ... Three-time All-DVC Conference Selection (2001-03) ... Named defensive MVP from 2001-03 ... Voted team's MVP in 2002.

Club: Four-year member of the Chicago Sockers ... As captain, led Sockers to Region II finals in 2002 ... Member of the USL Super "Y" League national championship team ... Team won Nike Premier Cup National Championship.

ODP: Three-year member of Illinois state team ... 2003 U-17 Super Y League Region II ODP Pool.

Personal: Parents are Scott and Pam Witt ... Chose Northwestern over Wisconsin-Milwaukee, DePaul, Vanderbilt and Marquette ... Born 12/9/85.

Coach Lenahan's Comments: "Matt is another big and athletic body who really gives us depth in the back. He has the ability to dominate games and was instrumental in his club team making the Region II finals. With the right training mentality, Matt could be a great player at Northwestern."