HOBOKEN, N.J. (May 14, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team will welcome six new members in the Class of 2017 this fall as the Ducks look to improve on last year's Round of 16 appearance in the NCAA Championship.

The incoming recruiting class will include midfielder Nick DeFelice (Lincroft, N.J.), defender Mike Flinn (Schwenksville, Pa.), defender Gerald Lamina (Moorestown, N.J.), midfielder Patrick Masur (Bridgewater, N.J.), forward Jay Mikula (Howell, N.J.) and goalkeeper Mike Renna (Basking Ridge, N.J.).  The group boasts a multitude of All-State, All-Region, All-Conference and All-County accolades as well several as academic honors and a state championship.

“I am excited to welcome all the members of this outstanding class,” Head Coach Devin Rensing said.  “They are first and foremost all high-character individuals and tremendous students as well as fantastic soccer players.  They have all shown a commitment to excel and improve both in the classroom and on the field, and with most of them being from the state of New Jersey, we are continuing our strong tradition of bringing in the best and brightest student-athletes from the Garden State.”

A three-star recruit at TopDrawerSoccer.com, DeFelice comes in as one of the headliners of the class, having been named First Team A-North as a senior with a 2011 New Jersey Non-public A state championship to his name at Christian Brothers Academy while also playing club ball with NJSA 04.

 “Nick is a very technical center-mid who has a lot of potential,” Rensing said.  “He is a tough player and knows how to play the game.  He comes from a great club team in NJSA with fellow recruit Jay Mikula and we feel that he has the ability to increase the level of this team.”

 A left-footed wingback, Flinn is a multiple Academic All-League honoree from Perkiomen Valley High School who boasts a rare blend of attacking and defensive skills.  He also played travel ball with Harleysville FC Premier.

“Mike will be a good addition to Stevens men's soccer,” Rensing said.  “He came to our clinic last year and was very good.  He has a special left foot and has the potential to play on either the wing or at left back.  We think that, with a year or two under his belt, Mike has the potential to be a quality player for this program.”

Lamina is one of the more decorated players coming into the team, having been named First Team All-South Jersey, All-State South Section and All-Conference (Liberty Division), Second Team All-County (Burlington County) and Third Team All-State as one of the top 45 field players in New Jersey while at Moorestown High School.  The defender played club ball for the Cherry Hill Phoenix '94.

“Gerald is a quality player who has the ability to make an impact for us at either outside back position or potentially on the wing,” Rensing said.  “He is a smart player that goes forward well and is technically sound.”

Masur is an attack-minded midfielder who led Bridgewater Raritan High School to a County Championship and state runner-up finish in his first year as a Varsity starter as a junior.  Able to play as a traditional No. 10 or out on the wing, he was named First Team All-County and All-Conference as a senior while playing club ball for two-time New Jersey State Cup champions PDA Harkes, helping the team advance to the Region 1 Championships final.

“Patrick comes from a great soccer family and is, unsurprisingly, a very smart player,” Rensing said.  “He keeps the ball exceptionally well and knows how to play the game.  He has the ability to play in a number of positions and we expect him to challenge for time right away.  We look forward to him being a part of the program in the years to come.”

Mikula, a teammate of DeFelice's at NJSA 04, is a two-time Second Team All-State selection who led Colts Neck High School to division titles in sophomore and junior years.

“Jay is an good athlete with great speed,” Rensing said.  “What I think is great about Jay that he gets the job done, whether it is sending over quality crosses from the wing or getting goals when playing up top.  A lot of players have a lot of flash but don't get anywhere; that is not Jay – he is technically sound, a good athlete and produces.”

Renna caps the class as another three-star TopDrawerSoccer.com recruit who has spent time in the Olympic Development Program (Tampa, Fla.) and Players Development Academy (PDA) U18 Team.  The Gill St. Bernard's School graduate's resume is littered with individual accolades, including First Team All-County (Coaches Selection and Star-Ledger), First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Prep B, Second Team All-State (Non-public) and Second Team All-Area (Courier News).  Renna set incredible school records for shutouts in both a single season (15) and career (46) while being named the 2013 NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete.

“Mike comes from an outstanding club program in Players Development Academy and has received some fantastic goalkeeper training from Mike Romeo,” Rensing said.  “He is a very confident, brave player and as tough as they come.  He is technically very good and a good athlete.  The men's soccer program at Stevens has had a great tradition with some of the best goalies in the country with recent graduates Zach Carr and current goalkeeper Paul Killian, and we expect Mike to be in that same mold.”

The Ducks finished last season ranked No. 10 in the nation with an 18-3-1 record after claiming their sixth straight Empire 8 Athletic Conference title and making their 12^th straight NCAA Championship appearance, where they defeated No. 23 Methodist University, 2-0, in the First Round and Haverford College, 3-0, in the Second Round.  The Ducks posted a nine-game shutout streak that lasted over 1,000 minutes before the University of Scranton pulled the 1-0 upset in the Round of 16.  Four players were named All-Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association, with Victor Daza and Leonardo Casas earning All-America status (NSCAA, D3Soccer.com) and Paul Killian tabbed the National Goalkeeper of the Year by D3Soccer.com.

“We are all very excited about the upcoming season and feel that this class adds a great amount of depth and ability to an already-talented team here at Stevens,” Rensing said.  “I would especially like to thank both of my assistant coaches, Niko Gkionis and Zach Carr, for their hard work in helping to bring this class together.  We all feel that this class will enable us to continue pushing to be one of the best Division III teams in the nation.”

The Fall 2013 schedule will be released later this week; be sure to check back as well as follow us on Twitter: @StevensDucks and “like” us on Facebook at StevensAthletics.