University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Three Local Standouts Join UNC Asheville Men’s Soccer Program
01.17.2018 | Men's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville men's soccer with the start of the 2018 spring semester have added three to their roster for the upcoming season.
The three in Ben Katt, Evan Lewis and Izaiah Vignali all join the UNC Asheville men's soccer program out of the Western Carolina area.
"These three young men are our first players who have graduated high school early and enrolled at UNC Asheville for the spring semester," UNC Asheville men's soccer head coach Mathes Mennell said. "To be able to spend the spring in our environment will really help them to hit the ground running this fall. What makes it even more exciting is they are all local talents and have excelled for their respective high schools and for Highland Football Club, where they all played on the same team (HFC Red 99)."
Mennell knows that the trio joining the Bulldog program shows that high-quality players from the area are noticing what is being built with UNC Asheville men's soccer.
"The part that pleases me the most about these three young men choosing UNC Asheville is it says a lot about what we are doing here and it says a lot about the quality of player that our soccer community is developing," Mennell said.
A 6-foot-2, 170-pound midfielder, Katt (Feature by Mountaineer) joins the Bulldogs out of Tuscola High School. The Waynesville, N.C. native was an all-conference and all-region selection last year.
"Ben is a player that we are really quite pleased about signing," Mennell said. "He is a very rangy midfielder who has the ability to impact the game both on and off the ball. He also has a charismatic, positive personality that really adds quality to any group he is a part of. His brother, Chris Katt, was a standout player here and Ben has the potential to be that type of player and then some."
A 5-foot-11, 155-pound defender/midfielder, Evan Lewis joins the UNC Asheville men's soccer program out of Asheville, N.C. The T.C. Roberson product was all-conference and all-region last year and in 2016 he was tabbed to the Citizen-Times All-Western North Carolina Team.
"Evan is a player that you love to identify, recruit and eventually matriculate into your program," Mennell said. "He has a great engine, is left footed, is keen to play wide and loves to grind. He is going to be a nice addition to our team as a versatile left-sided player. I am always excited when we are able to add talented players from Asheville to our roster and Evan is exactly that."
Vignali is one of the most decorated recruits to ever join the UNC Asheville men's soccer program. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound midfielder from Fairview, N.C. is a 2017 United Soccer Coaches Association All-American and he was the 2017 North Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Player of the Year. An all-state selection, the A.C. Reynolds product was the 2017 WMAC Co-Player and the 2017 Citizen-Times Western North Carolina Player of the Year. Vignali also was a member of the inaugural squad for Asheville City Soccer Club in 2017.
"Izaiah is a special player," Mennell said. "He possesses all the attributes you can wish for. Great athletic ability, superb pace, fantastic technical ability, excellent tactical savvy and a palpable desire to compete are all hallmarks of his game. He has garnered a lot of honors in his young career and we think he is just getting started. We are beyond excited to work with him here at UNC Asheville."
To learn more about UNC Asheville men's soccer, please visit uncabulldogs.com.
**Photo of Vignali is by Mike Keating**
The three in Ben Katt, Evan Lewis and Izaiah Vignali all join the UNC Asheville men's soccer program out of the Western Carolina area.
"These three young men are our first players who have graduated high school early and enrolled at UNC Asheville for the spring semester," UNC Asheville men's soccer head coach Mathes Mennell said. "To be able to spend the spring in our environment will really help them to hit the ground running this fall. What makes it even more exciting is they are all local talents and have excelled for their respective high schools and for Highland Football Club, where they all played on the same team (HFC Red 99)."
Mennell knows that the trio joining the Bulldog program shows that high-quality players from the area are noticing what is being built with UNC Asheville men's soccer.
"The part that pleases me the most about these three young men choosing UNC Asheville is it says a lot about what we are doing here and it says a lot about the quality of player that our soccer community is developing," Mennell said.
A 6-foot-2, 170-pound midfielder, Katt (Feature by Mountaineer) joins the Bulldogs out of Tuscola High School. The Waynesville, N.C. native was an all-conference and all-region selection last year.
"Ben is a player that we are really quite pleased about signing," Mennell said. "He is a very rangy midfielder who has the ability to impact the game both on and off the ball. He also has a charismatic, positive personality that really adds quality to any group he is a part of. His brother, Chris Katt, was a standout player here and Ben has the potential to be that type of player and then some."
A 5-foot-11, 155-pound defender/midfielder, Evan Lewis joins the UNC Asheville men's soccer program out of Asheville, N.C. The T.C. Roberson product was all-conference and all-region last year and in 2016 he was tabbed to the Citizen-Times All-Western North Carolina Team.
"Evan is a player that you love to identify, recruit and eventually matriculate into your program," Mennell said. "He has a great engine, is left footed, is keen to play wide and loves to grind. He is going to be a nice addition to our team as a versatile left-sided player. I am always excited when we are able to add talented players from Asheville to our roster and Evan is exactly that."
Vignali is one of the most decorated recruits to ever join the UNC Asheville men's soccer program. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound midfielder from Fairview, N.C. is a 2017 United Soccer Coaches Association All-American and he was the 2017 North Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Player of the Year. An all-state selection, the A.C. Reynolds product was the 2017 WMAC Co-Player and the 2017 Citizen-Times Western North Carolina Player of the Year. Vignali also was a member of the inaugural squad for Asheville City Soccer Club in 2017.
"Izaiah is a special player," Mennell said. "He possesses all the attributes you can wish for. Great athletic ability, superb pace, fantastic technical ability, excellent tactical savvy and a palpable desire to compete are all hallmarks of his game. He has garnered a lot of honors in his young career and we think he is just getting started. We are beyond excited to work with him here at UNC Asheville."
To learn more about UNC Asheville men's soccer, please visit uncabulldogs.com.
**Photo of Vignali is by Mike Keating**
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