Tulsa Men's Soccer Team Inks Five To National Letters-of-Intent

Tulsa head men's soccer coach Tom McIntosh announced the signing of four players for the 2013 freshman class, including Cameron Drackett, Brandon Hanat, Jake McGuire and Ray Saari, and junior-transfer Byron Knowles-Ramirez.

"Overall, I think these five players have the ability to come in and help us out immediately," McIntosh said. "They all fit what we are looking for outside of their soccer ability in their work ethic and character, and they fit well with what we already have. I am excited about this group."

A 5-11 midfielder from Flower Mound, Texas, Drackett played club soccer for Dallas Solar where he averaged seven goals and nine assists per season. He helped his team finish as the 2012 Dallas Cup semifinalists, 2011 State Cup Finalists, 2011 Region III Champions and was a member of the 4 vs. 4 National Championship team in 2009. Drackett was also a three-year Olympic Development Program first-team member.

"Cameron is a right midfield player and a natural wide player," McIntosh said. "He is good on the dribble, a good passer and has a very high soccer IQ."

Hanat, a 5-9 goalkeeper from Freehold, N.J., played club soccer for the U-18 BWG Gottschee Academy and U-18 NY Cosmos Academy. He helped his team claim the U-19 Champions Trophy in Dusseldorf, Germany, and participated in the USSF Academy Showcases from 2010 to 2012. Hanat was selected as the MVP of the 2010 Manchester City/ESPN Rise Showcase in Newark, N.J. and was tabbed to the Super Y ODP '94 Final Select Team.

"Brandon is a technically sound goalkeeper," McIntosh said. "He is a top-100 player, a good shot stopper and is good with his feet."

A 5-7 defender from Glenn Heights, Texas, Knowles-Ramirez played club soccer for Brujas FC and FC Dallas Academy. With FC Dallas, he helped his team finish second in the finals for USSDA, and with the Brujas FC won back-to-back national championships in U-16 and U-17, and was tabbed as the U-17 Defender of the Year. He also was a member of the Costa Rica National U-17 team and played in three friendlies. Knowles-Ramirez played two seasons for Lubbock Christian University, scoring five goals and nine assists for 19 points.

"Byron is a good transfer that will play at left back," McIntosh said. "He can get forward, which is what we like our backs to do, he is strong and he is a good attacking back."

McGuire, a 6-3 goalkeeper from Chino Hills, Calif., has played club soccer for Chivas USA, the US Soccer Development Academy and was a member of the U-17 National Team Residency program. He is the No. 22-ranked recruit by TopDrawerSoccer.com and the No. 34-ranked recruit by College Soccer News, and is the No. 2 goalkeeper according to TDS.

"Jake spent some time in the residency program with our current player, Tarik Salkicic," McIntosh said. "He is good in size, a good shot stopper, a good communicator and is good with his feet. He will make the transition immediately and is one of the top two goalkeepers in the country."

A 5-6 midfielder from Kansas City, Mo., Saari was a four-year letterwinner at Oak Park High School, leading his team 63 wins, and to the district finals as a junior, and to third-place district finishes as a sophomore and senior. He concluded his high school career with 78 goals and 68 assists. Saari was a four-time all-district and all-conference selection, a three-time all-conference Player of the Year, a three-time all-state performer, and a two-time all-Western Region selection.

He was the 2012 Missouri State Offensive Player of the Year, the 2012 Kansas City Star All-Metro Player of the Year and a 2012 High School All-America honoree. Saari played club soccer for Billygoat FC, where he led his team to back-to-back state runner-up performances in 2011 and 2012, and to the 2012 Midwest Region League Championship.

He also played for the Missouri State ODP Team from 2009-12 and the Region II ODP Team from 2010-2012. Saari was tabbed to the Winter Regional Tournament All-Star Team and was named as the 2012 ODP Regional Tournament Golden Ball Winner.

"Ray is a very technical midfield player," McIntosh said. "He has a great engine and covers a lot of ground. He is good on the dribble, a good passer and a well-rounded midfielder who will play right away."

2013 Tulsa Men's Soccer Signees

Name Pos. Ht. Hometown

Cameron Drackett MF 5-11 Flower Mound, Texas

Brandon Hanat GK 5-9 Freehold, N.J.

Byron Knowles-Ramirez D 5-7 Glenn Heights, Texas

Jake McGuire GK 6-3 Chino Hills, Calif.

Ray Saari MF 5-6 Kansas City, Mo.