ROCHESTER, Mich. - Oakland men's soccer head coach Eric Pogue announced Monday the addition of six student-athletes during the signing period. Willie Maddox, Travis Harrington, Blake Barribeau, Jimmy Todd, Keenan King and Miles Dale have each signed to play for the Golden Grizzlies next season.

"I have to start out by thanking our assistant coaches, recruiting coordinator Stephen Gorton, and Andrew Wagstaff, as well as our Graduate Assistants last year and this year, in Stew Givens and John Timm, as all of them have worked extremely hard on helping put together this 2015 recruiting class," said Pogue. "We return a very experienced group of players from this past Fall that won Horizon League regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament, so our expectations are high for the returning group, but I know our returners will have a big influence on the development of this 2015 recruiting class next Fall and for the future of Oakland soccer.

"These six players in our 2015 recruiting class all have high work ethics and great character on the field, and that is extremely important to us as a coaching staff that we are recruiting top level student-athletes that understand the high demands and expectations that are placed on them to be champions and winners on the field, in the classroom, and off the field in the community," added Pogue. "These six guys are excited to Wear the Bear, don the Oakland Black & Gold and we are extremely excited to have them joining our program."

Willie Maddox
Troy, Mich.
Troy HS • Vardar Academy
5-6 • Defender

Highlights
• Four-star recruit according to TopDrawerSoccer.com
• Three-year Vardar Academy player
• In played in the 2013 U.S. Academy select game
• 2014 U.S. Academy Elite 8

Pogue on Maddox: "I have known and coached Willie since he was 10 years old and he always been a tremendous competitor and an old-school shut down defender that could have easily played here at Oakland back in the 1980's and 1990's with all the other great Pioneer teams of the NCAA Division II era under Gary and Sarge. Although small in stature, Willie makes up for it with his heart, hard work and relentless determination to be successful. He has been involved in a high level of soccer throughout his youth with the Vardar Academy under Coaches Demir Muftari and Mike Lupenec and has been a player that has always adjusted to the each higher level and excelled. We are excited to see where Willie can take his game in the next few years and feel very comfortable that Willie will adjust once again into a great player here at Oakland."

Travis Harrington
Macomb, Mich.
Utica Eisenhower HS • Vardar Academy
5-8 • Forward

Highlights
• Named All-District in 2012
• Member of Vardar Academy from 2013-14 • In 2013 played in 27 games, started 22, scored six goals • In 2014, played in 10 games, started 6, scored one goal • 2014 U.S. Academy Elite 8

Pogue on Harrington: "Another player that we are very familiar with for many years coaching him with the Vardar Academy along with Coach(s) Muftari and Lupenec and seeing him continue to evolve into a top level Division I recruit through the years. Travis is an explosive player with a lot of pace and power. Travis has the versatility to play in a number of different positions for us from up top, to out wide in the midfield to outside back, so that type of versatility is a great quality. He is known as a player that can get in behind defenses and unlock them and keep teams honest. As Travis continues to develop the technical and tactical sides of his game to go with his physical tools, he will be a force in the Horizon League for many years to come."

Blake Barribeau
Brighton, Mich.
Brighton HS • Grand Rapids Crew
5-8 • Defender

Highlights
• Three-time All-Area, and All-District selection
• In 2014 was named the Livingston County Player of the Year
• All-State and All-Region honoree during senior season
• 2014 State cup champion with Grand Rapids Crew

Pogue on Barribeau:"Blake is a player that we have seen at our camps and kept a close eye on in high school and club for the last few years. He had a highly successful high school career at Brighton HS under Coach Rob Williams and has continued his development playing for one of top club teams in the country in the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors (GRCJ) coached by Lewis Robinson. Blake is another player with great versatility, a very high level work rate, good skill and vision on the ball, and a sweet left foot. We are very excited for what Blake has to bring to the Oakland Black and Gold this Fall and know how hard he is going to work between now and August 11th to put himself in the best position to help our team this fall."

Jimmy Todd
Clarkston, Mich.
Clarkston HS • Vardar Academy
5-6 • Midfielder

Highlights
• Two-time All-District and All-League selection
• 2012 member of Vardar team that won the Manchester United Cup, scored the lone goal in the final qualifying the team to the Shanghai tournament
• 2013 Vardar Academy advanced to Elite 8, played in 24 games, started 23, and scored 7 goals
• 2014 Vardar Academy, played 14 games, started 14 games, and scored 1 goal

Pogue on Todd: "Jimmy is another in a long line of top players here at Oakland that we have gotten out of the Clarkston area. Another product of the Vardar Academy and prior to that the Michigan Impact under Coach(s) Ian Jones and Damian Huffer, Jimmy is a crafty two-way, box to box, midfielder that continues to impress each time we see him and we know he will be an exciting hard working, blue collar player here at Oakland for years to come. Jimmy not only is a player with a tremendous work rate in the midfield, but also has the ability to score goals and create assists for his teammates with his skill and vision."

Keenan King
Boynton Beach, Fla.
East Florida State
5-7 • Defender

Highlights
• Named All-Region and NJCAA All-American in 2013
• In 2013 scored one goal and recorded 12 assists to help lead Eastern Florida to the National Tournament
• Last season helped East Florida finish 13-3-1, won a regional championship and led team with 10 assists

Pogue on King: "Keenan is a tremendous athlete. His pace, quickness, technical skill on the ball, and great left foot make him someone that was highly attractive to us and many other high level programs coming out of junior college Eastern Florida State College under Coach Oliver Twelvetrees. Keenan has the ability to defend, build the game, and create goal scoring opportunities for his team from the left back position and we are excited to add such a high level player like Keenan to this program and we expect him to step in and contribute immediately for us. He will spend the summer playing with three of our top Oakland returners in Matt Dudley, Shawn Claud Lawson and Gerald Ben at a high level for one of the top PDL clubs in the nation, the Des Moines Menace under Coach Mike Matkovich, who has tons of US youth national team and MLS coaching experience, so we expect big things from Keenan. "

Miles Dale
Rochester, Mich.
Cincinnatti
5-11 • Defender

Highlights
• Played in 18 matches, making 16 starts, during true freshman year at Cincinnati
• In 2013 was one of only six Bearcats to log over 1,500 minutes of game action
• Honorable Mention All-State senior year at Rochester HS

Pogue on Dale: "Miles is returning back home to Oakland after playing two years as University of Cincinnati. We are familiar with Miles from going to Rochester High and playing club soccer for WAZA, as well as attending our camps a few years back. Miles saw significant minutes as a true freshman at center back at UC before taking a medical redshirt this fall due to injuries. Miles is a physical presence and will add depth and ball winning ability to our back line. Miles displays many of the intangible characteristics that we look for in our recruiting with a strong work ethic, humble, coachable, and a good teammate. Starting here in January will give Miles a good jump start to competing for playing time this fall and working hard on his game after being injured most of summer and fall."

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