(Editor’s Note: Carroll College Athletics release)
HELENA — Carroll College men’s soccer coach Doug Mello announced the signing of eight players to Cascade Conference letter of Intent. The group includes one Montana athlete and five others from around the Northwest.
Noah Romagnoulo is the lone Montanan in this group of signees. The All-State midfielder from Whitefish. He was a three-year letterman and led the Bulldogs in goals and assists during the 2017 season. He led Whitefish to the state championship game where they fell to Belgrade.
“Noah continues the tradition of All-State players from Northwest Montana choosing to play for the Saints,” Mello said. “He is considered a field general for his high school and his club team. He is a quick-thinking center-mid who will increase our speed of play. He is able to spray the ball around and is cheeky off the dribble.”
The Saints were in need of increased depth at the goalkeeper position so Mello signed two goalkeepers, Kaden Connor from Mountain View HS in Boise, Idaho, and August Baker, from North Bend HS in North Bend, Oregon.
Connor has an impressive resume in both soccer and football. He was a four-year letterwinner in soccer and earned First-Team All-State honors. On the football field, he earned Second-Team All-State for football. He earned First-Team All-League Honors for both sports and was the League Special Teams Player of the Year for football. He was named the soccer team MVP in both his junior and senior seasons. He played at a high level on the club scene where he was named a starter for the regional Olympic development team.
“Kaden makes hard saves look easy because of his positioning and reflexes,” Mello said. “He is a big save keeper to go along with his big frame and has all the tools to be a future All-American. Our fans should see a lot of Saints shutouts in the next four years.”
Baker is coming off of a standout year at North Bend High School. He earned First-Team Far West League honors and second-team All-State honors. His brother, Brigham, is a kicker on the Carroll football team.
“He is unbeatable in the air due to size,” Mello said. “August will challenge for the starting position. He has a bevy of talents that stood out during the recruiting process. Once he makes the save he has the ability to initiate our attack with his accurate throwing or punting distribution.”
Ben Dagg comes to Carroll from West Seattle High School. He was a standout center-mid. He had three goals and three assists during his senior season. He also played football at West Seattle where he handled kicking duties.
“Ben will add strength and determination to a veteran core of returning mid-fielders,” Mello said. “He can win 50-50 balls and quickly transition to attacking mode. Ben’s field awareness will improve our ball movement when switching the ball from wing to wing.”
Another midfielder from the Northwest, Dade McDevitt comes to Carroll from Lakeland High School in Rathdrum, Idaho. He received All-League honors. His sophomore season, he helped lead the Hawks to the state championship game.
“Dade’s hustle is contagious and will prove beneficial in tight matches,” Mello said. “He has the speed to chase down attackers and the talent to strip them of possession.”
Jordan Martin comes to Carroll out of Hillcrest High School in Idaho Falls and is expected to play outside midfielder for the Saints. He notched All-League honors in 2017 and helped Hillcrest earn a spot in the 5A State tournament.
“Jordan is a scrappy player who can win the ball back in the offensive third and then make something happen going to goal,” Mello said. “He is a formidable player who will strengthen the Saints midfield corps.”
The Saints also added a pair of players from outside the region in Enrique Gonzalez from Laredo, Texas, and Mikey Shower from Palmer, Alaska.
Gonzalez plays for United South High School in a very tough league in south Texas where he plays defender-mid. He is a set-up man for the attack and an elite one-on-one defender. He is also a member of the USHS baseball team.
“Enrique played both high school and club in the highly competitive Texas leagues,” Mello said. “We expect that pedigree to shine through during our tough Cascade Collegiate Conference schedule. The Saints have always taken pride in our passing prowess and Enrique will contribute immediately to our ball possession style.”
Shower is an outside defender that played at Colony High School. He has the ability to score if needed with six goals and seven assists for his career. He earned Player of the Game honors during the 2017 State Tournament. The 2018 season is still ongoing in Alaska.
“Mikey is an Alaskan defensive demon,” Mello said. “He plays outside defender with reckless abandon. Mikey never gives up on a ball. He is a strong tackler who takes no prisoners. We look forward to his arrival to our squad.”
Mello is not done recruiting and is looking to add to the squad in the coming weeks.
The Saints open the 2018 season against the University of Lethbridge on Aug. 15 at Nelson Stadium.
