GREENVILLE, SC -- Furman men's soccer coach Doug Allison announced the signing of 11 scholar-athletes to national letters-of-intent on Friday, including six members of the Region III Olympic Development Program (ODP).
Joining the 17-time Southern Conference champions in 2004 will be Takato Ban, of Houston, TX; Brian Bell, of Houston, TX; Dominic Cianciarulo, of Deland, FL; Chris Davis, of Duluth, GA; Robert Hunter, of Pawley's Island, SC; Richard Jata, of Port Richie, FL; Jonathan Leathers, of Athens, GA; Eliot Paschalis, of Corby, North Hamptonshire, England; Phillip Raby, of Alpharetta, GA; Logan Roberts, of Spring, TX; and Shea Salinas, of Grapevine, TX.
Takato Ban hails from Houston, Texas, where he attends Stratford Senior High School. Ban, a midfielder, is a member of the Houston Texans club team and is on the South Texas ODP team.
Brian Bell is also from Houston, Texas. A defender, Bell attends Elkins High School and is a member of the Houston Texans club team. He is a South Texas ODP team member and is also on the Region III team.
Dominic Cianciarulo is a midfielder from Deland, Florida. Cianciarulo plays club soccer for FC America and attends Deland High School. He is a
member of the Florida state ODP team.
Chris Davis attends Duluth High School in Duluth, Georgia. A forward, Davis plays club soccer for the Concord Fire and is a member of both the Georgia state and Region III ODP teams.
A native of England, Robert Hunter lives in Pawley's Island, South Carolina. He attended Waccamaw High School before leaving for the IMG
Academy in Florida this year. A forward, Hunter is a member of the South Carolina state and Region III ODP teams.
Richard Jata is a defender/midfielder from Port Richie, Florida. Jata attends Ridgewood High School and plays club soccer for the Clearwater
Chargers. He is a member of the Florida state and Region III ODP Team. Jata has also been in the U.S. Under-17 National Team pool.
Jonathan Leathers is a defender/midfielder from Athens, Georgia. Leathers attends Prince Avenue Christian School and is a member of the Concord Fire club program. He is on the Georgia state and Region III ODP teams.
Eliot Paschalis is a forward from Corby, North Hamptonshire, England. Paschalis attends Brooke Weston (high school) in England.
A midfielder from Alpharetta, Georgia, Phillip Raby attends Centennial High School. Raby is a member of the Concord Fire and is a Georgia state
ODP team member.
Logan Roberts, of Spring, Texas, is the third Houston area signee for the Paladins. Roberts, a defender, plays for the Houston Texans club team and attends Woodlands High School. He is a South Texas and Region III ODP team member.
Shea Salinas, of Grapevine, Texas, is a forward who plays club soccer for Solar. He attends Grapevine High School.
"We have signed a very large and talented class," said Furman head coach Doug Allison. "I believe that this group will make a tremendous impact on the Furman soccer program. We are looking forward to bringing this strong group of student-athletes to Furman."
Four members of the 2004 class hail from Texas, with three from Georgia, two from Florida, one from England, and one from South Carolina.
