West Virginia Press Release – www.westvirginiachaossoccer.com

Wednesday, April 30

CHARLESTON, WV – On the heels of the club’s announcement of their two largest individual player signings, the West Virginia Chaos and Coach Luke Ibbetson continue to show great improvements in their 2008 squad with the announcement of eight player commitments from West Virginia colleges pending USL/PDL approval. For the first time in recent memory, both West Virginia NCAA Division I schools will be well represented on the Chaos PDL roster.

“Coach Ibbetson has started to developed a good relationship with coach Grey (Marshall University Head Coach) and coach LeBlanc (West Virginia University Head Coach) allowing us to sign a solid group of players from the two schools,” commented West Virginia Chaos PDL Director of Operations/Media Relations Rudy Roediger.

Coach Ibbetson signed the top five Marshall University goal scorers from 2007, a group that combined to represent 68% of the Marshall University goals and 80% of their game-winning goals. Kolby LaCrone, Sterling Flunder, Matt Dickenson, Dana Heimbecker will be preparing for their final college season while John Daniele and Avneet Shergill, both Marshall alumni, will be working on their game and looking for opportunities to take their game to the next level. Ashraf “Ash” Ahmad and Kyle West represent the 2007 NCAA Sweet Sixteen West Virginia University on the Chaos’s roster.

LaCrone, 21 a native of Zanesville, Ohio will enter Marshall University in the fall for his final collegiate season, and returns for his second season in the PDL with the Chaos. In 2007 he played in nine of the Chaos’ 16 matches. LaCrone has started 35 matches in two seasons for Marshall University, scoring ten goals while adding three assists. His high mark of seven goals came in 2007 while he led the Thundering Herd’s attack in goals (7) and points (15). In 2005 LaCrone competed in 16 matches for the ’05 Big East Champion West Virginia University including both of the teams NCAA tournament matches before transferring to Marshall. LaCrone still holds the Ohio High School State Record with 109 Assists and 18th in State with 108 Career Goals; he is also the first of two players in Ohio to ever record 30 assists and 40 goals in a single season (34 assists, 46 goals). Led his club team Ohio FC to three Ohio South State Cup Championships.

Daniele, 22 a native of Columbus, Ohio returns to the Chaos for his second season. He appeared in 58 matches for the Thundering Herd over a four year career and ranked third in the team in goals (5), assists (3) and points (13), each were personal bests, in 2007. He also led St. Charles High School to two league championships while team’s Captain and leading scorer. For his efforts, Daniele earned First-Team All League, First-Team All-District, and Team MVP. He also won three Ohio South State Cup Championships and made one Region II Semi-Finals appearance with Premier Adidas.

Dickenson, 21 a native of Warsaw, Ohio has appeared in 38 games in his three seasons at Marshall despite a shortened ’07 season when he missed the second half of the season with a knee injury. He was instrumental in the Thundering Herd’s 1-1 draw against No. 17 University of Kentucky in 2006 when he played all 110 minutes. As a freshman, Dickenson was named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Earned First-Team All Eastern District Honors and First-Team ECOL in 2002, ’03 and ’04 while leading River View High School to the 2004 Ohio High School Regional Finals, led Ohio FC to two Ohio South State Cup Championships and the 2004 Region II Finals.

Flunder, 22 a native of Bothell, Washington comes to the Chaos following a highly successful scholastic career. Even then he was in the midst of an already successful collegiate career that spanned Spokane Community College and Marshall University. In his first season with Marshall, Flunder played in 20 matches scoring three goals while playing midfield and defense, earned C-USA 2nd Team, C-USA All Tournament Team and Fairfield Inn Hilltopper All-Tournament Team honors. Flunder led Snohomish United to four Washington State Cup Championships and Sandpoint Strikers to another. A Three time Washington State ODP team and a two time Region IV A team player Flunder was listed on Topdrawersoccer.com’s top 100 recruits in the nation list and was a 2003 Adidas ESP Member.

Shergill, 22 a native of Vancouver, Washington and alumni of Marshall University men’s soccer program joins the Chaos following his final collegiate season. He scored seven goals, three game winners and added two assists at Marshall in 32 matches while playing wing-midfielder for the Thundering Herd. He scored nine goals in two seasons at Tyler Junior College, was selected to the NSCAA Junior College All-West Region Team, trained with JCT Mills of the India First Division during their preseason in 2007. His performance and Indian heritage earned him a spot on India’s National Team Watch List. He scored 45 goals at Mountain View High School, and led the league in scoring his senior year.

Heimbecker, 22 a native of Niagara Falls, Ontario will enter his final collegiate season in the fall. He has appeared in 42 matches his three years at Marshall University. His five assists in 2006 led the Thundering Herd. He was also second on the team in goals, scoring a total of 10 and adding eight assists as wing. Heimbecker captained St. Catherine’s U21 team while on tour in Germany. He also spent time in Berlin, Germany training with Bundasliga junior squads prior to arriving at Marshall.
West, 20 a native of Omaha, Nebraska will enter his junior season at West Virginia University after seeing action in 16 matches over the last two seasons for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He appeared in six matches during the Buckeyes magical ’07 season when the Buckeyes went all the way to the 2007 National Championship game. He was named First-Team All State by the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World Herald while leading them to two District Titles in ‘02 and ‘04. West led his NFC Real club to three straight Nebraska State Cup Championships, and represented the Nebraska State Olympic Development Program from ‘02-’05 cumulating in a ’05 selection of the Region II ODP squad.

Ahmad, 23 a native of South Charleston, West Virginia became only the second West Virginia native to play at West Virginia University in 2003. Alumni of WVU, Ahmad appeared in 57 matches for the Mountaineers in his four seasons, picked up two goals and two assists while earning Big East All Academic Team all four seasons at WVU. In the 2005 Big East Championship season Ahmad played with fellow Chaos teammate Colby LaCrone before LaCrone transferred to Marshall University. Ahmad became the 2002 Charleston Daily Mail's Kanawha/Putnam County Player of the Year and was a two time West Virginia All-State selection. Ahmad enters his sixth season with the Chaos following a club record 63 total appearances. For the Chaos Ahmad has scored three goals and picked up 11 assists with his career best four assists coming in the 2006 campaign.

Chaotics and soccer fans alike will have their first chance to see these and the other new Chaos faces on Sunday, May when the team faces off against Ashland Park FC, a men's team from Ashland, Kentucky who play in the "A" Division of Southern West Virginia Adult Soccer League (SWVASL). The match will be played at Schoenbaum Stadium with an 8:00 PM kickoff. Admission for the exhibition will be a reduced price of $2. For continued information on the West Virginia Chaos check out the clubs updated website www.westvirginiachaossoccer.com.