MEN'S SOCCER SIGNS O'DAY TO COMPLETE RECRUITING CLASS
4/21/2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State men's soccer head coach Michael Linenberger has announced the signing of junior college transfer Rory O'Day (Santa Rosa, Calif.) to complete their 2010 recruiting class.
With the signing of O'Day, Sacramento State's recruiting class now totals nine student-athletes. The Hornets previously added two goalkeepers, Federico Antonelli (Irvine, Calif.) and Cesar Castillo (San Rafael, Calif.), and six field players, Ivan Bustos (Tustin, Calif.), Kasey Cox (Orangevale, Calif.), Erick Lariz (Santa Cruz, Calif.), Chris Sandoval (Ventura, Calif.), Gabriel Silveira (Corte Madera, Calif.), and Andre Spencer (Anaheim, Calif.).
O'Day comes to Sacramento State from Santa Rosa Junior College, where he was a two-year letterwinner for the Bear Cubs under coach Marty Kinchan. A 6-foot-2 defender, O'Day led his club to back-to-back Big 8 conference titles, and was named first team all-Big 8 as a sophomore in 2009. As a freshman in 2008, O'Day teamed with current Hornet Diego Marroquin to form a defensive backfield that led the Bear Cubs to the state final four and a No. 3 final national ranking in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III junior college poll.
"We are excited to sign Rory, as he gives us another option at center-back," Linenberger said. "He is a big, strong, and experienced athlete who is very competitive and has good feet. Obviously playing with Diego for a year, they have a good relationship with each other, and he'll have a chance to be one of the guys to step up and take over for David von Stockhausen as our other center-back."
A native of Santa Rosa, O'Day is a 2007 graduate of Santa Rosa HS and coach Neil Turnbull, earning first team all-North Bay League honors as a senior.
The Hornets will open the 2010 season with a pair of home exhibition games before taking on ACC powers North Carolina State and Duke, who coach Linenberger led to the 1986 NCAA title as a player, on the road on Sept. 3 and 5th.
