Index of Sports Press Releases

Mar. 24, 2009

Tosaya signs four West River standouts

Spearfish High School senior Drew Joachim signs his Letter of Intent to play soccer at Dakota Wesleyan University this fall. Seated with Joachim (center) are his parents, Steve and Ann Joachim, and in back are Spearfish High School coach Jim Hill and DWU head coach Jeremy Tosaya.

MITCHELL, S.D. – Despite being new to Dakota Wesleyan University and South Dakota, Tiger head men’s soccer coach Jeremy Tosaya has already proven he’ll prioritize talent from the Mount Rushmore state as he builds his program.

Tosaya opened his recruiting efforts last month by signing standouts from Sioux Falls and Pierre and, Tuesday, he announced he’s also landed some top-notch talent from the West River area. Spearfish High School senior Drew Joachim and Rapid City Stevens High School seniors Eric Moller, Aaron Foss and Jeremy Maier have all signed Letters of Intent to join the Dakota Wesleyan soccer team in 2009.

“I just want to stress how great it is to get local South Dakota talent signed,” Tosaya said. “I want to build this program on local talent and compete for the Great Plains Athletic Conference title. Adding these four guys to (our other three recruits) shows that we are on our way to reaching that goal. We have seven of the best seniors graduating in South Dakota this spring.”

Joachim should bring immediate offensive firepower to Dakota Wesleyan after establishing himself as one of the top forwards in all of South Dakota over his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, the 5-9 forward was named to the All-State First Team as a senior after scoring 15 goals with 11 assists. That came on the heels of an excellent junior season where he scored 18 goals and added nine assists to earn All-State Second Team honors.

Joachim was named the Spartans’ sophomore, junior and senior of the year, and he was also a Golden Boot recipient under coach Jim Hill. At Dakota Wesleyan, Joachim plans to major in physical therapy and he is the son of Steve and Ann Joachim.

“Signing Joachim will help our offensive attack,” Tosaya said. “Joachim is a great goal scorer and I’m expecting some good things from him right away this fall to help pick up our offense.”

Moller, Foss and Maier were all three-year starters on a Stevens team that finished second at the state tournament in 2008 under coach Randy McKee. Though all three are talented and versatile players, Tosaya envisions Moller and Foss as defenders at the college level, while Maier projects to be a midfielder.

“In addition to talent, the Rapid City kids have that winning attitude,” Tosaya said. “Stevens High School finished runner-up at state this past year, and they turned it on at the end of the season. We’re going to need that here at Wesleyan.”

Moller headlines the Stevens signings after earning All-State First Team honors as a senior. In his three years on varsity, he earned Team MVP honors, as well as the Top Defender and Top Forward awards. He was the team’s second-leading scorer with six goals as a junior and senior, and he was an All-State Second Team selection as a junior. At Dakota Wesleyan, Moller plans to major in wildlife management and he is the son of Dan Moller and Melanie Whiteaker.

Foss was an All-State Second Team selection as a senior and a two-time recipient of the Golden Boot award for the Raiders. He scored eight goals his junior and senior seasons. At Dakota Wesleyan, he plans to major in athletic training with a minor in wildlife management, and his parents are Stuart and Donna Foss. Tosaya said that adding Moller and Foss addresses one of his biggest priorities, which is defensive depth.

“Foss and Moller are key signings for us because I set out to solidify our defensive depth first,” Tosaya said. “These two guys will definitely bring some great things to our back line, and they are both very versatile athletes. Both have great skill at playing forward as well, and having guys who are so versatile can only help our program in the long run.”

Maier, a versatile midfielder, was also an All-State Second Team pick for Coach McKee and Stevens High. A three-year starter and letterwinner, Maier brings excellent speed and good knowledge of the game to Dakota Wesleyan. He plans to major in wildlife management with a minor in criminal law, and he is the son of Kevin and Ann Maier.

“Maier is a true utility player,” Tosaya said. “He can play outside and inside in the midfield. His speed and his awareness on the field are going to be an asset as we compete for a spot in the GPAC tournament this year.”

Tosaya, who was hired in January, has also received commitments from Pierre’s Jarrett Klinger and Austin Munyon and Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s Austin Brynjulson. All seven signees were All-State players as seniors in 2008, with four First Team selections and three Second Team picks. The Tigers’ 2009 schedule, which is now available on the team’s Web site, will officially open on Sept. 4 with a home game against Friends University.