March 25, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State head men's soccer coach Barry Gorman has announced the addition of defender Moyosore "Moyo" Akinade to the 2010 recruiting class. The Kennesaw, Ga. native, who will wear jersey No. 5, will enroll and begin playing for the Nittany Lions this fall.
"Our coaching staff is excited about Moyo joining our squad," said Gorman, who is entering his 23rd year at the helm of the Penn State program. "He is an excellent athletic defender who brings speed and tenacity to an already dynamic defense."
Akinade comes to Happy Valley after a standout career at the Darlington School in Rome, Ga. As a member of its soccer academy, he participated in tournaments such as the Disney Qualifiers, the Raleigh Showcase, the Triangle Friendlies, the Dallas Texas Sport Cup, and the CASL Showcase, at which he helped Darlington place first in their bracket. Akinade also gained experience at the club level with Cobb FC 92 Premier (Marietta, Ga.) in the Region III Premier League and also played in the US Youth Soccer National League in Raleigh, N.C. and Orlando, Fla. (2007-08).
Though having resided in Georgia throughout high school, Akinade has ties to the central Pennsylvania region, as he was born in Harrisburg and his brother, Damola, currently attends Penn State.
Akinade will look to make an impact on what promises to be a deep and talented back line in 2010, which will include First Team All-Big Ten selection and team co-captain Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela), senior Andy Parr (Hummelstown, Pa.), rising juniors Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.), Justin Lee (Derwood, Md.), and Patrick Krispin (The Woodlands, Texas) and rising sophomore Brian Forgue (Glenmoore, Pa.).
Akinade joins midfielder/forward Jordan Tyler (Rochester, Mich.), a 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year candidate, defender Sepp Dasbach (Blue Bell, Pa.), one of the state's top players according to ESPN Rise, and local product Robbie Edwards (State College, Pa.) as part of the Nittany Lions' 2010 recruiting class.