The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Fatai Alabi Becomes 10th Signee Of 2011 Class
5/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
May 4, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB men's soccer head coach Mike Getman announced the addition of a 10th member to the 2011 class, with the signing of rising sophomore midfielder Fatai Alabi.
Alabi comes to UAB from Houston, Texas where he was an all-district performer out of Hastings High School. He joins the previously announced nine other signees which include: Stewart Abrahart (Duluth, Ga./Greater Atlanta Christian School), Javier Alvial (Alpharetta, Ga./Home Schooled), Karl Chester (Kathleen, Ga./Perry HS), Darion Copeland (Stockbridge, Ga./Dutchtown HS), Jack Falle (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview HS), Cole Iverson (Decatur, Ala./Decatur HS), Ian Michalak (Collierville, Tenn./St. George's Independant School), Arturo Rodriguez (Santiago, Chile/Nuestro Sra del Rosario) and Chase Wickham (Richmond, B.C./Trinity Western University).
"Fatai has all the elements we are looking for in a player," Getman said. "He is big, fast, skillful and plays with great composure. He will make an immediate impact on our team. Fatai is joining one of the top recruiting classes in the country. This is going to be a special group. We have filled all of our needs, but we also have found great individuals who like to play within the team. I am very excited about this recruiting class."
Abrahart is a 6-3 defender who starred at Greater Atlanta Christian School on his way to ESPN Rise All-State honors in 2010. He played his club soccer for Alpharetta Ambush under head coach David Eristavi, alongside a pair of other Blazer signees (Chester and Copeland). He captained the Ambush to state and regional titles, along with USYSA National Championship in 2010. Additionally, he was selected to the Chelsea All-Star Team at the 2010 Disney Showcase.
"Stewart is the complete package," Getman said. "He is big, smart, athletic and skillful. I expect him to play a big role in our team right away."
Alvial was home schooled but has competed for clubs all around the world, most recently spending time with Universidad de Catolica in Chile. The 5-11 midfielder played with the Alpharetta Ambush U-19 team and was a teammate of Rodriguez. While in Chile, Alvial played an integral role in helping lead Catolica to a pair of national championships. He also helped his team claim the title of the Copa Chile Youth Tournament.
"Javier is extremely skillful and will add some flair to our midfield," Getman said. "His ability to control the ball while under pressure will be a big asset. I expect Javier to battle for a starting position right away."
Chester is a 5-10 forward who attended Perry High School. While there, Chester was tabbed an ESPN Rise First Team All-State honoree in 2010. He finished the year with 50 goals, which set the school record for goals scored in a season. He also was selected as a two-time team captain by his teammates and coaches. Chester was a club teammate of Abrahart and Copeland at Alpharetta Ambush under Eristavi. He helped lead the team to state and regional titles, along with USYSA National Championship in 2010. Chester was also voted MVP of National Championship, as he scored seven goals in four games at the National Championship Tournament.
"Karl has great pace and a great touch around the goal," Getman said. "I expect him to make an immediate impact. His hard work and nose for the goal will make him one of the most dangerous players in the country."
Copeland is a 6-0 a defender who also plays the forward position at Dutchtown High School. He is the team captain going into his senior season after leading his team and region in scoring as a junior. He played his club ball alongside Chester and Abrahart with the Alpharetta Ambush under coach Eristavi. He helped lead the team to state and regional titles, along with USYSA National Championship in 2010.
"Darion is a great defender with all the tools," Getman said. "He has size, speed, skill and a great brain for the game. I expect Darion to make an immediate impact. We went looking for the top center back in the country and I think we found him."
Falle is a 6-4 goalkeeper out of Parkview High School, which is the same school that produced recent UAB graduate and starting goalkeeper Wes Johnson and current forward Kofi Gyawu. Falle is the team captain for both his high school and his club team, GSA Phoenix coached by Nuno Piteira. He helped lead team to National League Championship, as well as the finals of the USYSA National Championship in 2010. He was ranked as one of the top goalkeepers in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer and also was voted by the website TopDrawerSoccer.com as the No. 43 overall player in the nation.
"We have had a long tradition of great goalkeepers at UAB, and Jack fits right in to the mold," Getman said. "He is big, agile and works very hard. He is going to be a great college goalkeeper."
Iverson is an instate product from Decatur, Ala. who attended Decatur High School. He played his club soccer for Birmingham United Academy under head coach Oliver Weiss. Ranked as the No. 4 player in the south region by Top Drawer Soccer, Iverson was among the pool players for the United States Youth National Team. Additionally, he was selected to the Elite Soccer Player Program in 2008 and also was a member of the Academy Select Team in 2009.
"Cole has all the tools to be successful," Getman said. "He is big, athletic, skillful, but most importantly he works incredibly hard every day. He brings a great spirit to the team. His mentality will make our entire team better."
Michalak is another tall central defender who hails from Collierville, Tenn. While at St. George's Independent School, Michalak was the captain of his team that claimed the state championship. He was selected as an all-state and all-region performer. Michalak plays his club ball for the Tennessee Rush under head coach Ross Paule. He helped lead his club team to five consecutive state championships. Furthermore, Michalak is a member of the Tennessee Olympic Development Team and a National Merit semi-finalist.
"Ian is a big and agile defender who has the skills to be a threat on the offensive side of the ball," Getman said. "Ian plays with a big heart and will become a leader on our team."
Rodriguez hails from Santiago, Chile and is the second Chilean-born player to play soccer for the Blazers in program history (Jose-Luis Jaramillo played at UAB in 1988). Rodriguez was teammates with Alvial at both the Universidad Catolica in Chile, as well as the Alpharetta Ambush U-19 team. Rodriguez also had a starring role in leading Catolica to a pair of national championships. He also helped his team capture the Copa Chile Youth Tournament last year.
"Arturo brings a level of sophistication you don't see every day," Getman said. "He is a very smart passer with the ability to beat players 1v1. His quickness and great touch will make for an immediate impact on our team. I expect him to be very successful right away."
Wickham is an attacking forward out of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The rising sophomore spent one season at Trinity Western University where he scored three goals in 15 contests. Wickham played his prep career at H.J. Cambie Secondary School where he voted as team captain. During his senior season, Wickham scored a team-leading 22 goals.
"Chase brings great quickness and athleticism to our team," Getman said. "He has the ability to beat players 1v1 but he is also a superb passer. His high level of skill allows him to play in the center of midfield or out wide. I expect Chase to compete for a starting position right away."
