Feb. 14, 2000

The UWM men's soccer team has added seven players to its roster, according to coach Louis Bennett.

"We are happy to reestablish our reputation as the school that recruits local players," said Bennett. "The dynamic of this recruiting class is what we were aiming for. We have players from the upper Midwest: Wisconsin, Minnesota and north suburban Chicago. We targeted them early, and we are fortunate that they saw the opportunity the same way we did."

B.J. Blake is a forward from Wheaton, Ill. (St. Francis High School). He was a four-time team MVP and All-Conference selection in high school. He was named conference player of the year twice.

"B.J. is an exciting player who plays at a quick pace," said Bennett. "He enjoys running and taking on defenders. He has proven to be a handful for even the most experience youth defenders. He has solid youth experience with the Chicago Sockers, a team that has proven to be a winner. Because of his speed, he will always be difficult to mark."

Tighe Dombrowski is a forward/midfielder from West Allis, Wis. (Nathan Hale High School). He is the younger brother of current Panthers Scott and Chad Dombrowski. He was named All-State as a junior and All-Central Region as a junior and senior.

"Even if he wasn't a Dombrowski, I would be very happy with Tighe," said Bennett. "He is the most accomplished of the three, having played in the ODP National Pool and all over South America. If his experience is to be counted on, he will be able to make the adjustment from youth soccer to college soccer very quickly. Because he is a Dombrowski, you get an immensely competitive and determined player."

Jon Gridley is a defender from Menomonee Falls, Wis. (Milwaukee Lutheran High School). He set school records with 50 goals and 130 points in a career while at Lutheran as a stopper, offensive center midfielder and forward. He is a three-time All-North Shore Conference pick.

"Jon is a sleeper," said Bennett. "He has played several different positions in club, high school and ODP soccer. All of his coaches rave about his understanding of the game. He is a cerebral and intelligent player."

J.J. Klein is a defender from Richfield, Minn. (Trinity School at RiverRidge). He was named to three All-Conference teams and was an All-State selection. He is the tallest recruit, standing 6-1.

"J.J. is a tall, stylish and athletic defender who is used to playing with and against the best players," said Bennett. "He was attracted to UWM because of our rich heritage of Minnesota players. One-v-one defending, defense and quality distribution out of the back is what we will look for him to add to our team."

Kyle Lance is a forward from Franklin, Wis. (Franklin High School). He scored 30 goals and tallied 18 assists as a senior and led his team in assists all four seasons. He is a three-time first team All-Conference pick and named first team All-State.

"Kyle has played several positions, but we see him as a sparkplug forward," said Bennett. "He is extremely quick and tenacious and will raise our already quick team speed. I believe he can be a big surprise. He has only scratched the surface of his potential."

Bobby Lish is a forward from Shoreview, Minn. (Moundsview High School). He was named a high school All-American and Minnesota's Mr. Soccer in 1999.

"Bobby is a very recognizable player," said Bennett. "He's an All-American and he plays for (former Panther) Tony Sanneh's old club team. He is a quick and exciting type of player who is very well suited to our system. He loves to attack and run at defenders."

Mike Mielke is a forward/midfielder from Mukwonago, Wis. (Mukwonago High School). He was picked to the All-Conference first team twice and to the All-Area team as a senior. He helped lead Mukwonago High School to a second-place finish in the state tournament as a freshman.

"Mike has played at a high level throughout his career, and I have seen an immense improvement in specific areas of his game," said Bennett. "I think that improvement will continue in the college game."