San Francisco, CA – Hot on the recruiting trail since joining Academy of Art University earlier this year, the men's soccer coaching staff has officially announced the signing of six new Urban Knights for the 2013-14 season. The wave of new talent includes Joshua Leader (York, England/Garforth Academy), Malcolm McLellan (Colchester, CT/Bacon Academy), Manuel Garcia-Resendez (Merced, CA/Merced), Patrik Haley (Long Beach, CA/Mater Dei), as well as two local products in Ricardo "Ricky" Mendoza (San Francisco, CA/Gateway) and William "Willy" Velasco Villa (San Francisco, CA/Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep).

"We're really excited about our first recruiting class," head coach Mike Keller said. "There are six quality players in this group who are going to add to the depth and talent we currently have. It's always good to bring in the kinds of athletes capable of improving the overall caliber of our team."

Joshua Leader, a 6-3 goalkeeper, is a junior transfer from Tennessee Wesleyan College of the NAIA where he served as the team's primary goalie for two seasons. In 2011, the team went 14-5 overall and made it to the semifinals of the AAC Tournament with Leader offering a 10-3 record in 13 starts with 49 saves and six shutouts. The Bulldogs' 2010 campaign, Leader's first with the program, saw him record 87 saves in 10 matches played.

Leader calls York of Yorkshire, England home and is the son to Marsha and Mark Leader as well as brother to Luke, Brendan, Emma, and Katie. He will pursue Fashion Design: Menswear at Academy of Art.

"Josh has the ability to be a big impact on our team out of the goal," Coach Keller said. "He is an experienced and talented young player. He'll give us a lot of confidence on the back end of the defense."

Malcolm McLellan, a 5-10 midfielder, comes to ART U having completed his freshman year at Division I Temple University. Prior to Temple at Bacon Academy in Connecticut, he was ranked as the #17 player from the Northeast as a junior in a year when his team captured the Eastern Connecticut Conference Championship. Then, as a senior, McLellan was mentioned by ESPNHS Magazine (Connecticut edition) as one of the top players in the state. Both years he received Eastern Connecticut Conference Honorable Mention.

McLellan hails from Colchester, CT (where he has been playing with Oakwood Soccer Club since the age of eight) and is the son to Ann Copeland and David McLellan as well as brother to David and Lea. He will enter Academy of Art as a student in the School of Motion Pictures & Television.

"A left-sided player, we expect Malcolm will have a direct impact on the team right way," Coach Keller said. "He has a great soccer background and he still has three years to devote to the sport he loves with us."

Manuel Garcia-Resendez, a 5-11 defender, transitions from Fresno City College with his junior and senior seasons to come. Most recently with the Rams in 2013, he was All-Area First Team, captain, and Co-Defender of the Year. Prior to helping FCC achieve back-to-back winning seasons (25-12-8 overall), Garcia-Resendez captained the first High School Division I Championship in Merced High's history. That title, which came in 2009, included Defender of the Year accolades for Garcia-Rendez and added to his three occasions being named All-League First Team with the Bears.

A product of Merced, CA, Garcia-Resendez is the son to Carmen and Luis Garcia as well as brother to Vanessah, Alexandria, and Adriyan. He will become part of the School of Illustration at Academy of Art this fall.

"Manuel is coming into the squad off a great two-year career at Fresno City," Coach Keller said. "He'll offer some great leadership and depth to the back line and can play any defensive position which is a huge help."

Patrik Haley, a 5-8 left back/forward, brings two years of experience to ART U having played for Orange Coast College in Southern California. In a 2012 season that saw the Pirates go 12-5-4 overall and reach the second round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs, Haley competed in 16 matches with a goal and two assists to his name. In his history, which included a complete four years playing soccer for Mater Dei High School, Haley was twice named Offensive Most Valuable Player and once the overall MVP.

Haley calls Long Beach, CA home and is son to Sheri and Doug Haley as well as brother to Makenzie. He will pursue Multimedia Communications as an Urban Knight.

"Another junior college transfer, Patrik is going to add some mobility to the wide channels of the team," Coach Keller said. "He is a utility player and we expect he can fit many holes for us going forward."

Ricardo "Ricky" Mendoza, a 5-7 defender, is one of two local flavors in Coach Keller's 2013 recruiting class. After graduating from Gateway High School this past spring, Mendoza will look to bring his versatility both offensively and defensively to the Urban Knights. Among the items on his resume after competing for the Gators are team captain and MVP, First Team, and MVP All-League thanks to the title of goals scored leader in the Bay County – Central League. He also reached the semi-finals of the Dallas Cup with his club team.

A San Francisco native, Mendoza is son to Maria del Rocio Martinez and Joe Mendoza as well as brother to Jose and Maximilano. He will join the School of Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media this fall at Academy of Art.

"We are really excited to have Ricky on board," Coach Keller said. "Getting a local player is always special and Ricky has a great base to develop into a great player for the team going forward. We are looking at him as a right back early, but he will develop into his position as he goes."

William "Willy" Velasco Villa, a 6-0 midfielder, made history with the Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep as the first freshman to play on the varsity team. That 2009 season was special for several reasons as it started a three-year streak for the Fightin' Irish qualifying to CCS Division III finals. In his junior season, he guided the team to its first soccer trophy in school history (CCS Division III) and broke out for a school record 19 assists. Velasco Villa was First Team WCAL League and team captain as both a sophomore and junior and, despite an injury, he still captured Second Team honors in his senior year.

Velasco Villa hails from San Francisco and is son to Beatriz Vila and William Velasco Gonzalez. He comes to Academy of Art this fall in pursuit of a degree in the School of Advertising.

"Willy is another player from the city that we are enthused to have come into the squad," Coach Keller said. "A center midfielder, Willy has been on some great youth and high school teams and we have no doubt he will add to our midfield and develop into a leader of the team over time."

All six athletes will begin their quest as artist-athletes when they join Academy of Art University this coming fall semester.