By: Chris Coon

For the second time in four years, The University of Akron men’s soccer team has captured the No. 1 recruiting class according to Top Drawer Soccer, a website devoted to soccer recruiting.

The news of the 2012 recruiting class was announced this past Wednesday by UA’s Head Coach Caleb Porter. Porter is also the head coach of the U.S. U-23 men’s team which will represent the country in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The six-man group features four of the top 11 ranked recruits in the country. The signing class consists of two midfielders, two forwards and one goalkeeper and defender.

The six players are forward Alfred Koroma, defender Andrew Souders, goalkeeper Fernando Piña, midfielder Dillon Serna, forward Omari Morris and midfielder Matt Foldesy.

Akron loses four players from the 2011 season in Matt Dagilis, Michael Balogun, Luke Holmes and Darren Mattocks. Dagilis, Balogun and Holmes all were lost due to graduation, while Mattocks was the second overall pick in the 2012 MLS Super Draft to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

“My staff and I are extremely excited to welcome six very talented young men into the Akron program,” Porter said. “Each of them brings a wealth of playing experience domestically and internationally and [they] are also first-class individuals off the field.

“Over the past five years, we have been fortunate that many of the top players in the country have chosen Akron and without question, this is one of the finest recruiting classes we have ever assembled,” he said. “I know their impact will be felt immediately and, with a very strong core group of returning players, we expect to continue competing for national championships in the years to come.”

Koroma, Souders, Piña and Serna all have played for the U.S. Under-17 National Team and one (who?) won a national championship in 2010 as an NSCAA Youth All-American.

The 2009 and 2012 classes were ranked No. 1 overall while the 2010 and 2011 classes were ranked No. 2 in college soccer.