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February 10, 2010
GARZA TRANSFERS TO UCSB
Marcus graduate fresh off U20 MNT
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Sam Garza, Marcus High graduate, becomes a Gaucho after a brief stint with Denver.
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SANTA BARBARA, CA. – One of the nation’s highest-touted transfers, who is also a product of the United States U-20 National Team, Sam Garza, headlines the 2010 UC Santa Barbara men’s soccer recruiting class, which was announced by head coach Tim Vom Steeg. Garza is North Texas soccer product and a 2008 graduate of Flower Mound Marcus High School.
Joining Garza on the 2010 fall roster will be National Letter of Intent signees Eric Reyes (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), Austin Mansker (San Jose, Calif.), Fifi Baiden (Ajumako, Ghana), Jonathan Canales (Santa Ana, Calif.), Rey Ezra-Simbwa (San Diego, Calif.) and Matt Thayer (Loomis, Calif.), as well as Yavapai College transfers Chris Hunter and Evan McNeil.
Garza, who hails from Highland Village, Texas, is transferring to UCSB from the University of Denver and will be the first U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team product to play for the Gauchos. With the U-20 team he was a finalist at the 2009 U-20 World Cup Qualifying in Trinidad and Tobago. He also traveled to Egypt and Argentina with the team. Prior to joining the U.S. U-20 team, he played with the North Texas 89 State Olympic Development Team from 2004-07, Region III 89 ODP team from 2005-07 and the 89 Region II team.
“He is an important player at this time for our program,” Vom Steeg said. “After losing David Walker (who was drafted in the third round of MLS SuperDraft by the Houston Dynamo), we were looking to add not just another forward to our program, but one that has great experience and that can contribute right away.”
At the University of Denver, Garza earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Newcomer of the Year honors in 2008. In his first season with the Pioneers, he recorded four goals and four assists and led the team with 31 shots on goal. He missed the 2009 season due to an injury.
The forward played at Marcus High School where he was a four-year starter for the Marauders. A heavily decorated prep athlete, Garza earned NSCAA High School All-American honors, was named the 2008 Texas State Tournament MVP after leading Marcus to back-to-back state championships and was the 2007-08 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year (he was the runner-up the previous season). Coming out of high school the two-time Rise Magazine All-Area Team pick was named the No. 22 recruit in the nation by the publication.
“He is very good on the ball, he can play with his back to the goal, he can turn and run at people,” Vom Steeg continued. “He is a different type of forward than what we’ve had here in the past, but his approach to the game fits us very well.”
UCSB will be returning the majority of its squad that posted a 17-5-2 overall record, captured the Big West regular season title after going 8-1-1 in conference play, advanced to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament and ended the season ranked No. 10 by the NSCAA. Among the expected returners are eight All-Big West selections, including the Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, Hayden; Midfielder of the Year, Danny Barrera; and Freshman of the Year, Machael David.
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