Zanesville Athletic FC is pleased to announce another wave of signings for the 2013 season. Four players born and raised in Ohio are joined by a group of players with international experience, who are working toward their college degrees here in the United States.
Alec Ferrell will be a sophomore at Wake Forest University in North Carolina in the fall. A Westlake High School alum, Ferrell was able to garner multiple All-Conference and All-Region awards, concluding his senior year with a 2nd Team All-Ohio award. Ferrell has started this spring for Wake Forest as he competes for a starting position and they look to build on their 11-4-5 record from 2012. Wake Forest was able to finish third in the Atlantic Coast Conference while also playing in the NCAA Tournament.
Michael Lambeck comes to ZAFC after spending a season as the goalkeeping coach for the University of Akron’s Women team. Before stepping into the coaching ranks, Lambeck enjoyed a successful career at Wittenberg University, where he was a four-year starter for the Tigers. He earned All-Ohio honors twice and First Team All-NCAC his senior year. Additionally, Lambeck earned All-State distinction from the Ohio High School Athletic Association while at Dublin Coffman HS.
Kyle Ripma has been the starting goalkeeper for the past two seasons at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. He is a native of Brecksville, Ohio, and earned All-State and All-Conference Honors while at Brush High School. Otterbein has increased their win totals each of the last two seasons since Ripma was named starter.
Andres Palacios, a sophomore from Bluefield College in Virginia, has signed on with ZAFC. A native of Bogota, Columbia, Palacios played club soccer with Club Deportivo Atlantic before joining the Bluefield Rams in 2011. In 2012, Palacios started 17 games while tallying 3 goals and 1 assist. Most recently, the Bluefield Rams, led by Palacios, were able to defeat NCAA Division I member Longwood University in a spring match.
“Andres is a special player with great technical ability for the game,” former Bluefield head coach Chase Neidig stated. “He has a load of experience at the international level having played in the top amateur division in Columbia before coming to the U.S. to play for Bluefield College in the NAIA. He has one of the most warming personalities I have ever coached, always willing to improve and learn more about the game.”
“I believe Andres will be a great asset to Zanesville, just as he has been for Bluefield because of his ability to get forward into the attack,” Neidig added. “Whether he is playing as an outside back or outside midfielder, he become a player who can become another threat moving forward into the final third.”
A native of Johnstown, Ohio, Joe Carter comes to ZAFC from Urbana University, where he has become an important part of the program, starting 35 of the first 36 games of his college career. He earned First Team All-District and 2nd Team All-State as a senior at Johnstown Monroe High School and won the Ohio South State Cup as a U18 with Team Ohio/Blast FC.
Mikey McLaughlin, joins ZAFC for his second season in the NPSL. McLaughlin spent the 2012 season as a member of fellow Great Lakes side AFC Cleveland. The Ohio Wesleyan University alum is a native of Nottingham, England. In 2011, Ohio Wesleyan University and McLaughlin culminated a 23-2-0 season with an NCAA Division III National Championship.
Daryl Fenton hails from East London, England. A central defender, he spent his youth in the Tottenham Hotspur Academy, and also had a six month spell at Barnet. Fenton currently attends Bethany College (WV), where he started nearly 30 matches over the past two seasons.
George Noubossie has committed to Zanesville Athletic from nearby Wheeling Jesuit University. The Cardinals alum hails from Silver Spring, Maryland. Noubossie helped WJU to an 11-8-0 record in 2012. Noubossie appeared in 15 games while starting 12 to help the Cardinals to a 4th place finish in the strong West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and has earned back-to-back 2nd Team All-Conference honors. George grew up in Cameroon, and spent time training with Girodins Bordeaux in France before moving to Maryland.
