MADSION, Wis. – Wisconsin men's soccer head coach John Trask announced on Thursday the addition of nine student-athletes who have signed national letters of intent. Seven of the newest Badgers will join the program this fall, while two have already been with the team this spring.

The program's newest additions are Blake Carr (Pewaukee, Wis.), Alejandro Estrelles Hernanz (Barcelona, Spain), Mitch Guitar (Royal Oak, Mich.), Nick Klabjan (Deerfield, Ill.), Noah Leibold (Wiesbaden, Germany), Connor Maki (Naples, Fla.), Sam Kornetzke (Cedarburg, Wis.), Dominick Mesdjian (Madison, Wis.) and Jack Shaw (Milwaukee, Wis.).

"We are very excited about our 2016 Signing Class that includes seven future Badgers ready to join the team for the fall and two who have already begun with our program," Trask said. "The influx of new talent and the return of most of our starting unit from last season will allow for great competition within our squad. Not only is this group extremely talented, but these young men also have the character and academic backgrounds to succeed here at the University of Wisconsin."

BLAKE CARR
Blake Carr attended Arrowhead High School and played for coach Jeff Staus. His senior year, Carr tallied 54 goals, 14 assists and led Arrowhead to the Classic 8 championship and a runner-up finish in the WIAA state championship. Carr was named Classic 8 Player of the Year and co-state player of the year. A talented scorer, Carr finished his prep career with Arrowhead records for goals in a career, goals in a season, hat tricks in a season, goals in a single game and led Arrowhead in scoring a record 122 goals as a team in one season. Carr was nominated for Wisconsin Boys Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year. Carr plays for club team FC Wisconsin.

Head Coach John Trask: "Blake is a dynamic frontrunner who has attended our camp programs. We feel that his physical attributes and his ability to score goals will allow him to achieve his goals of playing Big Ten soccer. As a former academy standout for the FC Wisconsin Club, Blake has been properly trained by Ben Sheppard and Bill Solberg. Blake and his Hartland Arrowhead team had a tremendous run this fall, eventually playing in the state championship against Marquette High School."

Associate Head Coach Keith Tiemeyer: "Blake will be counted on to add physicality to our attack in the coming years. His physical length, coupled with his positional awareness, allow him to poach goals. We have enjoyed following Blake's development throughout his time playing with FC Wisconsin, Hartland Arrowhead and our Badger Soccer Camps."

ALEJANDRO ESTRELLES HERNANZ
A native of Barcelona, Alejandro Estrelles Hernanz is a midfielder who will join the Badgers this fall. Hernanz attends Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. There, he has been coached by Matthew Shea. Hernanz has also played for club teams RCD Espanyol U-9, CE Vilassar and is currently with the FC Stars of Massachusetts. A team captain for his FC Stars club as a senior, Hernanz led his squad in both goals (13) and assists (8), was named Team MVP, was named to the NEPSSA All-Star Team and was on the Senior NEPSAC All-Star Team. Academically, Hernanz is a high honors student at Cushing Academy.

Trask: "Ale is an attacking player who has special technique and is capable of unlocking defenses with his passing ability. He will be looked at in a number of attacking roles for us and will be counted on to help bolster our offense. We are happy to continue the tradition of having talented Spanish players represent the Badgers."

Tiemeyer: "We are looking forward to what Ale will bring to the team, both on and off the field. He has a unique skill set that will help our team in many attacking options. His attacking sense for the game will be a great asset to our program."

MITCH GUITAR
Mitch Guitar attends Troy High School in Michigan where he played one year of high school soccer under head coach Brian Zawislak as a freshman. Guitar has competed for Vardar Soccer Club for seven years, where he played for coaches Curtis Ward, Morris Lupenec, Mike Lupenec and Demir Muftari. Guitar was named all-league, all-district, all-region and all-state during his freshman year at Troy High School. He played for the USSF Development Academy (Vardar) sophomore through senior year of high school. Guitar started at center midfield every game during his Vardar career and helped his teams qualify for the USSF Academy playoffs every year. Guitar was chosen as a "Best 11" individual at the 2013 U.S. Soccer National Championship. He won the Michigan State Cup Champion in 2010, '11, '12 and '13. He participated in the 2012 Manchester United Premier Cup World Finals in China. In the classroom, Guitar is an honor roll student at Troy High School.

Trask: "Mitch is a special player who we identified through our College ID Camp here at Wisconsin. His ability to make everyone around him more effective is his greatest strength. He provides the midfield with a true general and helps to link the game. Mitch has been exposed to some of the best coaches in the country having played competitively for the Vardar Club in Michigan and having been coached by Mike and Morris Lupenec, as well as Demir Muftari."

Tiemeyer: "Mitch is a player who makes all the players around him better. Whether he's playing as a true link midfielder getting other players involved in possession or he's unlocking the opposition with his incisive passing, Mitch is a great addition to the Badgers. His positional sense defensively shouldn't be overlooked."

NICK KLABJAN
Nick Klabjan attended Deerfield High School where he played for coach Elliott Hurtig. He has played for club teams Chicago Wind Soccer Club and his current club, Chicago Magic PSG. Klabjan was named to the all-state team as a senior at Deerfield and was voted as the team's Most Valuable Player after leading the group to a sectional finalist run. Klabjan was part of U.S. Youth Soccer Illinois State Championships in 2009, '10, '11 and '12. He was on the 2014 U.S. Academy U15/U16 third-place team and the 2015 US Youth Soccer national championship team.

Trask: "Nick is another player who we identified through our camp programs here at Wisconsin. His technical ability and hunger to be involved at all times was evident from the first time we saw him play. Nick has played extensively for the Chicago Magic and his trainer, Bato Radoncic, has prepared him extremely well for his collegiate career. Nick can play multiple roles and we expect that he will compete for playing time immediately. We speak often with our players about being glue guys and there is no question we are getting a very high-end glue guy in Nick Klabjan."

Tiemeyer: "Nick is another product of the Badger Soccer Camps. He is a heart and soul type of player with excellent ball winning skills and passing skills. He is a versatile player that can play many positions on the field."

SAM KORNETZKE
Sam Kornetzke attended Cedarburg High School and played for coach Pat Sorenson. He has played for clubs North Shore United Soccer Club and Wisconsin Fire. A four-year varsity starter in high school, Kornetzke was voted team captain his senior year and Team MVP as a junior. Kornetzke and Cedarburg were WIAA Division 2 state finalists both his junior and senior years. As a senior, Kornetzke was recognized with honors for first team all-conference, first team all-area and second team WSCA All-State. His junior season, he was first team all-conference, second team all-area and honorable mention WSCA All-State. Kornetzke was part of back-to-back WYSA State Championships in 2012 and 2013 and was a state finalist in 2015. At the 2015 Las Vegas Mayor's Cup, he was named to the all-tournament team for the Wisconsin Fire. Kornetzke was a member of the ODP Regional pool in 2011, '12, and '13. He attended ODP events with his Region II team in Virginia and Florida. Kornetzke traveled with the Chicago Fire in 2014 and attended the Al Kass International Cup in Doha, Qatar. In the classroom, Kornetzke has earned high honors every semester at Cedarburg High School.

Trask: "Sam is a Milwaukee product who we invited to join us this spring to prepare for his freshman year here at Wisconsin. Sam is a left-sided player who has great range. We feel that once he matures physically and grasps the principles we teach here at Wisconsin, he can become a very good player in the program. Sam has been trained by the North Shore Club in northern Milwaukee and specifically worked with Sinisa Angelovski."

Tiemeyer: "Sam is already off to a solid start with us this semester at Wisconsin. He provides good athleticism on the left side of the field as a back or midfielder. His fight in the tackle is good and I expect good things from Sam as he matures here in Madison."

NOAH LEIBOLD
Noah Leibold hails from Wiesbaden, Germany, and joins the Badgers having most recently played for the renowned Mainz Academy. Club team experience for Leibold includes SV Wehen Wiesbaden, FSV Mainz, and Development Academy Wiesbaden. In 2015, Leibold and SV Wehen won the International Tournament and were all-state Hessen Cup winners in 2015. Leibold helped FSV Mainz capture the Sparkasse Lemgo Cup in 2014. He was an all-state honoree during his time with the U-19 SV Wehen squad. While playing for the FSV Mainz U-18 squad, Leibold was an all-state selection and his team became a regional cup winner. Leibold attended Elly-Heuss School in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Trask: "Noah is transferring from a German university and will bring a great deal of quality to our midfield. He is a very experienced midfielder who played for the famed Mainz Academy. Noah chose Wisconsin to pursue his dream of obtaining a degree from a prestigious American university. He can make plays both offensively and defensively and has the fiber we look for to represent the Wisconsin soccer program. I'm looking forward to integrating Noah into the team and know that he will have a tremendous career in the Big Ten Conference."

Tiemeyer: "Noah will be counted on to bring maturity to the team this fall. As a transfer student, he is a bit older than most incoming players, and as a player he has an excellent background coming from the Mainz Academy. His positioning in the center of midfield and his passing ability will be the main traits that we will integrate into the team."

CONNOR MAKI
Connor Maki joins the Badgers as a transfer after playing at Xavier University last season. The Naples, Florida, native made five appearances on defense last season for the Musketeers. Maki was rated as a four-star high school prospect by TopDrawerSoccer and ranked No. 16 in regional rankings after playing three years for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He was named the U-18 program's most improved player after the 2014-15 season. Prior to his stint at IMG Academy, Maki played for the New York Red Bulls USDA team.

Trask: "Connor is a player we tracked throughout his youth career, so having him elect to transfer to Wisconsin is something that has the coaching staff extremely excited. Not only has he played on an excellent Xavier team and been well coached by Andy Fleming, but he also has the pedigree of playing for a couple of the top youth academies in the United States. Connor is a natural left-footed defender who we expect to come in and compete for a starting spot this fall. If we can pair up Connor with Sam Brotherton on the left side of our defense, we believe really good things will happen. Connor has been training with the New England Revolution and attending a Harvard extension school in preparation to resume his collegiate career here at the University of Wisconsin."

Tiemeyer: "Connor is another player in this class that will be counted on right away in 2016. Having played at IMG Soccer Academy prior to attending Xavier University, he has a strong background as a player. Being a left-sided player is a strength of Connor's. Another plus about Connor is his versatility and his ability to play left back or center back, too. Connor is a strong tackler and ball winner who has very good passing range out of the back."

DOMINICK MESDJIAN
Dominick Mesdjian will not travel far from home to play collegiate soccer, as the Madison native and James Madison Memorial High School athlete joins the Badgers this fall. Mesdjian also competed for the Madison 56ers soccer club from U-11 through U-18. He played for Wisconsin Fire U16-U18. A four-year varsity starter at Madison Memorial for head coach Ben Voss, Mesdjian was a team captain and named Team MVP as a senior. An NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region honoree, he was also named first team all-conference, first team all-area and first team all-state as a senior. His junior season, he was first team all-conference, first team all-city, first team all-area and all-state honorable mention after leading the team in goals and assists and guiding Memorial to a Big 8 Conference title and sectional-semifinalist run. An all-conference honorable mention selection as a sophomore, he led the team in assists and helped Madison Memorial capture the Big 8 Conference title and finish sectional semifinalists. Mesdjian helped his team become sectional finalists as a freshman. Mesdjian helped his U-13 Madison 56ers team finish as state cup finalists and helped his U-14, U-15 and U-18 teams to semifinalist finishes. He played for the ODP Region II pool in 2014. Mesdjian earned National Honor Society distinction for his academics as a junior and senior and has held high honors all four years at James Madison Memorial High School. 

Trask: "Dominick is a Madison Memorial graduate who has soccer in his blood. He decided to enroll in the spring to get a jump start on his collegiate career here at Wisconsin. Dom is a great student and a very talented soccer player. He grew up representing the Madison 56ers and has had many of the top coaches in Madison guide him along the way. It's always exciting to add a player from Dane County who we feel can compete at this level."

Tiemeyer: "Another spring semester addition to the roster, Dominick has made great strides already in his limited time in the program. He is a soccer player that has excellent technique and a feel for the game. He has already started adjusting to the physicality of college soccer."

JACK SHAW
Jack Shaw joins the Badgers having played for Chicago Fire Academy and the Bavarian Soccer Club in Milwaukee. A student at Marquette University High School, Shaw was the only freshman to play on the varsity team his first season of prep soccer. He finished his freshman year with 22 points on nine goals and four assists for Marquette University High School and helped the team capture the WIAA Division I state championship. A five-year starter and contributor on the Chicago Fire Academy's U-14, U-16 and U-18 teams, Shaw played for the Chicago Fire in the Generation Adidas Cup in both 1997 and 1998. Shaw was called to train with the Chicago Fire's first team this past fall during his senior year of high school. Academically, he is an honor roll student at Marquette University High School.

Trask: "Jack joins us from the Milwaukee area, but he has played the last few years for the Chicago Fire Academy. He has the passion and desire that we love to see from incoming players and his commitment to represent the Fire says a lot about his attributes. Jack is a player who passes the ball well and makes his teammates look better in the process. His growth over the last 12 months has the staff and I very excited for his future here at Wisconsin."

Tiemeyer: "Jack is a player that seems to be really emerging over the past couple of seasons. He is becoming more physical and continues to develop his technique and game intelligence. Coming from an excellent club environment, Jack will be counted on to contribute on the flank immediately."