If there is one message that the Maryland and UMBC men’s soccer teams are sending this year, it is build locally.

The addition of six new players could keep the 2007 Maryland men’s soccer team among the best in Division I next season.

“I am confident that we will once again be a national contender,” said head coach Sasho Cirovski in a release last week. Maryland won the national title in 2005.

Highlighting the new class of student-athletes is Ellicott City native and Howard High School product, Will Swaim. Maryland native and midfielder Rodney Wallace (Bullis/Rockville) will be joining Swaim on the team.

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Joining the Marylanders are forward Billy Cortes (Mission Viejo, Calif.), defender Sean Flatley (Virginia Beach, Va.), goalie Thorne Holder (Trinidad & Tobago) and midfielder Yannick Salmon (Westbury, N.Y.).

Swaim was named to the second-team All-State by the Maryland Association of Coaches of Soccer after the 2006 season and has played on Maryland’s Olympic Development Program team since 2000.

In a release from Maryland, Swaim said he “wanted to be a part of the best soccer program in the country.”

“Will is a very technically sound goalkeeper who also has great potential to develop into a top flight keeper,” Cirovski said. “I have seen his progression over the last few years and he has emerged as one of the top goalkeepers in the region.”

UMBC inked three Archbishop Curley products for the 2007 season. Curley’s All-Examiner forward B.J. Quigley, defender Dustin Dzwonkowski and midfielder Sean Rothe will all be making the jump to UMBC together. Joining the three Friars in the recruiting class is midfielder John Paul Waraksa (Media, Pa.) and defenders Jeremy Taylor (Enola, Pa.) and Mike Gutowski (Raleigh, N.C.).

“I am really happy with the recruiting class. They all have an upside and they will all get better in college.” said Retrievers head coach Pete Caringi. “The program is back on course as where we want to be.”

Last fall was a rebuilding year for UMBC, as Caringi was faced with replacing 13 seniors. The 5-9-3 finish ended up being his worst record ever and only his second losing season in 26 years of coaching.

Curley to UMBC

» In his senior year, B.J. Quigley had 27 goals for the Friars. He scored the only goal in Curley’s Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Conference A Conference championship win over McDonogh.

» Sean Rothe was a four-year starter for the Friars. He is the son of Dale Rothe, an All-American at the University of Baltimore and a former teammate of Pete Caringi.

» At 6-foot-3, Dustin Dzwonkowski, brings size to the Retrievers’ defense as well as experience winning from Curley where his team went 21-3 in its championship run this past season.