Feb. 13, 2008

FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason men's soccer Head Coach Greg Andrulis announced today the signing of midfielder Ryan Gracia to a National Letter of Intent. Gracia will join the team in the fall of 2008 and brings impressive credentials both on the field and in the classroom with him to George Mason.

"Ryan is a great addition to our University and soccer program. He has excelled both in the classroom and on the soccer field," Andrulis said. "His accomplishments as a soccer player are indicative of the career we can expect of Ryan at the college level. He has achieved the highest recognition at every level, and is a terrific playmaker with incredible skill and vision. His experience at the national team level has prepared him for the rigors of college soccer and we welcome him to the Mason family."

Gracia is a local product from Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, Md., where he scored 11 goals and tallied eight assists during his senior season despite often being marked by two defenders. For his efforts, Gracia was named The Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year. He was also named Montgomery County's Player of the Year and was a First-Team All-State and All-County selection, as well as a member of The D.C. Examiner All-Soccer Team. Gracia was recognized as one of the top players in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), twice named to the NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team (2006-2007).

For two years, Gracia trained daily with the top high school players in the nation as part of U.S. Soccer's Under-17 Residency Program, held at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. As part of the program, Gracia was one of 40 elite players that lived on campus at IMG Academy, training with the U.S. Soccer U-17 coaching staff during the mornings and attending classes during the afternoon. The program fields two full teams that train together during the week and get the chance to compete against club, college and international teams on the weekends. One of Gracia's teammates on the squad was Axel Levry, another member of Andrulis' incoming freshman class.

In addition to his refined skills on the soccer field, Gracia has also been a consistent performer in the classroom, making the Honor Roll every year with his outstanding 4.0 cumulative GPA. Gracia will major in communication at George Mason, with a concentration in journalism. He chose to attend Mason over American, Brown, Bucknell, Georgetown, George Washington, University of New Mexico, University of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Gracia currently plays with the D.C. United U-18 team. He won the Maryland State Cup three years in a row with his club team, the MSC Dragons.