Four Incoming Players Join the Tribe Men’s Soccer Program

05/08/09 4:45PM

Williamsburg - William and Mary head men’s soccer coach Chris Norris announced the addition of four players to the Tribe program. James Lofton (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) joined the Green and Gold during the spring after transferring from UNC Greensboro and will have three years of eligibility remaining for the College. The Tribe will welcome three incoming freshmen to the fold as well with the additions of Andy Hinnant (Winston-Salem, N.C./RJ Reynolds), Chris Perez (Annandale, Va./Gonzaga) and Ben Coffey (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle), beginning in the fall of 2009.

“We are excited about this group,” Norris said. “We had some specific needs we wanted to address in terms of positions and qualities. We succeeded in addressing those needs with these four young men. In addition, all four meet the high standards we set in terms of academics and character. I expect them to be cornerstones of our program in the future. “

Here is a look at each of the Tribe’s new additions:

Ben Coffey, MF/F, Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle
Prep: A three-time All-Commonwealth District selection … A three-time Commonwealth District All-Academic Team honoree … A four-year letterwinner at Albemarle High School … Played club soccer for the Soccer Organization of Charlottesville Albemarle and was a team captain for seven of his 10 seasons … Helped his club team to the 2009 State Cup Championship … A member of the National and Math Honor Societies in high school … Participated in Key Club and Patriot Athletic Leaders as well as being a Student Council Advisor … Received Renaissance Achievement Awards at Albemarle … Personal: Born Nov. 21, 1990 in Washington, D.C. … The son of Michael and Carol Coffey … Intends to major in Education at W&M.

Norris said of Coffey … “Ben is a very smooth lefty who can play a number of different positions. He has a very high soccer IQ and the technical ability to match it. Ben’s creativity will probably be best utilized in an attacking role.”

Andy Hinnant, Back, Winston-Salem, N.C./RJ Reynolds
Prep: A three-time first team all-conference selection in helping his team to Central Piedmont Conference Championships in 2006 and 2008 … A first-team all-region choice in 2007 as his high school team advanced to the quarterfinal of the North Carolina State Tournament and a No. 8 state ranking … Named Team Defensive MVP as a junior and a senior … As a team captain in 2008, led a defense that only allowed 13 goals in 23 games and advanced to the round of 16 in the state tournament … During his high school career, RJ Reynolds owned a record of 43-18-7, including 30 shutouts … Tallied nine career goals as a three-year letterwinner … Played club soccer for the Winston-Salem Twins White for eight years, including six in the North Carolina Premier League … Helped his club team to the 2007 Jefferson Cup Championship as well as finals appearances at the 2007 North Carolina State Cup, the 2008 Score at the Shore Showcase and the 2005 and 2006 Julian Brown Memorial Cups … Club team advanced to the semifinals of the 2006 and 2008 North Carolina State Cups … Played tennis and golf in high school … Volunteered his time with the Big Brother/ Big Sister Organization as well as at the YMCA as a basketball coach during his high school career … A member of the National Latin Honor Society, Key Club and Latin Club … Served as both the Latin Club Vice President and President during his high school career … Named an AP Scholar at RJ Reynolds … Personal: Born May 31, 1991 in Winston-Salem, N.C. … The son of Rick and Lori Hinnant … Father, Rick, played basketball at Wake Forest … His aunt, Amy Privette Perko, was inducted into the Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame and holds the school re-cords for career points, assists and steals as a member of the women’s basketball program … His grandfather, Coy Privette, played football at Wake Forest … Intends to major in business at the College.

Norris said of Hinnant … “Andy is another talented lefty. A defender by nature, Andy possesses the technique, understanding, range of passing and fitness to be a very effective attacking left back. In the last year or so, he has also de-veloped physically to the point which we think he can also excel as a central defender.”

James Lofton, Back, Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite/UNC Greensboro
Will have three years of eligibility at W&M, beginning in the fall of 2009 … At UNC Greensboro: Played in 20 matches with two starts against Old Dominion and Furman in 2008 … UNCG won the Southern Conference Championship and advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament with a pair of wins, before falling to No. 8 seed South Florida … Appeared in all three NCAA Tournament games as a reserve … Sat out the 2007 season as a redshirt ... Listed as one of the top 100 freshmen to watch according to College Soccer News in 2007 … Prep: Named an NSCAA All-American, one of only 78 players nationally and one of only four in Virginia to earn the award, as a senior ... A four-time all-conference selection and earned all-state and all-region honors twice at Eastern Mennonite ... Played midfield and forward in 2005 for the Flames, leading the team in scoring with 20 goals and 13 assists before moving to back … Played club soccer for Braddock Road Premier, helping the squad to the Virginia State Cup champions and a No. 12 nationally ranking by GotSoccer.com … A Super Y and Region I ODP participant … Played internationally with the D.C. United U-17 squad, traveling to Spain … Moved to Cambridge, England at age 13 to play for a youth team, and spent sixth grade at the private prep school King’s College, where he was named the middle school athlete of the year … Also played with club teams internationally in France and Turkey ... Personal: James Lee Lofton ... Born Aug. 3, 1988... The son of James and Bonnie Lofton ... His father, James, played football at VMI and his grandfather (also named James) played football at Auburn.

Norris said of Lofton … “James is a strong, athletic lefty with a tremendous work ethic. He acclimatized very well this spring. We expect his athleticism and desire to enable him to compete for a spot in the back this fall.”

Chris Perez, MF/F, Annandale, Va./Gonzaga
Prep: Named the 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year for Washington D.C. … Selected as ESPN RISE National High School player of the week for Sept. 3, 2008 … 2008 First Team All-Met selection by the Washington Post, after garnering honorable mention accolades in 2007 … A First-Team All-WCAC in both 2007 and 2008 after receiving honorable mention notice in 2006 … First Team All-Examiner in 2007 … Led Gonzaga in scoring with 39 points on 18 goals and 13 assists in 2008, helping the team to the No. 1 ranking in the Washington Metro Area and a national ranking of No. 4 by the NSCAA … Topped the squad with 11 goals to go along with 11 assists in 2007, despite missing six games due to injury … Helped Gonzaga to three consecutive WCAC conference championships (2006, 2007, 2008) and was named Offense MVP each of his final two seasons … An ODP Region 1 Virginia State & District team selection from 2005-2007 … Participated with the Region 1 International Tournament Team – France/Spain in 2007 … Played for SYC Jr. Royals club team as a midfielder and forward leading them to the 2008 Virginia State Championship … Currently competing for DC United Academy team, which is the top youth U-18 program in the United States Soccer Federation Development Academy … Personal: Born April 11, 1991 … The son of Alfredo and Dawn Perez … His father, Alfredo, was an ECAC All-American baseball player at Catholic University (1976-80) … His grandfather, Bill Hoover, was an All-American in lacrosse at the Naval Academy (1951-54) and also played on the Navy basketball team … Intends to major in business at the College.

Norris said of Perez … “Chris is a very dynamic attacking player. He is quick, clever, combines well and is capable of scoring or making chances for others. He plays with great confidence and accepts the challenge of being a difference-maker. We feel that he will be effective as a wide or attacking midfielder and possibly up front as well.”