Russell joins CSM men

Arrival of former SMAC sensation tops list of newcomers

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009

The 2004 Westlake High School graduate had the likes of Maryland, North Carolina State, St. John's and La Salle hot on his trail, wowed by a four-year high school boys soccer career of 40 goals and 36 assists with an impressive 27 and 14 of them, respectively, coming in his final season.

That made him Westlake's all-time leading scorer. It also made the decorated Russell –– whose slight build hardly epitomized his wealth of skills –– one of the best players to ever compete in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference. He was an all-state selection, a two-time SMAC MOP and a three-time county player of the year during his Westlake tenure, leading the Wolverines to their program's first conference and Class 3A South region crowns his final season.

But Russell's life on the soccer field upon departing Westlake never took off like it was supposed to.

Reportedly, academic shortcomings, lacking the proper maturity and a flirtation with the drive to become a European professional player out of high school kept Russell from landing with big-time college outfits that he was talented enough to play for. He settled for a full ride to Marshall University (W.Va.) but never played there, as he pursued an opportunity with a professional club from France.

Currently, Russell remains a standout in the sport. But he is not the same person that bid farewell to Westlake more than five years ago.

This Russell has grown up a great deal, according to those around him, and wants to experience college competition that he never capitalized upon as a graduating high school phenom.

Russell is now looking to resurrect a college career that bottomed out before it started, headlining the incoming recruiting class of nationally ranked College of Southern Maryland in a marriage that benefits both parties.

"We are looking forward to having his age, his experience, his maturity," Hawks head coach Tony Galeano said of what Russell's arrival means to an accomplished program with just three returners. "These guys are going to benefit [from playing with him], because this is a younger group and he's a little bit older than them. It's great to have his experience around them.

"I've known Ryan since he was 9 years old, probably. He's always been a nice kid, but sometimes kids just aren't ready to go away yet [after high school]. I think at the time [he graduated Westlake], he just wasn't ready. He's ready [now] and doing great in school."

Galeano, entering his eighth season with a team ranked 10th in the country's preseason poll of Division I junior colleges, added of Russell, "He's a great story. He's one that all these players can look up to. He's got a great attitude. He just fits right into [the team], he's one of them. He's hungry. I don't think he's played outdoor [soccer] at a high level in a while. He's thankful for the opportunity."

Russell was unavailable for comment during Friday's practice, on his way back from Portugal where he was involved in competition with his Southern Maryland futsal club team.

He is eligible to play one season for the Hawks, and according to Galeano, NCAA rules will allow him to transfer from CSM to any four-year level after this season except for Division I.

Reload, not rebuild

Though the Hawks are young with only three returners, they carry plenty of lofty expectations into the fall campaign after finishing the season ranked ninth in the country a year ago as the Maryland Junior College Conference champion for the third time in four years. They just missed their third Region XX title –– and subsequent opportunity to clinch the program's first national tournament berth –– in four years with a runner-up finish in the field.

"We are ranked 10th in the country, so we tend to attract talented players," Galeano noted. "We try not to look at it as rebuilding around here. It's a different team, but it's a good team."

Russell and his teammates will have their work cut out, trying to fill the large shoes left behind by All-American honorable mention selection Marco Gaudio –– now an assistant coach with the Hawks. Gaudio led the Maryland JUCO in scoring last year with 79 points on the strength of 34 goals. That was good enough for third best in the country.

"It's a challenge at first until everyone gets to know each other. I think we've bonded a lot over the last two weeks," said Hawks sophomore returner David Carr, from Ireland. "For us, it's a big boost to have Ryan Russell playing again. He's always been a good player as his track record shows. Hopefully, he can get a few goals during the season and hopefully get us to nationals."

dcogle@somdnews.com