NKU men’s soccer adds 12-player recruiting class for upcoming season; Norse were 7-10-1 a year ago

Northern Kentucky University men’s soccer head coach Stu Riddle has announced a 12-player recruiting class for the upcoming season.

Deryn Armstrong, Dylan Bufton, Roberto Burlew, Trey Dennigan, Kyle Healy, Ben Hegge, Tobias Karlsen, Daniel Kaufman, Cam Newton, Jesse Randall, Sam Robinson and Andrès Zaffino will all join the program for the 2020 season.

“My staff and I have worked incredibly hard to put this class together and are very pleased with the outcome,” said Riddle. “I can’t thank both Blair (Stevenson) and Sam (Brooks) enough for their help during the calendar year and we are all looking forward to assembling what we believe will be a group that edges us closer to a Horizon League championship.”

The NKU recruits are:

-Deryn Armstrong
Armstrong is a 6-foot midfield/forward from Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He attended St. Roch Catholic Secondary School, where In 2019, he was named the St. Roch Senior Boys Soccer MVP. Armstrong also played club ball for Oakville Blue Devils FC, was a Canadian Premier League U-21 Men’s Showcase Match selection and led his squad to a 2019 Ontario Academy Soccer League championship.

-Dylan Bufton
A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Bufton joins the Norse after two seasons at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. The forward scored a total of 14 goals and notched six assists in his two years on the squad, helping Tyler compile a 38-8 record in that span.

-Roberto Burlew
Burlew is a 6-foot midfielder from Finneytown High School. In 2018 and 2017, he was named to the All-Southwest Ohio team and was a first team All-Cincinnati Hills League selection. Burlew also played for local club Kings Hammer Academy, where he sent in eight goals and dished an assist en route to a 10-1-1 team record.

-Trey Denigan
Denigan is a midfield/forward out from Union. He finished his senior season at Ryle High School with eight goals and six assists, helping his squad to a 33rd District championship appearance. He also has played for Kings Hammer Academy and was a first team Academic All-State honoree.

-Kyle Healy
Healy transferred to NKU after the University of Cincinnati discontinued its men’s soccer program this spring and will be immediately eligible to play. The sophomore appeared in 12 games for the Bearcats last season and scored a goal against Xavier on Sept. 6. A product of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, Healy is a 2018 All-Greater Cleveland first team selection.

-Ben Hegge
Hegge, a Cincinnati transfer, also heads south to Highland Heights. The midfielder appeared in 11 games in his debut season for the Bearcats in 2019, logging 294 minutes and taking five shots. A Cincinnati native, Hegge went to Moeller High School, where he was named the 2018 Greater Catholic League South Co-Player of the Year and put together a 15-goal, 10-assist output in his senior season.

-Tobias Karlsen
Karlsen a Drammen, Norway native, becomes the second Norwegian on the squad. A 5-foot-11 midfielder, Karlsen last played for Mjøndalen IF under coach Bjarne Ingebrigtsen, where he had seven goals and 12 assists.

-Daniel Kaufman
Kaufman is another Norwegian addition for the Norse. The Oslo native is a 5-11 defender who most recently played for KFUM-Kameratene, where he recorded two goals and six assists in the last two years. In that span, KFUM-Kameratene went 30-8-6.

-Cam Newton
Newton is a Sandbach, England, product and he most recently played for Sandbach United. He helped his squad to a 2019 Cheshire County Cup runner-up performance, a 2018 Potteries League title and a Mid-Cheshire League title in 2017. He also captained the Cheshire School and Cheshire County FA U-18 teams during the 2019-20 season.

-Jesse Randall
Randall is a native of a Wellington, New Zealand. He will join the Norse in the spring semester of 2021. The forward is coming off a 15-goal, seven-assist campaign for North Wellington, his club squad.

-Sam Robinson
Robinson is the third player to join the Norse following the discontinuation of the UC program. The sophomore played in 16 games for the Bearcats and started in three in 2019, recording 13 shots and a goal against Horizon League foe Cleveland State on Oct. 19. Over the course of his prep career at Talawanda (Ohio) High School, Robinson netted 61 goals and had a hand in 30 more by contributing via assist.

-Andres Zaffino
To round out the class, Zaffino is another European addition to the program. He has played on U.S. Sassuolo Calcio’s U-19 squad, logging time in 24 games over the past two years as a defender.

NKU posted a 7-10-1 overall record last season. The Norse finished with a 3-5 slate in the Horizon League.

NKU Athletics Communications