Aztecs Sign UMass Brothers

Men's and Women's Teams Announce Signings

March 2, 2008

BEVERLY, Mass. – Mike and Mark DeSantis, the brothers from Stoneham (Mass.) who helped lead UMass to the Final Four last fall, signed with the Boston Aztecs of the NPSL for this summer. The Aztecs also inked Dartmouth midfielder and North Andover native Matt Carroll for the summer.

UMass junior Mike DeSantis (Source: UMass Athletics).

Mike DeSantis two-time Globe Player of the Year and an All-New England selection in 2004 while Mark was a two-time Eastern Mass. All-Star and a 2006 Boston Globe Player of the Year when the two attended Stoneham high school. Carroll, an All-New England selection at the Brooks School, is back with the Aztecs in 2008. He started 17 of 18 games for the 11-4-3 Big Green last fall.

Meanwhile, the women brought in five new additions, forward Sydney Stoll (UMass-Amherst - Dedham, MA), a two-time All-New England and 2005 Boston Globe DII Player of the Year, and midfielder Amy Avitable (UNH - Pembroke, MA), two-time All-League and team MVP at Pembroke High. Stoll has seven goals and four assists in her career at UMass, while Avitable started 19 games as a freshman and previously played in the WPSL with the Mass. Stingers.

The women also added F/M Natalie Crutchfield (Boston College - Acton, MA) an All-New England and three time Dual County All-Star, defender Alyssa Visconti (UMass-Amherst - North Reading, MA), a two-time Eastern Mass. All-Star, and back Kelsey Anderson (UMass-Amherst - Saugus, MA), an All-State and Boston Herald All-Scholastic player.

Dushawne Simpson, who will serve as coach for both teams this summer and coached the Aztecs to a 2005 PASL National Championship, had high praise for all of the signings.

"With the men, it is great for our program to be able to sign such talented local players. All three guys have been very successful at the NCAA Division I level," said Simpson. "As for the women, Sydney has great pace on and off the ball and is a handful one on one. Amy is exceptional center midfielder with a great ability to possess the ball and make good decisions. Natalie is by far one of the fastest players in the country at any level. Kelsey is hard-nosed 1v1 defender with an extremely high work ethic, and Alyssa is one the smoothest defenders I've ever seen."