PHILADELPHIA - Men's Soccer Head Coach Pat Farrell has announced the addition of six freshmen to the 2012 roster, including four from Pennsylvania and two South Jersey players.

The six join an Explorer squad that has enjoyed back-to-back trips to the Atlantic 10 Championship, including a berth in the championship final in 2010 and a semifinal appearance last season.

Bobby Briggs (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) is one of the two South Jersey players joining the team for the upcoming season. The midfielder is a five-year starter on the New Jersey Olympic Development Program team and was selected as a Super Y USL ODP National pool player. In his junior year, he helped lead the Marlton Lightning club squad to the US Club Soccer National Championship and was selected to play for the Atlantic City Crusaders of the National Premier Soccer League this past year. A three-year varsity starter for the Lenape High School squad, Briggs led the team to the South Jersey Group IV championship game and was the team leader in goals and assists this past season. He earned All-State, All-South Jersey, All-County and All-Conference honors as a senior.

Andrew Connors (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga), a forward/midfielder, joins the Explorers from nearby Wayne, Pa., where he played three years with Spirit United and was the leading scorer in each of the three seasons, totaling 142 goals over that span. A three-year starter at Conestoga High School, Connors led the squad to the 2011 Pennsylvania AAA championship after capturing the District 1 AAA championship. He was named to the ESPN Fall Boys' Soccer Pennsylvania State All-Star Team, as well as the All-Main Line Team and All-Central League squad.

Joe Farrell (Blue Bell, Pa.,/Wissahickon), who has played positions from defense to forward, will join the squad from nearby Blue Bell where he was a four-year varsity starter at Wissahickon High School. He has been a member of the Region 1 ODP squad for several years and has two international trips on his resume. He helped lead the PSC Coppa '93 squad to two EPYSA state cups at the U15 and U16 level and a Region 1 championship at U16. In 2011, Farrell helped the Eastern PA 1994 state team to the regional tournamen title, and is currently playing centerback/center-mid for the FC Delco U18 USSDA. Farrell brings an academic resume to La Salle, where he will be a part of La Salle's Honors Program.

Mike Kirk (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) joins former high school teammate Mike Stanton on the Explorer roster. Kirk, a goalkeeper, was a four-year varsity player at Cumberland Valley High School, where he was named to the Mid-Penn Conference All-Star Team, the Commonwealth Division Second Team and the Patriot News Boys Big 11 Second Team. He also has ODP experience, playing for Eastern Pennsylvania ODP and Eagle FC.

Shawn Mearig (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) is the fourth Pennsylvania player to join the squad for the upcoming season. The defender was a member of the '94 Eastern PA ODP team, and helped the '93 Eagle FC team to the 2010 Region 1 championship and third place at ODP nationals. The three-year varsity starter at Warwick High School led his squad to the Lancaster-Lebanon League championship and was named to the L-L League First Team and Central Pennsylvania All-Star Team.

Jason Spieker (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) joins Briggs from South Jersey. The midfielder helped his US Premier Club to the 2010 national, regional and state championship titles and the 2011 squad to third place in Region 1. His club squad was ranked first in the state, third in the region and seventh in the nation. The Cherokee High School star led the team to back-to-back Group IV state championships and the 2011 South Jersey Coaches' Cup championship. He broke Cherokee's single season assists record, with 22 helpers his senior year along with nine goals while leading the team to a 25-0-2 record and a top ranking in New Jersey and No. 12 national ranking. He held the team's lead for goals and assists in both 2010 and 2011. He was a 2011 all-state pick as well as First Team All-County and First Team All-Conference.

The Explorers kick off the 2012 campaign on August 25, when they host local foe Drexel.