DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis head men's soccer coach Dwayne Shaffer announced Wednesday that Grant Fidler of Bakersfield, Calif., and Washington native Kameron Carey have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at UC Davis.

Fidler (Centennial HS / Pateadores SC) and Carey (Lakewood, Wash. / Lakes HS / Crossfire Premier Academy) have committed to the Aggies beginning with the 2017-18 school year and will have four full years of eligibility.

"First and foremost, they're both excellent soccer players who will fill big needs for the program in the future," Shaffer said. "I see both of them being able to compete for playing time and, hopefully, they will mix it up quickly and compete for starting roles. Ideally, that's what I'd like to see from them. As freshmen into the program, though, it's always a little tough to acclimate, but they both have the talent to get in there and compete right away."

Fidler, a 5-foot-9 midfielder, is currently in the midst of his senior season with the Golden Hawks, helping them to a 12-4 overall record as of Feb. 1, just one season after helping Centennial HS to an appearance in the CIF Central Section Division I title match against top-seeded Buchanan HS.

He scored nine goals and finished with 18 assists as a junior -- including the overtime game-winner to beat rival Liberty HS in the section semifinals -- earning the Southwest Yosemite League "Golden Boot" award, all-league first team and all-area second team honors, and a spot on the Central Section All-Star Game South roster. As a senior, he has currently scored 20 goals to go with eight assists.

Off the field, he currently ranks first in his class with a 4.5 grade point average and is a state competitor in robotics. He is a three-year president of the Spanish Honor Society and has earned the Academic Achievement Award for his performance on the Advanced Placement exams.

"Grant is a great soccer player with a high soccer IQ, excellent technique, and he is a great leader," Shaffer said. "Grant is quick with the ball, makes quick decisions, and has a great ability to score goals. I see him playing at central midfield for us and, as he grows into the program, I see him being a great leader for us on the field, similar to Noah Wilson."

Carey, a 5-foot-8 defender/winger, has played only one season of high school soccer as a freshman, scoring three goals and adding four assists, before focusing his efforts with his Crossfire Premier Academy team for the last three years. Carey was captain of his U15/16 Academy Team in 2015-16 and helped the U19 squad to a Super Group title at the 2016 Surf Cup.

Ranking among the top 10 percent of his class, Carey is a National Honor Society member and involved in a local youth mentoring program.

"Kameron is outstanding athletically as a winger-fullback type player who can get forward really well," Shaffer said. "He has exceptional speed and will, eventually, be able to compete for time on the right side for us. He's very similar athletically to Evan Barrett, who will be a rising senior next season, and I can see Kameron stepping in for him in the very near future."

2017 UC DAVIS MEN'S SOCCER SIGNEES
Name (Ht., Wt., Pos., Hometown/Previous School, Club Team)
Grant Fidler (5-9, 160, MF, Bakersfield, Calif./Centennial HS, Pateadores SC)
Kameron Carey (5-8, 145, D/W, Lakewood, Wash./Lakes HS, Crossfire Premier Academy)