SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara men's soccer announced the first member of the 2021 recruiting class, Blake Gillingham.  The 6-foot-2 goalkeeper from Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, California was ranked as one of the top 150 players in the country by IMG Academy.

"I chose Santa Clara because of the small class sizes so I have a better opportunity to connect with the professors, the beautiful campus and the location.  Also, the family atmosphere not only with the soccer team but with the entire student body appealed to me," said Gillingham.  "The athletics and their support are some of the best in the country and I want to add on to the history of winning at the school."

Gillingham, who played his club soccer for De Anza Force SC, is a familiar name to those that follow the Broncos.  His older brother, Brandon, played on the SCU men's soccer team from 2015-18 and was a two-time captain and older sister, Brittany, played on the Bronco volleyball team from 2017-19.

"Blake is a tremendous addition to our program.  Coming from a family steeped in college athletics, he fits exactly what we are looking for in a goalkeeper," said Broncos head coach Cam Rast.  "He has good size, is brave in shot stopping, technical with his feet and a fearless competitor.  We have worked with Blake since he was a young player and know how impactful he is to a team.  Blake will make our team better and understands what it will take to make that happen."

Our next future Bronco, Aaron Sandhu, will be announced the week of December 7.