KARLSRUHE, Germany --- This is about the time of year that Daniel Simonis shines brightest on the soccer pitch, and it's the segment in the calendar where Head Coach Torrey Stricklin's program aspires to excel under floodlights and cold conditions.

In previous years, this part of the fall semester was home to conference and national tournaments, circumstances that Simonis became very familiar with during his stints with Hastings College and Cal State LA. The German midfielder is coming off an appearance in the NCAA DII National Championship Match last year with the Golden Eagles and comes to Biola with five goals and two assists in tournament play over his first three collegiate seasons. 

Suffice to say, Simonis know what it takes for a soccer program to become a powerhouse at the Regional and National level. And the Eagles are eager to see him point the way forward as they pursue their own postseason success. 

"It is pretty easy to get excited about the signing of Daniel; Biola has experienced first hand over the past two years his quality on the field. He has had tremendous success at the college level and he brings with him a lot of experience that is going to be very important for our program,"said Head Coach Torrey Stricklin. "He has been where we are trying to go. On top of his clear quality as a player, he is a young man with high character and I cannot wait for him to be here next fall."

Simonis chipped in two assists during Cal State LA's 3-2 overtime win against Biola early in the 2019 season. But he saved his best stretch of performances for last year's national tournament, scoring two goals in a 14-minute span during the Golden Eagles' second round match against Midwestern State, assisting the opening goal of the quarterfinal and giving his team a 2-0 lead in the semifinal against UIndy on December 12 at the Championship final site.

All told, Simonis tabulated six goals and eight assists in 2019, tying for the team lead in assists while becoming one of two CSULA players who collected 20 points during the National runner-up season. The midfielder reached the 20-point plateau in back-to-back years after his seven-goal, six-assist performance in 2018 and has averaged 16 starts and over 1,000 minutes played in his two seasons of NCAA DII play. 

His personal accolades include a CCAA Newcomer of the Year award, three all-conference honors and several academic awards from Cal State LA and the CCAA. Simonis plans to pursue an MBA at Biola's Crowell School of Business and likes to spend some of his spare time discussing philosophy and Christian apologetics. 

"Biola is the perfect fit for me as I am bringing experience to a team full of talent that is willing to improve and work hard for individual and collective success, " said Simonis. "I am confident that I will grow my faith and grow as a person within the Biola community and cannot wait to be part of the soccer program and university."
 
Daniel Simonis will join Biola Men's Soccer in Fall 2021 and aspires to work in an managerial role in the sports industry one day. He and the rest of the student-athletes who sign with Biola during the 2020-21 signing period will be listed on the Committed Athletes page.