Red Bull New York announced today that it has signed Red Bull Academy product and University of Maryland midfielder Matt Kassel. Kassel, a Bridgewater, NJ native, becomes the third player from the Red Bull Academy to sign with the first team, joining current New York forwards Juan Agudelo and Giorgi Chirgadze.

"We believe that Matt has matured during his three years in college and has the potential to be a solid player for us," said Red Bull New York Managing Director Erik Soler. "We are thrilled that we have come to an agreement with him and are pleased to add another former member of our academy."

Kassel spent the past three years playing at the University of Maryland under Head Coach Sasho Cirovski. In his three years as a Terrapin, Kassel became one of the school's top players, earning honors as an All-ACC First Team selection for the 2010 season. Kassel was also selected to the ACC All-Tournament Team. He started all 23 games for the Terps in 2010, and scored nine goals while leading the team with 11 assists.

As a sophomore in 2009, Kassel started all but one game for the Terps. His six assists led the team, and he added a goal in a four point effort versus Duquesne on Sept. 15. In his first year, Kassel was named the National Rookie of the Year by TopDrawerSoccer.com, and was named as an ACC All-Freshman Team selection. He scored one goal and ranked second on the team with seven assists while starting 19 games.

Prior to playing at the University of Maryland, Kassel was in the Red Bulls Academy, where he was a two-time Academy Player of the Year. His successes as a Red Bulls Academy member catapulted him as one of the top high school players in the country, as he scored 110 goals in four years at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. After his senior year, he was ranked as the No. 9 recruit in the nation by ESPN RISE Magazine, and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New Jersey in 2007-08. Prior to his time at Maryland, Kassel also spent time with the United States Under-15 and Under-18 teams.