Sam Brotherton, a true freshman central defender from New Zealand, is not a typical recruit in the mind of Wisconsin men’s soccer head coach John Trask.
Brotherton, the prized signing in Wisconsin’s 2015 class, earned a spot on New Zealand’s national team in a friendly March 31 against South Korea in Seoul. Though Brotherton didn’t play in the match, it was a profound experience for the 18-year-old, who was a member of the All-Whites’ U-20 World Cup team and U-23 Olympic Team, and participated in a full national team camp. He’s also expected to train in an upcoming national team camp.