Senior back Stephen Arias (Bakersfield, Calif.) of the University of
Connecticut men’s soccer team has been selected to participate in the 2005
adidas Major League Soccer (MLS) Player Combine. A total of 66 of the top
college prospects for the 2005 MLS SuperDraft will compete in the combine at The
Home Depot Center in Carson, California from January 8-11, 2005.
Arias played in 54 games over his career for the Huskies with
44 starts and totaled one goal and six assists for nine career points. As a
junior, he earned the team’s Eric S. Lund Award for Most Improved Player.
MLS general managers and members of all 12 MLS coaching
staffs will be in attendance to scout talent at the event leading up to the 2005
MLS SuperDraft. The adidas MLS Player Combine will take place just a few days
before the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, which will be held in Baltimore, Maryland on
Friday, January 14 in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association
of America (NSCAA) Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. Last year a
total of 42 players who participated in the Player Combine were eventually
selected in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft, in which a total of 60 players were
drafted.
The field of players was determined by a select panel of
Division I college coaches in conjunction with MLS coaches and the consultation
of select Division II, Division III and NAIA coaches. A total of 47 colleges are
represented, including teams from Division I, Division II, Division III and the
NAIA. Six of the eight quarterfinalists in the NCAA College Cup are also
represented.
The 2005 adidas MLS Player Combine will feature doubleheaders
at The Home Depot Center on the mornings of January 9, 10 and 11 at 9:00 a.m.
and 10:45 a.m. local time. For the second consecutive year, collegiate coaches
will be selected to manage the squads during the course of the three-day
competition. The names of the coaches and any alternate call-ups will be
released at a later date.
ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (6): Dan Kennedy (UC-Santa Barbara); Jay Nolly (Indiana);
John O’Hara (George Mason); Noah Palmer (Maryland); Christopher Sawyer (Notre
Dame); T.J. Tomasso (Southern Methodist)
DEFENDERS (23): Stephen Arias (Connecticut); Drew Cavanagh
(College of Charleston); Chris Corcoran (St. John’s); Dan Gargan (Georgetown);
Kevin Goldthwaite (Notre Dame); Ugochukweu Ihemelu (Southern Methodist); Ryan
Kelly (St. John’s); Craig Klaas (Washington); Cameron Knowles (Akron); Matt
Kovar (Loyola Marymount); Jeff Larentower (Brown); Tony Lockhead (UC Santa
Barbara); Aaron Lopez (UCLA); Guy Melamed (Boston College); Tim Merritt (North
Carolina); Matt Oliver (Virginia); Aaron Pitchkolan (West Virginia); Nick
Pollard (SW Missouri); James Riley (Wake Forest); Troy Roberts (UC-Berkley);
Gonzalo Segares (Virginia Commonwealth); Jack Stewart (Notre Dame); Danny
Sullivan (Bowdoin College)
MIDFIELDERS (19): Hans Bevers (New Mexico); Mubarike Chisoni (Coastal
Carolina); Michael Enfield (UCLA); Kevon Harris (Old Dominion); Chris Karcz
(Rutgers); Thabiso Khumalo (Coastal Carolina); Jeffrey Krause (New Mexico); Luke
Kreamaimeyer (Bradley); Doug Lascody (SW Missouri); Amir Lowery (Wake Forest);
Domenic Mediate (Maryland); John Minagowa-Webster (Michigan State);Danny
O’Rourke (Indiana); Steven Rhyne (Clemson); Ian Rodway (Maryland); Simone
Salinno (St. Johns); Jamal Shteiwi (Kentucky); Marcus Storley (North Carolina);
Nick Van Sicklen (Wisconsin - Madison)
FORWARDS (18): Knox Cameron (Michigan); Justin Cook (Ohio State); Jamie
Holmes (Birmingham Southern); Antouman Jallow (Wisconsin - Milwaukee); Ryan
Latham (Southern Methodist); Jerrod Laventure (Seton Hall); Chris Lee
(Marquette); Alon Lubezky (Hartford); Julian Nash (Creighton); Orlando Ramirez
(Fresno Pacific University); Chris Rolfe (Dayton); Edwin Ruiz (Hartwick); Scott
Selay (Wake Forest); Eugene Sepuya (Alabama A & M); Chad Severs (Penn State);
Abe Thompson (Maryland); Mychal Turpin (Michigan); Usiel Vasquez (Southern
Connecticut)
