Best D-I Seniors to hit 2008 Combine

Seven 2007 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists, Six 2006 NSCAA All-Americans among invitees

NEW YORK -- Major League Soccer today announced the initial list of 54 college seniors from 33 Division I schools who have been invited to participate in the 2008 adidas MLS Player Combine. The annual player combine will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 11-15, 2008.

The coaching and management staffs of all 14 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2008 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes three days before the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. The 2008 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Friday, Jan. 18, 2008 in Baltimore, Md.

The list of invitees is highlighted by seven seniors who are semifinalists for the 2007 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, NCAA soccer's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. Leading the way is the 2006 award winner Joseph Lapira (Notre Dame), and Andy Iro (UC Santa Barbara), Julius James (University of Connecticut), Stephen King (University of Maryland), Peter Lowry (Santa Clara), Julian Valentin (Wake Forest University) and Michael Videira (Duke University). The 2007 MAC Hermann Trophy finalists will be announced on Dec. 14, 2007 and the winner is announced on Jan. 11, 2008.

The initial list of players for this year's combine was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches representing all conferences who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. Youth players from the Generation adidas program will join additional collegiate players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools and Division I alternates to finalize the 2008 adidas Player Combine. These players will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

The 2008 adidas MLS Player Combine will separate all players into four teams and feature two games per day at Lockhart Stadium on Jan. 12, 13, and 15. Each team will be led by an experienced Division I coach and will be assigned a youth coach, to be named at a later date. Former MLS coach and current assistant head coach at Duke University Mike Jeffries has been selected to coach Team Predator PowerServe. Ed Kelly, head coach at Boston College for the past 20 seasons, will coach Team adiTunit. Bobby Muuss, in his first season as the head coach at Denver University after six years as the top assistant coach at Wake Forest University, will lead Team adiPure. Tim Lenahan, head coach of Northwestern University has been chosen to coach Team Trofeo.

The Sheraton Yankee Trader Hotel will serve as the official headquarters of the adidas MLS Player Combine and the host hotel for players and coaching staffs.

Following are the names of the 54 players selected, broken down by position and by school:

2008 ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (5): Dominic Cervi (University of Tulsa); Brian Edwards (Wake Forest University); Andrew Kartunen (Stanford University); Casey Latchem (Ohio State University); Steve Sandbo (Southern Methodist University);

DEFENDERS (19): Scott Bolkan (Stanford University); Matthew Britner (Brown University); Eric Brunner (Ohio State University); Adrian Chevannes (Southern Methodist University); Sean Franklin (California State University Northridge); Matt Hatzke (Santa Clara University); David Horst (Old Dominion University); Andy Iro (University of California - Santa Barbara); Julius James (University of Connecticut); Jonathan Leathers (Furman University); Rauwshan McKenzie (Michigan State University); Ryan Miller (University of Notre Dame); Brandon Owens (University of California - Los Angeles); Andre Sherard (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill); Julian Valentin (Wake Forest University); Yomby William (Old Dominion University); David Worthen (University of North Carolina - Greensboro); Mike Zaher (University of California - Los Angeles); Geoff Cameron (University of Rhode Island);

MIDFIELDERS (23): Jeremy Barlow (University of Virginia); Eric Burkholder (University of Tulsa); El Hadj Cisse (North Carolina State University); Hugh Cronin (North Carolina State University); Pavle Dundjer (University of Illinois - Chicago); Joe Germanese (Duke University); Brian Grazier (Saint Louis University); Pat Healy (Towson University); Andrew Jacobson (University of California); George Josten (Gonzaga University); Stephen King (University of Maryland); AJ Kulp (Old Dominion University); Peter Lowry (Santa Clara University); Ryan Maduro (Providence College); Pat Phelan (Wake Forest University); David Roth (Northwestern University); Shea Salinas (Furman University); Luke Sassano (University of California); Ben Shuleva (Southern Methodist University); Dan Stratford (West Virginia University); Michael Videira (Duke University); Andy Wright (University of West Virginia); Cesar Zambrano (University of Illinois -Chicago);

FORWARDS (7): Ely Allen (University of Washington); Xavier Balc (Ohio State University); Ryan Cordeiro (University of Connecticut); Kevin Forrest (University of Washington); Joseph Lapira (University of Notre Dame); Sherron Manswell (Boston College); Lukasz Turnicz (University of Rhode Island)

ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY SCHOOL

Boston College
Sherron Manswell

Brown University
Matthew Britner

California State University - Northridge Sean Franklin

Duke University
Joe Germanese
Michael Videira

Furman University
Jonathan Leathers
Shea Salinas

Gonzaga University
George Josten

Michigan State University
Rauwshan McKenzie

North Carolina State University
El Hadj Cisse
Hugh Cronin

Northwestern University
David Roth

Old Dominion University
David Horst
Yomby William
AJ Kulp

Ohio State University
Casey Latchem
Eric Brunner
Xavier Balc

Providence College
Ryan Maduro

Rhode Island University
Geoff Cameron
Lukasz Tumicz

Saint Louis University
Brian Grazier

Santa Clara University
Matt Hatzke
Peter Lowry

Southern Methodist University
Ben Shuleva
Steve Sandbo
Adrian Chevannes

Stanford University
Andrew Kartunen
Scott Bolkan

Towson University
Pat Healy

University of California
Andrew Jacobson
Luke Sassano

University of California - Los Angeles
Brandon Owens
Mike Zaher

University of California - Santa Barbara
Andy Iro

University of Chicago - Illinois
Pavle Dundjer
Cesar Zambrano

University of Connecticut
Julius James
Ryan Cordeiro

University of Maryland
Stephen King

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Andre Sherard

University of North Carolina - Greensboro
David Worthen

University of Notre Dame
Ryan Miller
Joseph Lapira

University of Tulsa
Dominic Cervi
Eric Burkholder

University of Virginia
Jeremy Barlow

University of Washington
Ely Allen
Kevin Forrest

Wake Forest University
Brian Edwards
Julian Valentin
Pat Phelan

West Virginia University
Dan Stratford
Andy Wright