NEW YORK – UNC Greensboro forward Randi Patterson and midfielder Scott Jones are among 58 collegiate players who have been invited to the 2007 adidas Major League Soccer Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, next January, just days before MLS’ Super Draft.
The initial invitation list of 58 players was selected by a panel of college and MLS coaches. A total of 44 schools are represented on the list. There are five goalkeepers, 11 defenders, 19 midfielders and 23 forwards on the initial roster. Only Clemson, Wake Forest and North Carolina had more players invited, each having three players on the roster of 58. Eight schools, including UNCG, had two players invited.
At the combine, players will be divided into four teams that will be coached by four college coaches. Combine invitees compete at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale from January 4-8 in front of front office personnel for each of the 13 MLS teams. The Super Draft is scheduled for January 12 in Indianapolis, IN.
Additional players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools and the Generation adidas youth program are expected to be added next month, as well as Division I alternates. Of 48 players selected at the 2006 Super Draft, 23 of them had participated at the combine.
A native of Dallas, TX, Jones is a four-time first-team All-Southern Conference selection, the first in UNCG’s storied history. A two-time All-American and considered a candidate for the Hermann Trophy the last two seasons, Jones finished his career fifth all-time at UNCG in assists with 41. He also had 25 goals in his collegiate career to give him 91 points. This past year, he had 23 points with seven goals and nine assists. Two of his seven goals came in dramatic fashion as game-winners in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, eliminating Virginia Tech in the final minute of regulation and upsetting sixth-seeded West Virginia in double-overtime.
Patterson, a native of Hackensack, NJ, is a two-time All-American and twice earned Southern Conference Player of the Year honors while at UNCG. He finished fifth on the UNCG all-time scoring list with 141 points and fifth on the school’s career goal scoring list with 61. Also a candidate for the Hermann Trophy each of the last two seasons, Patterson was a three-time first-team All-SoCon honoree, having earned second-team honors as a freshman. He was the team’s top goal scorer all four seasons. This past year, he had 27 points on 13 goals and one assist.
The duo helped UNCG to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years. They also led the Spartans to the top of the national polls in 2004, the first time UNCG had ever been ranked No. 1 in its Division I era.
AGATE
2007 ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (5): Talmon Hall (San Diego State University); Justin Hughes (University of North Carolina); Chris Konopka (Providence College); Phil Marfuggi (Clemson University); Nick Noble (West Virginia University)
DEFENDERS (11): Andrew Boyens (University of New Mexico); Ty Harden (University of Washington); Michael Harrington (University of North Carolina); Kyle Helton (Duke University); Aaron Hohlbein (University of Wisconsin); Zach Kirby (Boston University); Hugh MacDonald (Monmouth University); Nigel Marples (Towson University); Billy Meier (University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee); Jay Needham (Southern Methodist University); Steve Purdy (University of California)
MIDFIELDERS (19): Rich Asante (Syracuse University); Karim Boukhemis (Marshall University); Bryan Byrne (University of California - Santa Barbara); Alex Cunliffe (Fairfield University); Steven Curfman (Wake Forest University); Greg Dalby (Univeristy of Notre Dame); John DiRaimondo (St. Louis University); Eric Ebert (University of California); John Michael Hayden (Indiana University); Scott Jones (UNC Greensboro); Jared Kent (Old Dominion University); Nick LaBrocca (Rutgers University); Justin McGrane (Northern Illinois University); Nate Norman (University of Notre Dame); Ryan Solle (Wake Forest University); Wells Thompson (Wake Forest University); Josh Tudela (Indiana University); Sinisa Ubiparipovic (University of Akron); Chase Wileman (Southern Methodist University)
FORWARDS (23): Charles Altchek (Harvard University); Gerardo Alvarez (Northwestern University); Corey Ashe (University of North Carolina); Aaron Chandler (University of San Francisco); Adam Christman (University of Virginia); Omar Cummings (The University of Cincinnati); Andrew Daniels (Brown University); Edson Elcock (Old Dominion University); Brad Evans (University of California - Irvine); Robbie Findley (Oregon State University); Jeff Gonsalves (University of Rhode Island); Willy Guadarrama (Campbell University); Ryan Guy (University of San Diego); Chris Loftus (Duke University); Jerson Monteiro (University of Alabama at Birmingham); Frederico Moojen (Clemson University); Simon Omekanda (Penn State University); Riley O'Neill (University of Kentucky); Randi Patterson (UNC Greensboro); Dane Richards (Clemson University); Mike Sambursky (University of South Carolina); Jarrod Smith (West Virginia University); Erik Ustruck (Santa Clara University);
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