Three Deacons Invited to Participate in MLS Combine
11/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 30, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -
Wake Forest men's soccer seniors Steven Curfman, Ryan Solle and Wells Thompson were three of 58 players chosen to participate in the 2007 adidas MLS Player Combine at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 5-8, 2007.
Curfman, a native of Cary, N.C., is the current team leader in points with 20 on the season. He is having a fantastic NCAA Tournament, having scored two set piece goals in the past two games. One of the more versatile players to come out of the Deacon program in recent memory, the midfielder can play in the back, flank or middle. Curfman is also the team leader with eight assists to go with his six goals.
Solle, a midfielder from Broadway, N.C., needs just two assists to tie former teammate Justin Moose for the all-time school record. The All-American candidate has five goals and four assists and was an All-ACC First Team selection this season. An NSCAA All-South Region Second Team selection as a junior, Solle was named to the first team this year as a senior. Solle is also the school's record holder for assists in a season, which he did with 13 in 2005.
Thompson, a midfielder from Winston-Salem, leads the team in goals with seven on the season. The rugged playmaker is a hard worker up and down the flanks. Perhaps even more impressive than his seven goals this year is the fact that five of the seven were game-winning strikes. In addition, Thompson, a member of the ACC All-Tournament team, has added three assists to his scoring total on the year.
The coaching staffs and general managers from all 13 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2007 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes four days before the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. The 2007 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Friday, Jan. 12, 2007 in Indianapolis, Ind. in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention at the Indiana Convention Center. Of the 48 players selected in the four rounds of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, 23 had participated in the 2006 adidas MLS Player Combine.
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 2007 adidas Player Combine. These players will be announced in the near future.
The 2007 adidas MLS Player Combine will separate all players into four teams and feature doubleheaders at Lockhart Stadium on Jan. 5, 6 and 8. Each team will be coached by one of the following four college coaches: John Trask (University of Illinois at Chicago), John Rennie (Duke University), Mike Noonan (Brown University) and Greg Andrulis (George Mason University). Players will arrive on Jan. 4 and participate in organizational training sessions that same afternoon. The Sheraton Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hotel will serve as the official headquarters of the adidas MLS Player Combine and the host hotel for players and coaching staffs.
The Wake Forest men's soccer team plays UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Dec. 1, at 8:30 p.m. with a berth to the national championship game on the line. With a win, the Deacs would advance to the finals against UCLA or Virginia on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m (ESPN2).
- WakeForestSports.com -
