Baker University-
#9 Ethan Bauer-JR Midfielder from Olathe, KS
- Ethan was a tremendous asset to the Wildcat squad during the tournament. While being switched from one side of the field to the other, and even sometimes in the central position, he had the work-rate any club is looking for. Bauer not only enjoyed getting free in the attack, but he also was not afraid mixing in on the defensive side. His passion was evident and with another season to play-he could give teams a lot of trouble in 2012.
#17 Nate Byarly- JR Defender from Olathe, KS
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| Byarly (Baker) |
Belhaven University-
Greg Hartley- JR Goalkeeper from Manchester, England
-Hartley was a force to be reckoned with this season. Its not an easy roll to fill within the SSAC with high-flying offenses of WCarey, Mobile and Southern Poly in the same conference, but Hartley faired pretty well. Enough to ward a Defensive Player of the Year award. Hartley had 9 shutouts, and almost had a 10th before a late OT goal was given up in the Sweet 16 vs. Rio Grande. Hartley's bread and butter are his distribution skills. He can whip throws to his wings like its nobody's business. His punts are also long and accurate.
#8 Alex Rodriguez- SR Defender from Luffkin, Texas
-Had the opportunity to see Alex compete on several occasions and the defender has class. He is super technical. He is calm on the ball, likes to move slightly into the attack when given time and space-and he can maneuver with both feet. His long ball can be launched in to anywhere, and he has enough speed to keep up with top-flying forwards. The texan is getting several pro looks currently, and he has a nice case for clubs to pick up on.
#9 Achille Campion- SO Forward from Stella, France
-The frenchman forward has the pace and physical attributes to be attractive for many. Campion loves to score goals, and he has proven that over the course of his young collegiate career. He has also done the same at the PDL last season too. A true forward, he sits well up-top as a lone target- but will chase down long balls into the corners and flanks to allow other teammates to push forward for assistance. At our recent showcase, he excelled with an absolute bomb from 25-yards. As he'll continue to develop, he may hit the road to a Div 1 program, but his maturing as a player will progress into something great.
#11 Guilherme Brandao- SO Midfielder from Brasilia, Brazil
-The creative midfielder was not on "his game" against Rio Grande in the Round of 16, but was still sparkling enough to receive some recognition. It'll be interesting to see how Brandao develops over the course of the next two seasons. His 20 goals and 11 assists in two seasons including 13 & 8 in his freshman year shows us that there's something special about the kid. He distributes extremely well acting as an attacking midfielder, but is successful only as much as his forwards are.
Bethel University (TN)-
#5 Joseph Omondi- SR Defender from Nairobi, Kenya
-The Kenyan centerback glides around the back four with ease. It almost looks like he was born to play this position, and he makes his job looks extremely easy. Omondi is a true center back with great aerial presence, nice service balls, simplistic passing, mentally focused and a quick first step. A NAIA All-American through and through, Omondi could assist any club with defending at the next level. He didn't get to show as much as he would've liked at the national tournament due to a hard injury in the opening minutes versus Southern Poly- but Omondi we'll bounce back in the offseason in order to get fit for the next level.
#7 Mario Vila Boa- SR Fwd/Midfielder from Durban, South Africa
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| Vila Boa (Bethel) |
#11 Dawyne "Ricky" Smith- SR Winger from Kingston, Jamaica
-Jamaica is producing more than just a bobsled team nowadays. Smith is a true product of the country's green, yellow and black. A Jamaican international player- Ricky has turned heads for his offensive ability. And don't be surprised if you see him land a roster spot in 2012. He has one of the quickest, if not THE quickest, first steps in the NAIA game right now. And is a true winger at heart. He loves to get up and down the sidelines. His personality is contagious. One of the most respectful young men in the collegiate game right now, Smith sees an opportunity for glory but also understands the work it takes. An All-American for two seasons.
Grandview University
#7 Luis Heitor-Piffer-SR-Midfielder from Amparo, Brazil
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| Piffer (Grand View) |
#9 Jonny MacAdam-JR Midfielder from Glasgow, Scotland
-The scottish-born outside middie is gifted technically. And combines extremely well when we has a couple players around him. He won't beat you with incredible speed down the flanks, but he is super creative with the ball, and sneaks balls into spaces better than most the players at the NAIA level. With yet another year still to play, MacAdam could surprise a few people still in his development as a player.
Hannibal-LaGrange-
#10 Thiago Periera-JR Mifielder from Belo Horizonte, Brazil
-Thiago is an extremely gifted player, who maybe is better than he may realize. He's crafty and is a slick tackler, but sometimes takes too long with the ball. Nonetheless, his teammates agree with me-that he is by far the best player on the roster.
#7- Felipe Silva- SO Forward from Belo Horizonte, Brazil
-Silva is fast as lighting. He will twist and turn defenders at the turn of a dime and works incredibly well with fellow forward, Alejandro Porras. Silva was a big time threat for national champs, Lindsey Wilson, in their opening round match of the Sweet 16. Felipe made the back four of LWC look pretty suspect at times with numerous looks, but had trouble finishing on the Blue Raiders.
#9 Alejandro Porras- SO Forward from Barcelona, Spain
-With 29 points, All-American and Conf POW honors, Porras lived up to his numbers skill-wise in the match against Lindsey. Obviously, the results didn't work out to his squad's favor-but he showed moments of brilliance against a pretty stiff Lindsey defense. Porras likes the ball at his feet, yet he is also highly-effective with his off-the-ball movements. Its scary to think himself and Silva are both sophomores- Coach Erskine must be ecstatic with the potential in these two gifted individuals.
Hastings College
#7 Jordan Green- JR Forward from Lincoln, NE
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| Green (Hastings) |
#8 Nate Polak-SR Midfielder from Lincoln, NE
-Nate is a professional at heart. While he almost looks narcoleptic on the pitch, he is unfathomably fit and controlled with or without the ball at his feet. The ball sticks to his boot incredibly well, and his one-two combination play with any of his teammates is impressive to watch. MLS clubs are all over Polak at the moment, but nothing has been finalized. There's a chance himself and younger brother, Tyler (Generation Adidas candidate) could both be starting their professional careers at the same time. Polak did impress me this year, but in 2010, he did some ridiculous stuff- including two absolute strikes from 30+ yards.
#18 Justin Burns- SR Outside Back from Lincoln, NE
-Burnsy is a super fit, athletic outside defender. Mechanically-he's a super-freak. He's ultra-fit, runs the flanks for 90 minutes, and understands his position extremely well. Burns is already getting a few pro looks, because the kid can flat out play. He is consistent, trustworthy and has nice speed on along the outside. He plays more like a outside-middy than anything, and when in position, he serves deadly crosses in from the right wing.
Huston-Tilltson-
#10 Cesar Silva- JR Mid/Fwd from Monterrey, Mexico
-Yet another Silva makes the list. The left foot of junior Cesar Silva is the key to Tilloston's attack. He's adept at releasing his passes precisely to his target, and has an incredibly high game IQ. Understands where and when to turn with the ball with defenders on him, and is a 'general' for his team in regards to dictating the pace and flow of their game and specifically their attack.
Lindsey Wilson-
#10 Lebogang Moloto- JR Midfielder from Polokwane, South Africa |
| Moloto (Lindsey) |
#12 Samuel Asante- SR Midfielder from Sunyani, Ghana
-Asante is the most individually talented player at the NAIA level. He won't throw at you the crazy numbers/stats that others may, but his raw talents are freaky. His turn in direction and bursting speed is hard to even keep up with from the booth. His tiny frame may be a source of concern for coaches at the pro level, but with his success rate-its hard to argue in not giving the Ghanian a chance. Asante in open space is so fun to watch, he moves at an incredible speed while holding onto the ball no problem. His decision making in the middle-third of the field is very good too.
#5 Chris Williams-SR Defender from Flint, Whales
-Williams is a vocal, passionate centerback for the Blue Raiders side. He scored the go-ahead goal on a blasting free kick in their round of 16 to give them the extra push needed. He is natural-born winer. And at times, will do anything to achieve those results (good & bad). Williams wears his emotions on his shoulders, you can't fault him for that. He comes up big in the right times, and does it consistently for Wells' side along the years. He is ferocious in the air, and really doesn't care about getting hurt on a tackle or a 50/50, because he is typically the one delivering the punishment. His long, driven balls are a gem- they have pin-point accuracy. It'll get interesting for Chris to see if he can continue his career at the next level, as he is much older than his fellow teammates- he also has a family to support too now.
University of Mobile-
#28- Chris Dillon- JR Defender from Bournmouth, England
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| Dillon (Mobile) |
#21- Sam Blackburn-JR Outside Midfielder from Lower Upper Hutt, New Zealand
- Sam already has the experience to get some looks at the professional level with his representation on the NZ national teams at the u17,u209 and u23 levels. He is technically gifted on the ball. He's got enough get-up-and-go to be a threat anytime he gets the ball. I love his passing. His best chance may be his worst attempt against William Carey. He took a 40-yard free kick that hung in the air and appeared to cause the senior goalkeeper Carl Goody no concern until Goody kneed the ball out of his own hands. Blackburn still has another year to hone in on his skills, which could be the difference maker in moving forward.
#20- Deshorn Brown- SO Forward from Manchester, Jamaica
-While Brown didn't play (played 5 minutes when down 2-0) significant minutes at the 2011 tournament due to a high ankle sprain, Brown is explosive and dynamic. A two-time All-American- Deshorn is the most valuable player on the Mobile squad-and it was clearly evident with his absence in their match. In 43 games as collegiate player, he has 53 goals-and has done so in arguably the toughest men's soccer conference in the nation. He is several pro club's top prospects and it'll be interesting how long he'll stick around in a Rams jersey. He and Mattocks (Akron) are very similar, I'd even give Brown the edge on first-step speed.
University of Rio Grande-
#7- Joel Thiessen- SR Midfielder from Newcastle, Australia
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| Thiessen (Rio Grande) |
#6- Neil Harries- SR Defender from Lancashire, England
-Harries is a big ole' English centerback with size and power. He is a destroyer with his back to the goal, but as soon as a forward gets him turned, Harries will struggle a tad. Harries is still an unbelievable defender, and received All-American honors as a result. The kid can knock a 60-yard ball with perfect slight, back spin with one toe- he makes it looks extremely easy- and he does it with precision. He wins 98% of all balls in the air, and is a HUGE target on set pieces and corners on the offensive end. Harries does a great job as a "cover" defender of the two center backs (other acts as "pressure"). He dictates the back four line and does a very nice job to keep a nice shape for his backs, who I think are some of the best outside backs in the NAIA game (Williams and Tyler).
Science and Arts Oklahoma (USAO)-
#7 Niall Crick- SR Midfielder from Leith, Scotland
-Crick was just 3 assists away from breaking University of Science and Arts assist record after gaining an assist in USAO's win on day two of the tournament and a goal in a loss against Hastings on day three. The short in stature Crick played like a big man in a defensive midfield/midfield role clogging up the opposing midfield on Championship week and even giving Hastings difficulty at times when it came to controlling that area of the field in their Round of 8 matchup. Crick, not a big talker, did his talking on the field. Very intelligent player. Excellent footwork, exceptional passer, unselfish at setting up teammates, and had a heck of a goal in the closing minutes of USAO's tournament run. Very good central/defensive midfield player. Deserves a look, can set up oodles of goals, and at the end of his college career.
-Crick was just 3 assists away from breaking University of Science and Arts assist record after gaining an assist in USAO's win on day two of the tournament and a goal in a loss against Hastings on day three. The short in stature Crick played like a big man in a defensive midfield/midfield role clogging up the opposing midfield on Championship week and even giving Hastings difficulty at times when it came to controlling that area of the field in their Round of 8 matchup. Crick, not a big talker, did his talking on the field. Very intelligent player. Excellent footwork, exceptional passer, unselfish at setting up teammates, and had a heck of a goal in the closing minutes of USAO's tournament run. Very good central/defensive midfield player. Deserves a look, can set up oodles of goals, and at the end of his college career.
#5 Scott Parkinson- SO Defender from Liverpool, England
-He may already have a few years of professional soccer experience under his belt, but the center back can play. Only a sophomore, Parkinson will be a first team All-American when its all said and done. While he got hurt late in the national tournament, he controlled a very impressive USAO squad into the Round of 8. Parkinson is a UK defender who has nice skills, but increases his stock with his pure athleticism. Not afraid to go in for a tackle or a 50/50 ball, he's a ball winner. He'll beat you to the ball first, and quickly distributes. He is a true competitor too, he's the kind of player who goes the extra mile to make something happen.
Southern Poly-
#9 Jumol Harewood- SR Forward from Port of Spain, Trinidad
- A very polished striker for Momeni's squad, Harewood is a threat anytime he touches the ball. Works extremely well with fellow striker, Maduka. Harewood plays a lot of the match with his back to the goal and holds the ball extremely well. He approaches passing lanes really well, and understands how to make creative, decisive runs especially the diagonal ones. He has nice size too-with a nice build and some height- he can beat you in a variety of ways.
#11 Sean Grisham- SR Midfielder from Marietta, GA
- This Marietta-based winger will surprise you, trust me. He isn't someone you'll target on the field, if you saw him off the pitch. But he gets the job done. He has 19 goals and 14 assists in his final two seasons at SPSU. He is extremely technical, he's very good going 1v1 versus defenders and is creative on the ball. Grisham likes the ball at his feet, he passes well and draws defenses in too-which inevitably sets his fellow forwards up too. He puts great balls into the box too.
Saint Xavier-
#7 Al Polar- SR Midfielder from Zabrze, Poland
- Polar impressed our staff for as little as we knew about him. With 31 points on the season, Polar is highly-effective as an outside midfielder. Its clear that Coach Vucinic trusts Polar, because it looked like Polar had free reigns to navigate anywhere on the field. He definitely gave Hastings College some trouble. He's technical and slippery. He gets in behind the defense extremely well, and does a great job to find his teammates. He had three decent chances on goal against the Broncos, one of which would have change the whole outcome of the match, but Poteat made a great save.
William Carey-
#19 Francois Navarro- SO Midfielder from Paris, France
-Navarro was a Top 3 performer at this year's national championship site. While his bright green 'highlighter' color boots may have turned a few heads, it was his impressive form on the wing that caught our attention. Was the conduit that nearly every William Carey attack ran through during tournament week. Good with both feet, could switch to the left and right wing and had the freedom to take it down the middle as well. Excellent footwork, the ball almost sticks to Navarro's feet. Best footwork and debatedly footskills in the whole tournament.
Showed up every game and put William Carey on his shoulders at times to get them to their first NAIA Fab Four appearance in 10 years. Only time "Paco" was a little off was in the Semifinal when he put himself in two excellent opportunities to tie and then win the game against Hastings in the second half, and couldn't finish. Usually was as cold as a cucumber as far as nerves, looked so relaxed out there on the ball like he was on a Sunday stroll down the Champs-Élysées. But, possibly the third game in four days started to get Navarro a little mentally fatigued and off of his game. 16 goals and 7 assists this season. All-American. Enough said.
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| Parkinson (USAO) |
Southern Poly-
#9 Jumol Harewood- SR Forward from Port of Spain, Trinidad
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| Harewood (Southern Poly) |
#11 Sean Grisham- SR Midfielder from Marietta, GA
- This Marietta-based winger will surprise you, trust me. He isn't someone you'll target on the field, if you saw him off the pitch. But he gets the job done. He has 19 goals and 14 assists in his final two seasons at SPSU. He is extremely technical, he's very good going 1v1 versus defenders and is creative on the ball. Grisham likes the ball at his feet, he passes well and draws defenses in too-which inevitably sets his fellow forwards up too. He puts great balls into the box too.
Saint Xavier-
#7 Al Polar- SR Midfielder from Zabrze, Poland
- Polar impressed our staff for as little as we knew about him. With 31 points on the season, Polar is highly-effective as an outside midfielder. Its clear that Coach Vucinic trusts Polar, because it looked like Polar had free reigns to navigate anywhere on the field. He definitely gave Hastings College some trouble. He's technical and slippery. He gets in behind the defense extremely well, and does a great job to find his teammates. He had three decent chances on goal against the Broncos, one of which would have change the whole outcome of the match, but Poteat made a great save.
William Carey-
#19 Francois Navarro- SO Midfielder from Paris, France
-Navarro was a Top 3 performer at this year's national championship site. While his bright green 'highlighter' color boots may have turned a few heads, it was his impressive form on the wing that caught our attention. Was the conduit that nearly every William Carey attack ran through during tournament week. Good with both feet, could switch to the left and right wing and had the freedom to take it down the middle as well. Excellent footwork, the ball almost sticks to Navarro's feet. Best footwork and debatedly footskills in the whole tournament.
Showed up every game and put William Carey on his shoulders at times to get them to their first NAIA Fab Four appearance in 10 years. Only time "Paco" was a little off was in the Semifinal when he put himself in two excellent opportunities to tie and then win the game against Hastings in the second half, and couldn't finish. Usually was as cold as a cucumber as far as nerves, looked so relaxed out there on the ball like he was on a Sunday stroll down the Champs-Élysées. But, possibly the third game in four days started to get Navarro a little mentally fatigued and off of his game. 16 goals and 7 assists this season. All-American. Enough said.
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| Goody (William Carey) |
#1 Carl Goody- SR Goalkeeper from Uppermarket, England
-Great shot stopper, put his team in great situations by keeping them in a majority of games all-season. All-conference and All-American selection. His defense was a huge key to his success, but Goody also did his fair share of work in a very tough "offensive-minded" conference. Very smart coming off his line, Goody understands his position, and also does well to go up in the air when balls are served into the penalty area.
HONORABLE MENTION (Top to bottom)
1. Emeka Maduka- Southern Poly
2. Matheus Saroli- William Carey
3. Michael Azira- Mobile
4. Per Poulsen- Grand View
5. Ryan Robinson- Hastings
6. Stephen Okai- Mobile
7. Nicholas Alberto- USAO
8. Eddie Campbell-Lindsey Wilson
9. Bryan Byars- USAO
10. Tom Lowndes- Baker
*TSG Staff Writing Assistance by Ryan Kozlowski*