Mavs Announce Men's Soccer Roster; 11 Nebraska Hig
Aug 5, 2011 | Men's Soccer
2011 Roster
Interactive Position Breakdown
OMAHA, Neb. - Nebraska Omaha men's soccer coach Jason Mims announced the roster for the Mavericks' inaugural season on Friday. Seventeen players have signed on to make up the first UNO squad, highlighted by 12 players from the Omaha area and three out-of-state players with youth national team experience.
In all, 11 different Nebraska high schools are represented on the first ever men's soccer roster. Fourteen of the 17 players are Nebraska natives, reaching all the way across the state to Scottsbluff. Mims also locked in the Mavs' first two international recruits in Vance Rookwood, a midfielder from Kingston, Jamaica who is in the Jamaican U-20 national team pool, and BJ Kabamba, a former Canadian youth national team captain from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Tyler Dixon, an Overland Park, Kan., native whose KCFC Rangers club team just finished third in the nation, is the lone out-of-state domestic signee in the class. Dixon was a member of the 2006 U.S. U-14 national team camp.
The Mavs' class consists of 13 freshmen, three sophomores and one senior. Mims searched all over the city, state and country to find talented players with local ties to be a part of the first Maverick team. Cody Thayer, a 2010 Millard West graduate who scored a thrilling last-second goal in the 2009 Class A state championship game, is transferring home after playing one season at Virginia Tech. His fellow high school classmate, Mo Salama, also joins the Mavericks after one season at Iowa Western Community College.
Three more players from the Millard area will wear the Maverick jersey this fall. JJ Zekpa, a 2010 Millard South graduate, is transferring from Midland University, where he redshirted the past season. 2009 Millard North product Jake Moran joins the team after spending one year as a student at UNO, while fellow Mustang Isaac Beber will be a part of the squad after wrapping up his high school career this past season.
Mims nabbed a player from both of the 2011 Nebraska high school state champion teams as well. Joe Marinkovich, a super-state midfielder, helped Creighton Prep to a 20-0 record and the Class A state title, while Tyler Ortlieb, an all-state midfielder, had two goals in the Class B state championship game to lift Gretna to the state title.
Omaha Westside has two former players on the roster. A.J. Chedel, a 2007 Westside all-state honoree, will be the lone senior on the Mavs' roster this fall. Chedel played one year at Hastings College, recording one goal and five assists, before transferring to UNO in 2008. Sam Noddle, a 2011 graduate and all-state honorable mention selection, has also signed on with the Mavericks.
The final three Omaha products are Jose Castro (Omaha South), Ameer Pinto (Omaha Burke) and goalkeeper Josh Christensen (Omaha North). Castro was an all-state defender for the Packers, leading them to the 2010 Class A state championship game. Pinto was an ODP regional team member and spent part of his high school career playing overseas in Italy and Austria. Christensen led the state in saves as a freshman in 2008 with 174 and helped the Vikings to the team's first winning record in 10 years this past season.
The UNO coaching staff also reached out to western Nebraska to fill its first squad. Grand Island star Logan Mendez's signing with UNO was announced in May. The state's leading scorer in 2011, Mendez finished runner-up in Class A with the Islanders last season. 2010 Scottsbluff standout Jordan Gealy will join the UNO squad after spending one year as a student at Nebraska. Gealy holds numerous Bearcat scoring records.
An open tryout for full-time UNO students on Aug. 22 could possibly produce a couple more rostered players. The Mavs open practice on Wednesday, Aug. 10, and play their first ever game on Friday, Aug. 26 at UMKC.
2011 UNO Men's Soccer Roster
Isaac Beber - Freshman - Midfielder - Millard North
Height: 5-8 Weight: 155 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 12/24/1992
Lettered four years at Millard North High School under Coach Bill Cunningham...helped the Mustangs to a 12-4 record in 2011, playing mostly forward and left wing...helped the Mustangs reach the Nebraska Class A state tournament in his freshman season in 2008...reached the district final three straight years from 2009-11...recorded a hat trick against Omaha Burke on April 5...recipient of the 2011 Millard North High School Scholarship...played club soccer with NFC Veleno, winning the state championship five times...Region II semifinalist in 2011...three-time member of the Nebraska Olympic Development Program Team.
Jose Castro - Freshman - Midfielder - Omaha South
Height: 5-8 Weight: 155 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 10/30/1992
Was a standout defender at Omaha South High School...earned Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Second-Team honors and first team all-metro in 2011...was a Lincoln Journal Star Class A All-State selection following his senior season...led the Packers to the Class A state tournament semifinals in 2011 and the state championship game in 2010...scored two goals and had six assists and led a Packer backline that allowed just 13 goals all season in 2011...started his high school career at Omaha Bryan, where he scored nine goals on varsity as a freshman...played club soccer with International Atlas.
A.J. Chedel - Senior - Midfielder - Omaha Westside (Hastings College)
Height: 5-9 Weight: 160 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 9/18/1989
Played at Omaha Westside High School from 2004-07 and played one year at Hastings College before transferring to UNO in 2008...recorded one goal and a team-leading five assists at Hastings while helping the Broncos to a 13-4-1 record in 2007-08...in high school, helped the Warriors win the district title and reach the state tournament semifinals in 2006...earned all-state honors as a junior in 2006...also earned all-state honorable mention after his senior season...played in the Shrine Soccer Classic following his senior season...an honor roll student at UNO.
Josh Christensen - Freshman - Goalkeeper - Omaha North
Height: 6-3 Weight: 205 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 6/16/1993
Starting goalkeeper for the Omaha North Vikings for four years...earned Academic All-State honors as a senior and led his team to an 8-7 record for the program's first winning record in 10 years...ranked third in Class A with 115 saves...earned Lincoln Journal Star All-State honorable mention following his senior season and was selected to play in the Shrine Soccer Classic...named Omaha World-Herald All-Metro Second Team after his junior year and also earned all-state honorable mention following his junior and sophomore seasons...led the state in saves as a freshman with 174...also lettered four years in swimming, qualifying for state twice, and was the punter for the football team as a senior...played his club soccer with five-time State Cup champion NFC Veleno, including four straight from 2007-10.
Tyler Dixon - Freshman - Forward - Blue Valley
Height: 5-11 Weight: 175 Hometown: Overland Park, Kan. DOB: 5/2/1993
Played his prep career at Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, Kan....earned first-team all-state honors and All-East Kansas League first team following his senior season...set the single-season assist record with 18 and was named team captain and most valuable player...named to the All-EKL second team and All-Johnson County Metro team after his junior year...All-EKL first-team selection and All-Johnson County Metro team member following his sophomore season...played club soccer with the KCFC Rangers, helping them win the Region II championship in 2011 and reach the National Championships in Arizona...four-time Kansas state cup champions and 2008 Midwest Regional League champions...five-time member of the ODP Region II team and 2006 U.S. national team camp member.
Jordan Gealy - Freshman - Defender - Scottsbluff
Height: 5-10 Weight: 150 Hometown: Scottsbluff, Neb. DOB: 2/26/1992
Was a standout at Scottsbluff High School from 2007-10...broke the school record for career goals with 40 and set the school record for career assists with 21...was named all-region player of the year following his senior season after recording 14 goals and six assists...led the Bearcats to the district title and a state tournament appearance...as a junior, broke his own school record for assists in a season which he had set during his sophomore year...was a three-time all-region first-team selection...competed in the Shrine Soccer Classic following his high school career...was an academic all-state selection and a National Honor Society member...also lettered in basketball, football, cross country and tennis...played club soccer with NFC Bellator, winning the state championship in 2008, and with Azzurri 402 Academy, winning the state championship in 2011...attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for one year before transferring to UNO to play soccer.
BJ Kabamba - Freshman - Defender - Miles Macdonell Collegiate
Height: 6-2 Weight: 175 Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba DOB: 6/29/1993
A Congolese-Canadian, played high school soccer at Miles Macdonell Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba...helped the Buckeyes win the 2009-10 Manitoba urban soccer championship...led the Buckeyes to a third-place finish at the 2010-11 provincial urban soccer championship...served as captain of his club team, Phoenix SC, and captained the U-15 Canadian junior national team in 2007...helped Phoenix SC win the U18 Provincial championship in 2010.
Joe Marinkovich - Freshman - Midfielder - Creighton Prep
Height: 5-9 Weight: 155 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 9/14/1992
Helped the Creighton Prep Junior Jays to a 20-0 record and the Class A state championship as a senior in 2011...started the final three years of his high school career at center midfield after spending his freshman year playing in the Midwest Regional League...recorded three goals and three assists in his senior year...named to the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska First Team and the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State First Team after his senior season...also named to the Omaha World-Herald Class A First Team and the Lincoln Journal Star Class A All-State team...finished with a combined varsity record of 55-7 and made the state tournament each year...earned all-state honorable mention after his junior year...member of the NSAA All-Academic Team and the National Honor Society...played in the Midwest Regional League in 2007-08...five-time club state champions...was named Omaha Futbol Club's U17 Club Player of the Year.
Logan Mendez - Freshman - Forward - Grand Island
Height: 5-10 Weight: 165 Hometown: Grand Island, Neb. DOB: 5/24/1993
Led the state in scoring as a senior at Grand Island High School in 2011 with 28 goals and 11 assists...led the Islanders to a 19-1 record and a runner-up finish at the Class A state tournament...named honorary captain of the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska First Team and honorary co-captain of the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State First Team...also earned All-Heartland Conference honors following his senior season...selected to play in the Shrine Soccer Classic...earned all-state honorable mention after his freshman, sophomore and junior years...also earned all-conference honors in football in his junior year...honor roll member.
Jake Moran - Sophomore - Midfielder - Millard North
Height: 5-6 Weight: 135 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 6/26/1991
Graduated from Millard North High School in 2009, where he led the Mustangs in points in both his junior and senior seasons...as a senior, recorded four goals and 16 assists and was named to the Omaha World-Herald All-Metro First Team...as a junior, knocked in three goals and registered 14 assists and earned All-Metro honorable mention after leading the Mustangs to the Class A state tournament...played club soccer with Azzurri Elite and Omaha FC.
Sam Noddle - Freshman - Forward - Omaha Westside
Height: 5-11 Weight: 165 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 7/20/1993
Played at Omaha Westside, helping the Warriors go 10-6 in 2011 and qualify for three state tournaments in his prep career...earned all-state honorable mention and second-team all-metro following his senior season...named the Warriors' captain and player of the year and the JCC Jewish Athlete of the Year in 2011...as a sophomore, helped the Warriors to a 16-4 record in 2009...was an athletic scholar award winner and a four-year honor roll student...played club soccer for NFC Galacticos and NFC Veleno, helping his team to two state cup championships and a semifinal appearance at regionals.
Tyler Ortlieb - Freshman - Defender - Gretna
Height: 6-1 Weight: 195 Hometown: Gretna, Neb. DOB: 12/23/1992
A four-year starter at Gretna High School, was the driving force in the Dragons' midfield as the school won its first Nebraska Class B state championship in 2011 with a 21-1 record...recorded a team-high 17 goals and 15 assists, including two goals and an assist in the state championship game...earned Lincoln Journal Star Second-Team Super-State honors and Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Second-Team honors following the season...also was named to the Lincoln Journal Star Class B All-State team and the Omaha World-Herald Class B First Team...as a junior, picked up all-state honors after recording 18 goals and 13 assists...as a sophomore, earned all-state honorable mention...was also the starting point guard on the Gretna basketball team, helping the Dragons finish runner-up at the 2011 Class B state tournament....was a member of the Olympic Development Program...was a National Honor Society member and an honor roll student.
Ameer Pinto - Freshman - Midfielder - Omaha Burke
Height: 5-9 Weight: 150 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 1/9/1993
Served as captain for the Omaha Burke Bulldogs as a senior in 2011, recording one assist in two games from his center midfield position before missing the rest of the season with a broken foot...earned Lincoln Journal Star All-State honorable mention in 2009 and 2011...earned Omaha World-Herald All-State honorable mention as a freshman in 2008 and earned All-Metro Second Team in 2009...as a freshman in 2008, scored four goals and added two assists and was named the team's newcomer of the year...led Burke to the semifinals of the Class A state tournament, the school's deepest tournament run since 2002...missed most of his junior year of high school after being invited to play overseas in Italy and Austria...played his club soccer with NFC Veleno, winning the state championship six times...was selected to participate in the 2010 NCAA Interregional event in California.
Vance Rookwood - Freshman - Midfielder - Wolmer's Boys' School
Height: 6-2 Weight: 155 Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica DOB: 2/17/1992
Started at defensive midfielder in 2010-11 at Wolmer's Boys' School...led the team in assists with 12 in 14 games while also notching a goal...played nearly every minute of every game for Coach Ludlow Bernard...played club soccer with Duhaney Park FC, winning the conference championship in 2011...won the conference goal-scoring title with eight goals in eight games...among the pool of players competing for a spot on the U-20 Jamaican National Team.
Mo Salama - Sophomore - Midfielder - Millard West (Iowa Western CC)
Height: 6-2 Weight: 180 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 7/28/1992
After a standout prep career at Millard West High School, played at Iowa Western Community College...as a freshman at IWCC in 2010, had four goals and four assists...helped IWCC win the Region XI championship...earned the NJCAA Superior Award for Academic Achievement after posting a 3.90 GPA...at Millard West, was a second-team Super-State selection following his senior year in 2009...earned Class A all-state honors after leading the Wildcats to the 2009 Class A state championship...earned the President's Award for Academic Excellence and was named to the Metro Conference Scholar-Athlete honor roll.
Cody Thayer - Sophomore - Forward - Millard West (Virginia Tech)
Height: 5-9 Weight: 155 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 11/28/1991
Spent his freshman season at Virginia Tech, where he played in eight games and started two...was an Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska First-Team selection following his senior season at Millard West High School in 2010, in which he recorded a team-best eight goals...also racked up Omaha World-Herald Class A First-Team and All-Metro First-Team honors, in addition to Lincoln Journal Star Class A All-State honors...as a junior, scored the game-winning goal in the 2009 Class A state championship game with just two seconds remaining and earned second-team super-state honors...lettered all four years and helped the Wildcats qualify for four consecutive state tournaments...was all-state honorable mention as a sophomore...played his club soccer with NFC Bellator and won the Nebraska State Cup four years in a row...was a member of the Nebraska ODP Team for four years...was also an honor roll student.
JJ Zekpa - Freshman - Defender - Millard South (Midland University)
Height: 5-7 Weight: 165 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 1/15/1992
Was a standout defender at Millard South from 2007-10 before redshirting one season at Midland University in Fremont in 2010-11...was the captain of his Millard South team as a senior, leading the Patriots to an 11-7 record...earned 2010 Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Second-Team, All-Metro Second Team, Lincoln Journal Star All-State honorable mention and played in the Shrine Soccer Classic at season's end...was a sophomore on the Patriots' state championship team in 2008...played club soccer for the past five years with the Togolese Soccer Association...also played on the U19 OFC regional team...a talented multi-sport athlete, was a member of the Patriots' wrestling team that won the state championship in 2008, finished second in 2009 and third in 2010...placed sixth individually at the state tournament as a junior in 2009 and fifth as a senior in 2010...was also an honor roll member and was named Millard South's French Student of the Year in 2010.
Interactive Position Breakdown
OMAHA, Neb. - Nebraska Omaha men's soccer coach Jason Mims announced the roster for the Mavericks' inaugural season on Friday. Seventeen players have signed on to make up the first UNO squad, highlighted by 12 players from the Omaha area and three out-of-state players with youth national team experience.
In all, 11 different Nebraska high schools are represented on the first ever men's soccer roster. Fourteen of the 17 players are Nebraska natives, reaching all the way across the state to Scottsbluff. Mims also locked in the Mavs' first two international recruits in Vance Rookwood, a midfielder from Kingston, Jamaica who is in the Jamaican U-20 national team pool, and BJ Kabamba, a former Canadian youth national team captain from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Tyler Dixon, an Overland Park, Kan., native whose KCFC Rangers club team just finished third in the nation, is the lone out-of-state domestic signee in the class. Dixon was a member of the 2006 U.S. U-14 national team camp.
The Mavs' class consists of 13 freshmen, three sophomores and one senior. Mims searched all over the city, state and country to find talented players with local ties to be a part of the first Maverick team. Cody Thayer, a 2010 Millard West graduate who scored a thrilling last-second goal in the 2009 Class A state championship game, is transferring home after playing one season at Virginia Tech. His fellow high school classmate, Mo Salama, also joins the Mavericks after one season at Iowa Western Community College.
Three more players from the Millard area will wear the Maverick jersey this fall. JJ Zekpa, a 2010 Millard South graduate, is transferring from Midland University, where he redshirted the past season. 2009 Millard North product Jake Moran joins the team after spending one year as a student at UNO, while fellow Mustang Isaac Beber will be a part of the squad after wrapping up his high school career this past season.
Mims nabbed a player from both of the 2011 Nebraska high school state champion teams as well. Joe Marinkovich, a super-state midfielder, helped Creighton Prep to a 20-0 record and the Class A state title, while Tyler Ortlieb, an all-state midfielder, had two goals in the Class B state championship game to lift Gretna to the state title.
Omaha Westside has two former players on the roster. A.J. Chedel, a 2007 Westside all-state honoree, will be the lone senior on the Mavs' roster this fall. Chedel played one year at Hastings College, recording one goal and five assists, before transferring to UNO in 2008. Sam Noddle, a 2011 graduate and all-state honorable mention selection, has also signed on with the Mavericks.
The final three Omaha products are Jose Castro (Omaha South), Ameer Pinto (Omaha Burke) and goalkeeper Josh Christensen (Omaha North). Castro was an all-state defender for the Packers, leading them to the 2010 Class A state championship game. Pinto was an ODP regional team member and spent part of his high school career playing overseas in Italy and Austria. Christensen led the state in saves as a freshman in 2008 with 174 and helped the Vikings to the team's first winning record in 10 years this past season.
The UNO coaching staff also reached out to western Nebraska to fill its first squad. Grand Island star Logan Mendez's signing with UNO was announced in May. The state's leading scorer in 2011, Mendez finished runner-up in Class A with the Islanders last season. 2010 Scottsbluff standout Jordan Gealy will join the UNO squad after spending one year as a student at Nebraska. Gealy holds numerous Bearcat scoring records.
An open tryout for full-time UNO students on Aug. 22 could possibly produce a couple more rostered players. The Mavs open practice on Wednesday, Aug. 10, and play their first ever game on Friday, Aug. 26 at UMKC.
2011 UNO Men's Soccer Roster
Isaac Beber - Freshman - Midfielder - Millard North
Height: 5-8 Weight: 155 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 12/24/1992
Lettered four years at Millard North High School under Coach Bill Cunningham...helped the Mustangs to a 12-4 record in 2011, playing mostly forward and left wing...helped the Mustangs reach the Nebraska Class A state tournament in his freshman season in 2008...reached the district final three straight years from 2009-11...recorded a hat trick against Omaha Burke on April 5...recipient of the 2011 Millard North High School Scholarship...played club soccer with NFC Veleno, winning the state championship five times...Region II semifinalist in 2011...three-time member of the Nebraska Olympic Development Program Team.
Jose Castro - Freshman - Midfielder - Omaha South
Height: 5-8 Weight: 155 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 10/30/1992
Was a standout defender at Omaha South High School...earned Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Second-Team honors and first team all-metro in 2011...was a Lincoln Journal Star Class A All-State selection following his senior season...led the Packers to the Class A state tournament semifinals in 2011 and the state championship game in 2010...scored two goals and had six assists and led a Packer backline that allowed just 13 goals all season in 2011...started his high school career at Omaha Bryan, where he scored nine goals on varsity as a freshman...played club soccer with International Atlas.
A.J. Chedel - Senior - Midfielder - Omaha Westside (Hastings College)
Height: 5-9 Weight: 160 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 9/18/1989
Played at Omaha Westside High School from 2004-07 and played one year at Hastings College before transferring to UNO in 2008...recorded one goal and a team-leading five assists at Hastings while helping the Broncos to a 13-4-1 record in 2007-08...in high school, helped the Warriors win the district title and reach the state tournament semifinals in 2006...earned all-state honors as a junior in 2006...also earned all-state honorable mention after his senior season...played in the Shrine Soccer Classic following his senior season...an honor roll student at UNO.
Josh Christensen - Freshman - Goalkeeper - Omaha North
Height: 6-3 Weight: 205 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 6/16/1993
Starting goalkeeper for the Omaha North Vikings for four years...earned Academic All-State honors as a senior and led his team to an 8-7 record for the program's first winning record in 10 years...ranked third in Class A with 115 saves...earned Lincoln Journal Star All-State honorable mention following his senior season and was selected to play in the Shrine Soccer Classic...named Omaha World-Herald All-Metro Second Team after his junior year and also earned all-state honorable mention following his junior and sophomore seasons...led the state in saves as a freshman with 174...also lettered four years in swimming, qualifying for state twice, and was the punter for the football team as a senior...played his club soccer with five-time State Cup champion NFC Veleno, including four straight from 2007-10.
Tyler Dixon - Freshman - Forward - Blue Valley
Height: 5-11 Weight: 175 Hometown: Overland Park, Kan. DOB: 5/2/1993
Played his prep career at Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, Kan....earned first-team all-state honors and All-East Kansas League first team following his senior season...set the single-season assist record with 18 and was named team captain and most valuable player...named to the All-EKL second team and All-Johnson County Metro team after his junior year...All-EKL first-team selection and All-Johnson County Metro team member following his sophomore season...played club soccer with the KCFC Rangers, helping them win the Region II championship in 2011 and reach the National Championships in Arizona...four-time Kansas state cup champions and 2008 Midwest Regional League champions...five-time member of the ODP Region II team and 2006 U.S. national team camp member.
Jordan Gealy - Freshman - Defender - Scottsbluff
Height: 5-10 Weight: 150 Hometown: Scottsbluff, Neb. DOB: 2/26/1992
Was a standout at Scottsbluff High School from 2007-10...broke the school record for career goals with 40 and set the school record for career assists with 21...was named all-region player of the year following his senior season after recording 14 goals and six assists...led the Bearcats to the district title and a state tournament appearance...as a junior, broke his own school record for assists in a season which he had set during his sophomore year...was a three-time all-region first-team selection...competed in the Shrine Soccer Classic following his high school career...was an academic all-state selection and a National Honor Society member...also lettered in basketball, football, cross country and tennis...played club soccer with NFC Bellator, winning the state championship in 2008, and with Azzurri 402 Academy, winning the state championship in 2011...attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for one year before transferring to UNO to play soccer.
BJ Kabamba - Freshman - Defender - Miles Macdonell Collegiate
Height: 6-2 Weight: 175 Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba DOB: 6/29/1993
A Congolese-Canadian, played high school soccer at Miles Macdonell Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba...helped the Buckeyes win the 2009-10 Manitoba urban soccer championship...led the Buckeyes to a third-place finish at the 2010-11 provincial urban soccer championship...served as captain of his club team, Phoenix SC, and captained the U-15 Canadian junior national team in 2007...helped Phoenix SC win the U18 Provincial championship in 2010.
Joe Marinkovich - Freshman - Midfielder - Creighton Prep
Height: 5-9 Weight: 155 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 9/14/1992
Helped the Creighton Prep Junior Jays to a 20-0 record and the Class A state championship as a senior in 2011...started the final three years of his high school career at center midfield after spending his freshman year playing in the Midwest Regional League...recorded three goals and three assists in his senior year...named to the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska First Team and the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State First Team after his senior season...also named to the Omaha World-Herald Class A First Team and the Lincoln Journal Star Class A All-State team...finished with a combined varsity record of 55-7 and made the state tournament each year...earned all-state honorable mention after his junior year...member of the NSAA All-Academic Team and the National Honor Society...played in the Midwest Regional League in 2007-08...five-time club state champions...was named Omaha Futbol Club's U17 Club Player of the Year.
Logan Mendez - Freshman - Forward - Grand Island
Height: 5-10 Weight: 165 Hometown: Grand Island, Neb. DOB: 5/24/1993
Led the state in scoring as a senior at Grand Island High School in 2011 with 28 goals and 11 assists...led the Islanders to a 19-1 record and a runner-up finish at the Class A state tournament...named honorary captain of the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska First Team and honorary co-captain of the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State First Team...also earned All-Heartland Conference honors following his senior season...selected to play in the Shrine Soccer Classic...earned all-state honorable mention after his freshman, sophomore and junior years...also earned all-conference honors in football in his junior year...honor roll member.
Jake Moran - Sophomore - Midfielder - Millard North
Height: 5-6 Weight: 135 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 6/26/1991
Graduated from Millard North High School in 2009, where he led the Mustangs in points in both his junior and senior seasons...as a senior, recorded four goals and 16 assists and was named to the Omaha World-Herald All-Metro First Team...as a junior, knocked in three goals and registered 14 assists and earned All-Metro honorable mention after leading the Mustangs to the Class A state tournament...played club soccer with Azzurri Elite and Omaha FC.
Sam Noddle - Freshman - Forward - Omaha Westside
Height: 5-11 Weight: 165 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 7/20/1993
Played at Omaha Westside, helping the Warriors go 10-6 in 2011 and qualify for three state tournaments in his prep career...earned all-state honorable mention and second-team all-metro following his senior season...named the Warriors' captain and player of the year and the JCC Jewish Athlete of the Year in 2011...as a sophomore, helped the Warriors to a 16-4 record in 2009...was an athletic scholar award winner and a four-year honor roll student...played club soccer for NFC Galacticos and NFC Veleno, helping his team to two state cup championships and a semifinal appearance at regionals.
Tyler Ortlieb - Freshman - Defender - Gretna
Height: 6-1 Weight: 195 Hometown: Gretna, Neb. DOB: 12/23/1992
A four-year starter at Gretna High School, was the driving force in the Dragons' midfield as the school won its first Nebraska Class B state championship in 2011 with a 21-1 record...recorded a team-high 17 goals and 15 assists, including two goals and an assist in the state championship game...earned Lincoln Journal Star Second-Team Super-State honors and Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Second-Team honors following the season...also was named to the Lincoln Journal Star Class B All-State team and the Omaha World-Herald Class B First Team...as a junior, picked up all-state honors after recording 18 goals and 13 assists...as a sophomore, earned all-state honorable mention...was also the starting point guard on the Gretna basketball team, helping the Dragons finish runner-up at the 2011 Class B state tournament....was a member of the Olympic Development Program...was a National Honor Society member and an honor roll student.
Ameer Pinto - Freshman - Midfielder - Omaha Burke
Height: 5-9 Weight: 150 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 1/9/1993
Served as captain for the Omaha Burke Bulldogs as a senior in 2011, recording one assist in two games from his center midfield position before missing the rest of the season with a broken foot...earned Lincoln Journal Star All-State honorable mention in 2009 and 2011...earned Omaha World-Herald All-State honorable mention as a freshman in 2008 and earned All-Metro Second Team in 2009...as a freshman in 2008, scored four goals and added two assists and was named the team's newcomer of the year...led Burke to the semifinals of the Class A state tournament, the school's deepest tournament run since 2002...missed most of his junior year of high school after being invited to play overseas in Italy and Austria...played his club soccer with NFC Veleno, winning the state championship six times...was selected to participate in the 2010 NCAA Interregional event in California.
Vance Rookwood - Freshman - Midfielder - Wolmer's Boys' School
Height: 6-2 Weight: 155 Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica DOB: 2/17/1992
Started at defensive midfielder in 2010-11 at Wolmer's Boys' School...led the team in assists with 12 in 14 games while also notching a goal...played nearly every minute of every game for Coach Ludlow Bernard...played club soccer with Duhaney Park FC, winning the conference championship in 2011...won the conference goal-scoring title with eight goals in eight games...among the pool of players competing for a spot on the U-20 Jamaican National Team.
Mo Salama - Sophomore - Midfielder - Millard West (Iowa Western CC)
Height: 6-2 Weight: 180 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 7/28/1992
After a standout prep career at Millard West High School, played at Iowa Western Community College...as a freshman at IWCC in 2010, had four goals and four assists...helped IWCC win the Region XI championship...earned the NJCAA Superior Award for Academic Achievement after posting a 3.90 GPA...at Millard West, was a second-team Super-State selection following his senior year in 2009...earned Class A all-state honors after leading the Wildcats to the 2009 Class A state championship...earned the President's Award for Academic Excellence and was named to the Metro Conference Scholar-Athlete honor roll.
Cody Thayer - Sophomore - Forward - Millard West (Virginia Tech)
Height: 5-9 Weight: 155 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 11/28/1991
Spent his freshman season at Virginia Tech, where he played in eight games and started two...was an Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska First-Team selection following his senior season at Millard West High School in 2010, in which he recorded a team-best eight goals...also racked up Omaha World-Herald Class A First-Team and All-Metro First-Team honors, in addition to Lincoln Journal Star Class A All-State honors...as a junior, scored the game-winning goal in the 2009 Class A state championship game with just two seconds remaining and earned second-team super-state honors...lettered all four years and helped the Wildcats qualify for four consecutive state tournaments...was all-state honorable mention as a sophomore...played his club soccer with NFC Bellator and won the Nebraska State Cup four years in a row...was a member of the Nebraska ODP Team for four years...was also an honor roll student.
JJ Zekpa - Freshman - Defender - Millard South (Midland University)
Height: 5-7 Weight: 165 Hometown: Omaha, Neb. DOB: 1/15/1992
Was a standout defender at Millard South from 2007-10 before redshirting one season at Midland University in Fremont in 2010-11...was the captain of his Millard South team as a senior, leading the Patriots to an 11-7 record...earned 2010 Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Second-Team, All-Metro Second Team, Lincoln Journal Star All-State honorable mention and played in the Shrine Soccer Classic at season's end...was a sophomore on the Patriots' state championship team in 2008...played club soccer for the past five years with the Togolese Soccer Association...also played on the U19 OFC regional team...a talented multi-sport athlete, was a member of the Patriots' wrestling team that won the state championship in 2008, finished second in 2009 and third in 2010...placed sixth individually at the state tournament as a junior in 2009 and fifth as a senior in 2010...was also an honor roll member and was named Millard South's French Student of the Year in 2010.
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