Monmouth University senior Ryan Clark (Freehold Township) was selected to take part in the 2013 MLS Player Combine from Jan. 11-15 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Clark joins former Hawks Hugh MacDonald, Bryan Meredith, Ryan Kinne and R.J. Allen as recent Monmouth players to participate in the Combine, which precedes the Jan. 17 MLS SuperDraft.
“We are extremely excited for Ryan,” said Monmouth head coach Robert Mc- Court in a university press release. “He has had an outstanding career both on the field and in the classroom. Ryan is a fantastic player and a true role model for his teammates. I trust he will do a tremendous job at the MLS combine.”
Clark capped a much-heralded collegiate career with his third Regional All- American and fourth All-NEC honors in 2012. He finished the season with three goals, all game winners, to go along with a team-high six assists.
Clark played all over the field this season, moving from midfield to forward and back to the back line at different points in the season. His game-winning goals came against Columbia University, Mount St. Mary’s University and LIU Brooklyn. In the preseason, Clark was named a Second Team All-American by College Soccer News and was selected to the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Top Drawer Soccer also named Clark No. 72 on its list of the Top 100 underclassmen in the nation.
Clark also enjoyed a stellar highschool career with Freehold Township High School. He led the Patriots to the Shore Conference Tournament title and was the Conference Player of the Year his senior season.
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) recognized a duo of Brookdale Community College womens soccer players with postseason honors.
Freshman midfielder Chelsea James (Howell) earns her second All-American nod, having been named a NJCAA All- American earlier in the fall, while James and freshman goalkeeper Erin Kinneman (Matawan) both earned All-South-Central Region accolades.
Both earned All-Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and All-Region XIX honors earlier in the year.
In James’ freshman campaign, the midfielder proved to be a natural leader, assisting on 11 goals, which is good for 11th in the nation. Kinneman, meanwhile, posted 11 shutouts in goal.
The Brookdale women ended their 2012 campaign with an overall record of 12-5-1 and shared the GSAC championship title with Ocean County College, who knocked the Jersey Blues out of the Region XIX playoffs.
Sky Blue FC has officially announced the dates for two sets of open tryouts, with the first occurring from Jan. 24-25 and a second planned for March 11-12. Cost for each two-day trial will be $100 and online registration is currently open.
“We are always looking for good allaround soccer players who can make a positive impression on our club,” said Sky Blue FC head coach Jim Gabarra. “We will also be having a reserve team this season, which presents even more chances for players. In the past, there were shrinking opportunities due to having a lower number of teams, but there will be a lot more chances in the National Women’s Soccer League since we will launch with eight teams. Players will have more opportunities to earn a roster spot, and that provides the platform to get them into the national team picture, as well.”
Open tryouts are slated to be held at the Metuchen SportsPlex, with a possible outdoor location being secured for the sessions, as well. The one-time $100 registration fee will guarantee both days of the trials. Anyone interested in taking part must register online prior to the Tuesday before the first day of tryouts, and all players must be at least 18 years of age.
In addition to signing a liability waiver, proof of medical insurance will need to be shown at pre-tryout registration, which will get underway at 9:30 a.m. on the opening days of trials. One additional note is that all participants should bring both indoor and outdoor gear, and a T-shirt will be provided for each player.
There will be two training sessions per day at each of the open tryouts, with a twohour morning workout that will begin at 10 a.m. and a second one in the afternoon from 3-5 p.m. These times are subject to change, but participants will be notified if that occurs.
Facility information can be found at http://metuchensportsplex.com.