Back when Alex DeSantis was weighing his college soccer options, UMass wasn’t even on his radar screen. As a local kid from Belchertown, Mass., just a 20-minute drive away from the Amherst campus, he wanted to venture farther away from home. That’s why Stonehill College, a Division 2 school, and … [Read more...]
New England connections abound among presidential candidates
When the next president of U.S. Soccer is elected in February, there is a strong chance that connections to New England will remain atop the federation. The current president, Sunil Gulati, announced he is not running for reelection when his third term runs out. He grew up in Cheshire, Conn., helped … [Read more...]
How Kyle Martino plans to change U.S. Soccer after World Cup failure
When Kyle Martino talks about his roots in Westport, Conn., the excitement in his voice raises a notch or two. He talks about the "pride and passion" he felt playing for Staples High School, where he was named Gatorade National Player of the Year in 1999. There are stories of playing indoor with the … [Read more...]
Zach Dedrick follows Notre Dame brothers with Beachside tradition
Zach Dedrick is the type of player that college coaches dream about. At least that’s how Paul Melitsanopoulos, academy director at Beachside Soccer Club, puts it when asked about the center back and captain of their U-17 Development Academy side. “He’s not a guy who pops out on the stat sheet, but … [Read more...]
Top 50 local players at New England Division 3 men’s soccer programs
While much focus tends to fall on the Division 1 ranks, the vast majority of college soccer players find themselves at Division 3 programs. There are 418 programs, after all, spread throughout the country. Here in New England, that trend is furthered by the fact that eight conferences call the … [Read more...]
From Peabody to Germany: Luke Finkelstein and Greg Conrad linked on pro soccer journey
Through soccer, life, or happenstance, Greg Conrad and Luke Finkelstein’s journeys have seldom had more than one degree of separation. The starting point, though, is in Peabody, Mass., where they grew up mere miles apart and eventually found their way onto the same Aztec team, a youth club on … [Read more...]