As Ronan O’Brien (West Hartford, Conn.) narrowed his college search process, he became focused on attending a smaller school that was close to home.
The Oakwood Class of 2021 midfielder found exactly that, verbally committing to Manhattan earlier this week. The Jaspers are located in the Bronx and play in the MAAC alongside New England-based sides Fairfield and Quinnipiac.
O’Brien, a leader for Oakwood’s U-19 academy team, joins Beachside forward Yasin Choukri (Wilton, Conn.) in heading to Manhattan. They both compete in the new MLS NEXT league, which replaced the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.