Lee University’s All-American and NAIA Player of the Year, Ricardo Pierre-Louis, will be the only NAIA player among more than 60 men’s soccer prospects who have been invited and will be tested this weekend in the 2008 MLS Player Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Top collegiate and youth prospects will train and be divided into four teams that will compete against each other on Jan. 11-15 in front of all of Major League Soccer's coaches and scouts.
The event will take place just ahead of the Jan. 18 MLS SuperDraft. The draft will be aired live for one hour beginning at 2 PM (ET) on ESPN2. At 3 PM, the rest of the draft will be cover on misnet.com
The combine gives MLS coaches and general managers a final chance to evaluate talent in preparation for their draft day selections. Combine participation is by invitation only. A committee of NCAA D-I coaches from every conference, along with MLS representatives, chose seniors who have completed their college eligibility from schools throughout the country.
The rosters will also include three invitees from South America and Generation adidas players. All combine participants are automatically eligible for the SuperDraft.
“Ricardo tops the list of Lee players that have done extremely well for the university and I am extremely proud to have known him and coached him,” said head coach Henry Moyo. “I have seen him improve over the years and exhibit new positive qualities as a player.
“Ricardo’s being invited into the MLS Combine with a chance is absolutely amazing, not just for him but for the Flames and in particular for Lee University. This is a first time for a Lee University men’s soccer player.
“This means that the world sports media has its attention on Lee University,” added Moyo. “It means that we are being acknowledged for having one of the finest NAIA programs in the country, and are producing quality professional caliber players. It is an exciting time in our athletic history and I am certainly enjoying every moment of it.”