USL Richmond Kickers

Cowlishaw To Coach At MLS Player Combine

Published on December 10, 2009 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


NEW YORK - (Thursday, December 10, 2009) - Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer and Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw is one of eight coaches invited to lead four teams of college soccer's best Division I seniors who will participate in the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine. The annual player combine will be held Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 8-12, 2010.

The coaching and management staffs of all 16 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes two days before the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. At the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, considered one of the best talent pools in SuperDraft history, 42 of the 60 players drafted attended the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine; 10 combine players were selected in the first round. The 2010 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 in Philadelphia.

The list of invitees is highlighted by five players who are semifinalists for the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, NCAA soccer's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists invited to the adidas MLS player combine include Harvard University's Andre Akpan, University of North Carolina's Zach Loyd, University of California-Los Angeles's Kyle Nakazawa, Bucknell University's Conor O'Brien and University of Connecticut's Toni Stahl. The 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy finalists will be announced on Dec. 11, 2009, and the winner is announced on Jan. 8, 2010.

The initial player list was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches representing all conferences who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. Youth players from the Generation adidas program will join additional collegiate players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools and Division I alternates to finalize the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine. The final player list and team assignments will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine will separate all players into four teams and feature two games per day at Central Brower Regional Park on Jan. 9, 10 and 12. Each team will be led by an experienced Division I coach who will be assisted by an experienced soccer professional. Davidson University Head Coach, Matthew Spear has been selected to coach Team Predator X, along with Executive Director of the South Charlotte Soccer Association Brad Wylde. Michael Noonan, head coach at Brown University will coach Team Condivo along with Leigh Cowlishaw, head coach of the Richmond Kickers of USL-2. University of California - Los Angeles Head Coach Jorge Salcedo will lead Team Jabulani along with Placer United Soccer Club Coach Nathan Williams. Todd Yeagley, head coach at the University of Wisconsin will lead Team F50i along with Larry Sunderland, Director of Player Personnel for the Chicago Fire.

The Westin Beach Resort Fort Lauderdale will serve as the official headquarters of the adidas MLS Player Combine and the host hotel for players and coaching staffs.

Media interested in securing credentials for the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine should contact Lauren Brophy (lauren.brophy@mlsnet.com) or Jonathan Kaplan (jkaplan@mlsnet.com) at 212-450-1252 with MLS Communications.

A full-service soccer club with youth, adult, amateur and professional programs, the Richmond Kickers pyramid structure serves as a model to soccer clubs across the country. Today, over 6,000 soccer players participate in programs sponsored by the Kickers and partner clubs. For more information, visit RichmondKIckers.com.

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