Five Zips Among Players Invited to MLS adidas Player Combine

Five Zips Among Players Invited to MLS adidas Player Combine

December 22 | Men's Soccer

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2018 MLS COMBINE RELEASE

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's soccer team was well represented when Major League Soccer announced this week that seniors Pau Belana (Barcelona, Catalonia), Manuel Cordeiro (Porto, Portugal), Niko De Vera (Camas, Wash.), Sam Gainford (Liverpool, England) and Nate Shultz (Mayfield, Ohio) were among the initial list of 60 NCAA Division I college players invited to participate at the 2018 MLS adidas Player Combine in Orlando, Fla.

The league's annual combine will be held in Orlando, Jan. 11-17, at Orlando City Stadium, with representatives from all 23 MLS clubs scouting the top college prospects ahead of the Jan. 19 MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia, Pa.

A committee of MLS coaches and NCAA D1 coaches from every conference selected the invitees, all of whom completed their college eligibility this season. Further invitees, including Generation adidas signings and non-college players, will be announced in coming weeks.

Belana, a two-time All-Mid-American Conference honoree after earning first-team status in 2016, played in 22 games for Akron on the campaign, including 21 starts, and posted a trio of assists on 11 shots, including netting two shots on goal.

Pulling in All-MAC honors for the first time in 2017, Cordeiro started all 23 games in which he appeared in this past season, registering two goals and five assists on 34 shots, including 13 on frame.

Earning All-MAC recognition for the first time this season was De Vera, who along with Shultz anchored a Zips' defensive unit that has posted 12 shutouts this past fall. De Vera started all 23 games in which he has played on the campaign owning four assists on six shots, including three on goal.

Gainford, a team captain, persevered through injuries this season en route to earning All-MAC recognition for the third time after collecting first- and second-team accolades in 2015 and 2016, respectively. He appeared in 18 games for Akron, including 15 starts and led the team in shots on goal (24) and game-winners (5), while ranking second on the team in goals (10), assists (5), points (25), shots (50).

Garnering All-MAC accolades for the first time this season, Shultz started all 23 games he appeared in for the Zips and registered two goals and a pair of assists on 11 shots, including four on goal.

Developing players for the next level has become commonplace for the Akron staff as 32 Zips have gone on to play professionally either in Major League Soccer, USL or overseas since 2006, including No. 1 overall pick Steve Zakuani in 2009, and No. 2 overall picks Darlington Nagbe in 2011 and Darren Mattocks in 2012 - just to name a few. Nagbe was part of a draft class that set MLS draft day records for most players drafted from a single school in the first round (5) and overall (8).