Zarek Valentin

Height:
5-11
Weight:
155
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Lancaster, Pa.
High School:
Manheim Township

as a Sophomore (2010): College Soccer News All-America Second Team ... All-Great Lakes Region Second Team ... All-MAC First Team ... College Cup All-Tournament Team ... started all 25 games at center back for a unit that recorded 11 shutouts and a goals-against-average of 0.62 (fifth in NCAA) ... recorded the first point of his career with a game-winning assist at Michigan State (Nov. 3).

as a Freshman (2009): Mid-American Conference Newcomer of the Year ... Soccer America All-Freshman First Team ... College Soccer News All-Freshman First Team ... All-MAC First Team ... University of Akron All-Tournament Team Defensive MVP (Sept. 18-20) ... started all 25 games … key contributer on a defense unit that set school records for goals-against-average (0.27) and shutouts (19) ... UA's 19 shutouts represented the second-highest, single-season total in NCAA history while its GAA and shutout percentage (.760) were ranked third all-time … was on the field for all but 11 minutes in 25 games this year (87 minutes vs. High Point and at 82 minutes at Fla. Atlantic) ... College Soccer News Freshman Top 100 list.

Prior to Akron: Member of a host of U.S. Youth National teams, including the U-20s, U-18s, U-17 and U-15s ... 2008 NSCAA High School Boys All-American ... 53rd-best high school prospect in the nation, according to Top Drawer Soccer ... three-time NSCAA Youth All-American ('08, '07, '06) at Manheim Township High School ... ESPN Rise All-America first team honoree ... competed in the U-16 Developmental Academy League, sponsored by U.S. Soccer ... part of the No. 1-ranked college recruiting class in the nation, according to ESPN Rise.com ... four-year honor roll member ... recorded 21 goals, including nine game-winners, and nine assists as a senior.

Personal: Parents are Manuel Valentin and Debra Miller ... has two older brothers; Zach (28) and Julian (23); and a little sister, Anya (9) ... brother, Julian, was a four-year starter at Wake Forest from 2004-'07, was drafted by the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer and is currently the team captain for FC Tampa Bay of the USSF ... Zarek enjoys playing guitar, eating sushi and coaching his sister's soccer team ... has played soccer in eight countries ... fluent in Spanish ... has aspirations of playing professional soccer and becoming a SportsCenter anchor ... intends to major in communications.