USL News Release

Friday, September 5, 2008

TAMPA - Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy highlighted today in his Morning Briefing, the fact that the University Of South Florida Bulls, who are equipped with several players with ties to United Soccer Leagues, are a “ONE OF THIS YEAR’S HOT picks for men’s [NCAA] national champions.”

In listing the Bulls starting XI, Kennedy touches on three players who starred for the Bradenton Academics in this season’s Premier Development League Southern Conference Playoff Series hosted by the Central Florida Kraze (Zak Boggs, Jordan Seabrook and Diego Restrepo). On top of his ties to the PDL, Restrepo was the starting goalkeeper for the talented Kendall SC side that claimed the inaugural USL Super-20 League North American Championship in 2006. Two of Restrepo’s teammates on that team have since signed professional contracts (Martin Nunez of the USL First Division Carolina RailHawks and Bryan Arguez, currently with Hertha Berlin of the German Bundesliga).

The Academics finished off the 2008 season with a 2-1 loss to the Austin Aztex on Friday, July 25. Including that loss, the club’s record was 10-2-4. They finished second in the eight-team Southeast Division.

Boggs, the Academics captain, finished the season as the team’s leading goal scorer with 14. He also added four assists for a total of 32 points. Boggs’ point total was the third best season in the PDL behind league MVP Junior Garcia of the Yakima Reds (40) and Brandon Swartzendruber (34) of the 2008 PDL Champion Thunder Bay Chill.

Seabrook, a defender, played in 11 matches during the 2008 season for the Academics. In that time he was able to contribute one goal and three assists.

Holding down the backline on USF’s starting XI is defender Aubrey Perry, who first emerged as a standout player at the U13 level with then USL Super Y-League club Ajax Orlando. Also listed as a hybrid forward/defender on USF’s roster is Andre Mittoo, who was voted onto the 2006 U17 All-Super Y-League team while playing at the North American Finals with Schulz Academy.

About the North American Finals
This season’s Super Y-League North American Finals will be the 10th go-around for what is considered among the top youth soccer events in North America. The Super Y-League finals, which has included teams from Canada since the 2003 season, operates in eight divisions across North America from March through September. The 2008 version of the finals pits the top U13-U17 clubs in each region against one another in a three-day group play stage and a subsequent semifinal and championship match to determine a champion. The event will kick off in Tampa, Florida, home to United Soccer Leagues Headquarters, on Friday, November 21.