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BUZZER
MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010
THE TIMES-DELPHIC
photos by SARAH
ANDREWS| Photo
/Design Editor
ELITE EIGHT SQUAD Edwards, Webb tryout for USL, MLS teams
me up—they’re a big part,” Edwards said. Garrett Webb, from Prairie Village, Kan., was named as a semifinalist for the 2009 Hermann Trophy in his senior year. The award is considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The Drake men’s 2009 soccer season was record- Webb was also named second-team All-American breaking, jumping onto the national stage by reach- and the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Soccer ing the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Drake Player of the Year. turned coaches’ and fans’ heads all over the country Following the 2009 season, Webb has traveled to with their performance. San Jose, Calif., for a tryout with the San Jose EarthWith 29 players, eight seniors said their goodbyes quakes of the MLS, competed alongside Edwards in to the program in December. With the spotlight on Charleston, S.C., for the USL combine and traveled those eight, there is the nagging question of who will to Blain, Minn., for a tryout with the USL team NSC continue playing soccer. Defender Julien Edwards Stars. and forward Garrett Webb are both looking to ex“I’ll take away more experience, being exposed tend their careers. to different systems, and new coaching will add to Edwards, from Ottawa, Canada, was one of 62 skill sets and, more specifically, new ways to look at players invited to participate in the 2010 Adidas/ and play the game,” Webb said. MLS player combine last January in Fort LauderAs for his future and summer plans, he said he dale, Fla., and played regulation games for roughly has a tryout lined up with a team in Minnesota, but five days. if nothing were to come out of that, he plans to go “It gave me confidence that I can play at the level, overseas to Europe or Japan. like I belong there,” EdThere is a trend of wards said. “Critics say many U.S. players headit’s the top players in ing overseas to play with the nation. And bringEuropean teams. Webb ing those guys together said he believes that is creates a higher level of the result of the overplay.” whelming popularity Immediately after of the game in foreign the combine, Edwards countries. was asked to spend the “The passion you see following week in a Fort from fans of teams in the Lauderdale-based trainEPL (English Premier ing camp with the unLeague) can’t be duplider-23 Canadian Olym– COACH SEAN HOLMES cated anywhere in the pic team to prepare for MLS,” he said. the 2012 Olympics. EdWebb credits his famwards will not, however, be able to pursue an oppor- ily as the biggest support group. tunity to play with this team in the 2012 Olympics Drake Head Coach Sean Holmes said he believes because his birthday is two days before the cut-off both Edwards and Webb will succeed at the next date. level. “In the end, this was a great experience because “They’re both athletic enough, skillful enough I’ve been seen at the national level,” Edwards said. and technical enough,” he said. “It will be a chal“It’s good contact, good on your resume and down lenge mentally; they will need to be persistent and the line, I may get looked at to play with the real na- durable and grind it out until their opportunity artional team.” rives.” Since January, Edwards has participated in the Holmes said he stressed the importance of being United Soccer League (USL) combine in Charleston, coachable and the even bigger importance of looking S.C. The USL is a semi-professional league, sitting after one’s health. right under the Major League Soccer (MLS). Look“The most interesting thing is to see those guys ing to the future, Edwards’ summer plans include a grow intellectually and on the field,” Holmes said. two-week trial with Toronto FC, an MLS team. “They grew into All-Americans. I don’t think anyone Edwards also hopes to get the chance to tryout thought when they arrived in August 2005 they’d be overseas in Australia and England, but if neither the cornerstone of the Elite Eight squad. They never those nor Toronto FC work out, he will continue heard of each other prior to August 2005, and now practicing in Ottawa during the fall of 2010. they are best friends for life. It’s pretty rewarding to Edwards said he’s been able to go so far because see friendships grow.” of his close-knit support system and that they prompt As Edwards and Webb continue their future sochim to keep going. cer endeavors, it’s safe to say they will continue to “My family, who is always willing to help out, and turn heads, while their 2009 record-breaking season (Drake coaches) Holmes and Joe Burger, who hype at Drake will long be remembered. n by MELANIE FIELDER
Staff Writer melanie.fielder@drake.edu
photo by SARAH ANDREWS| Photo/Design Editor
SENIOR JULIEN EDWARDS traveled to Fla., S.C. for MLS, USL tryouts.
photo by SARAH ANDREWS| Photo/Design Editor
SENIOR GARRETT WEBB tried out for the San Jose Earthquakes last winter.
ROADto
VICTORY Change for a dollar?
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They grew into AllAmericans. I don’t think anyone thought when they arrived in August 2005 they’d be the cornerstone of the Elite Eight squad.
Overcoming outrageous odds against Ohio State wasn’t enough for the Bulldogs. The squad advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament to face Boston College. In a game where the sun was a prominent force on one side of the field, the ever-so trivial coin flip that determines which goal each team will defended for the first half became more important. Only, the head referee didn’t have a coin. “Because the ref didn’t have a coin, he decided to put a one or a two behind his back,” senior midfielder Kevin Shrout said. “I guessed two and was right, so we could choose the side not looking into the sun. But Boston College wouldn’t take the loss without
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putting up a fight. “Then a BC player got angry and said, ‘You can’t do that. You need to do a coin flip,’ and one of the linesmen pulled out a coin,” Shrout said. “We did the flip and lost.” That was the first of three quick mini-victories for BC. “Then, 20 minutes into the half, they scored two quick goals on us,” Shrout said. “It was frustrating, and I thought we would lose based on a stupid coin.” Luckily, those two goals didn’t play too large a part in the end result, as the Bulldogs put up six of their own to Boston College’s four. This is just one of many anecdotes from such a story book-type season. n