Ara To Train For MLS at Pro Combine

Senior midfielder Kevin Ara is slated to graduate this June, but that doesn’t mean his soccer career is over.

Especially now.

Ara was selected yesterday to take part in the 2004 Adidas Major League Soccer (MLS) Player Combine to be held this January in Carson, Calif at the Home Depot Center.

Fifty-four players were selected from each of the three collegiate divisions.

The opportunity significantly increases his chances of making an MLS team and entering the professional ranks.

Ara scored five goals and four assists this season, helping to lead the Crimson to an 8-6-3 record.

Ara began his final collegiate season with the highest expectations after being named to a preseason list of 15 players to watch for the Hermann Trophy—collegiate soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy, presented to the nation’s top player.

Ara, who will play on the Adidas Aviero squad, will join other college and select Project-40 players in the four team, three day, round-robin tournament.

Joining him on the field will be three other Ivy League players who were selected for the program—Penn’s Matt Haefner, Yale’s Jay Alberts and Brown’s Adom Crew.

Alberts and Crew will both play beside Ara on the Aviero squad.

Ara was recently named as one of the members of the first team All-New England as well.