Indiana University Athletics
Sarkodie, Alexander Named National Players of the Year
2/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Feb. 6, 2006
PHILADELPHIA - The seven-time national champion Indiana men's soccer team once again welcomes the top players in the country as freshman Ofori Sarkodie and recent signee Eric Alexander were named NSCAA/adidas National Players of the Year at the 2006 NSCAA National Convention on Jan. 21. Sarkodie was the National Youth Player of the Year, while Alexander garnered National High School Player of the Year honors.
Sarkodie enrolled at IU for the spring semester in January after he captained the U.S. Under-17 National Team to a fifth-place finish at the FIFA World Youth Championship. Alexander signed with the Hoosiers in February and will enroll for the fall of 2006.
"Eric and Ofori are definitely two of the top players in the country, and it is nice to see them get this type of recognition," Indiana head men's soccer coach Mike Frietag said. "We are exited that, along with Kevin Alston, they are joining the Hoosier program. We feel confident that they will help carry on and further the IU Tradition."
Sarkodie spent over two years with the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program and started 88 of 93 games during his career. He earned 36 international caps with the U-17s and was one of five players nominated for the 2005 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year Award for Young Males. Sarkodie started and played every minute at the World Youth Championship in the process of earning all-tournament team honors as one of the top XI players at FIFA Under-17 World Championship.
Alexander, who played for former Hoosier B.J. Snow at Portage Central, garnered the Mr. Soccer accolade in the state of Michigan as a senior. He earned NSCAA/adidas Youth All-America honors on two occasions while playing club for Vardar 88. He was one of 76 players nationally to be named an NSCAA/adidas High School All-American as a senior, in which he scored 28 goals and dished out 12 assists.
The National Players of the Year join Sarkodie's former U.S. Under-17 National teammate Kevin Alston as the Hoosiers' current 2006 signee class. Alston enrolled in January and will participate in spring practice. Alston garnered PARADE All-America honors last season and started on the World Youth Championship team along the backline with Sarkodie.
The trio joins a group of 25 Hoosier returners from the 2005 squad that went 13-3-6 overall. The Hoosiers were the third seed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament before they fell to Notre Dame, 2-0, in the second round.
