Indiana University Athletics
Balchan Invited to MLS Combine
12/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Dec. 9, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University men's soccer senior defender Rich Balchan is one of 54 seniors from 36 NCAA Division I schools selected to participate in the 2011 adidas Major League Soccer Player Combine, MLS announced Thursday.
The Combine will take place Jan. 7-11 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The participants will be divided into four teams, playing matches on Jan. 8, 10 and 11 at Central Broward Regional Park. The initial player list was determined by a panel of Division I college coaches, representing all conferences, who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. These players will be joined by Generation adidas players, additional collegiate players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools, and Division I alternates.
Balchan was a four-year starter for Indiana, starting 16 of 17 matches played in 2010. A versatile competitor, Balchan contributed both in the midfield and in central defense for Indiana and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors this season. Balchan was also a Big Ten All-Tournament team selection and helped the Hoosiers to the Big Ten regular season title and a trip to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.
As a junior Balchan started all 22 matches played and was a second-team All-Big Ten and third-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Great Lakes Region honoree. Balchan started all 24 matches his sophomore season, helping Indiana to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. His freshman year he was a Big Ten All-Freshman team pick, contributing four goals and three assists as Indiana won the Big Ten regular season title. Two of his goals were game winners.
Outside of the collegiate season, Balchan competed with the U.S. U-20 National Team at the New Orleans Tournament in February 2008. He also took part in the U-20's training trip to England in May 2008 and played in the U-20 match vs. Mexico in Laredo, Texas in July 2008, as well as the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland that same month. Balchan was selected for the U.S. squad for the 2009 U-20 World Cup in Egypt but was unable to participate. Balchan also spent time playing in the Premier Development League with the Fort Wayne Fever (2007) and the Chicago Fire (2008, 2009).
Since the league's inception in 1996, 32 Hoosiers have been selected in the MLS Draft. In 2010 Indiana had 12 active players in the league, including Drew Moor (Colorado Rapids) and Eric Alexander (FC Dallas) who played in the 2010 MLS Cup. Alexander was a third-round selection of FC Dallas in 2010, while Moor was the sixth overall pick in the 2005 draft. Indiana has had eight first-round selections, most recently Kevin Alston by the New England Revolution in 2009.
2011 ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (5): Bryan Meredith (Monmouth); Jeff Attinella (University of South Florida); Jimmy Maurer (South Carolina); Joe Willis (University of Denver);Josh Ford (UConn);
DEFENDERS (17): A.J. Soares (California); Bilal Duckett (Notre Dame); Bobby Warshaw (Stanford); Christopher Korb (Akron); Colin Givens (Michigan State); Curtis Ushedo (UAB); Demitrius Omphroy (California); Eddie Ababio (UNC); Greg Klazura (Notre Dame); Greg King (UConn); Indy Smith (UNC Wilmington); Jalil Anibaba (UNC); JT Murray (Louisville); Juan Cruz (SMU); Michael Boxall (UCSB); Rich Balchan (Indiana); Tyler Lassiter (North Carolina State)
MIDFIELDERS (21): Anthony Ampaipitakwong (Akron); Blake Brettschneider (South Carolina); Cole Grossman (Duke); Daniel Keat (Dartmouth); Dustin McCarty(UNC); Ernesto Carranza (Sacramento State); Guillermo Cortes (Maryland); Hector Jimenez (California); Jimmy Banks (Green Bay); John (Jeb) Brovsky (Notre Dame); Jon Okafor (Brown); Josue Soto(SMU); Karl Reddick (Boston College); Konrad Warzycha (Ohio State); Lebogang Pila (St. Peter's College); Matheus Braga (Penn State); Matt Gold (Ohio State); Michael Farfan (UNC); Servando Carrasco (California); Stephen McCarthy (UNC); Tommy Drake (Clemson);
FORWARDS (11): Amani Walker (UCI); Ashley McInnes (Tulsa); Brayan Martinez (Seton Hall University); C.J. Sapong (James Madison); Davis Paul (California); Efrain Burgoes (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), Jason Herrick (Maryland); Justin Meram (Michigan); Levi Houapev (UMBC); Philip Bannister (Loyola University Maryland); Steven Perry (Notre Dame).
