Dec. 8, 2011

Big Apple Soccer | MLS Release | MLS Big Board

Bronx, N.Y. - After concluding a historic 2011 season with a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season championship, and the number one seed in the A-10 Championship, the men's soccer team received more accolades on Wednesday, when senior goalie, Ryan Meara was invited to participate in the upcoming MLS Combine in January. He is just one of four goalies to be extended an invitation to the combine.

The combine is slated to take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from January 6-10 and is made up of 66 athletes that were selected by Division I college coaches, who nominated and selected players, in conjunction with MLS coaches. Meara joins Evan James and Charles Rodriguez, both from Charlotte, as the only Atlantic 10 representatives.

Meara closed out his Fordham career by being named the 2011 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year as well as First Team All-Conference. On the year, he notched an 11-6-1 record with a miniscule 0.65 goals against average and ten shutouts. Meara led the Atlantic 10 in goals against average, shutouts and save percentage (.862). In the NCAA rankings through games of December 4th, he is sixth in save percentage and eleventh in goals against average.

Meara's ten shutouts this year bring his career total to 31, surpassing Jeff Knuth's Fordham (1985-88) career record of 27. He also set new Fordham all-time marks for games played in goal and minutes played in goal.

Over his four-year career at Rose Hill, Meara earned NSCAA All Mid-Atlantic Region accolades three times, was named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List, chosen All-Atlantic 10 three times and was named to the Atlantic All-Rookie Team as a freshman, a year that he also named A-10 Rookie of the Week twice.

The MLS Super Draft is set to take place on January 12 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Montreal Impact have the first overall selection.