St. John's University Athletics
Updating Red Storm Soccer Players In The Pro's
6/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
The St. John's men's soccer program has had unparalleled success in collegiate soccer in recent years, and many of the alumni who have made those successes possible have gone on to play professionally. Five former Red Storm players are currently playing in Major League Soccer (MLS), and two are playing overseas, including Brent Sancho, who recently became the program's first player to participate in a World Cup.
Rich Bradley, Long Island Rough Riders (USL Second Division)
Rich Bradley has started in and played every minute of Long Island's three games at the beginning of the 2006 season. Bradley has been elected the Rough Riders' team captain and has developed a reputation for his ability to play multiple positions on the field. Over his first two seasons with Long Island, he has played at outside back, sweeper and midfield and appeared in 32 games. ???I see Rich as the most versatile player on the team??? said head coach Flavio Ferri on the team's official website. ???He attacks and defends equally well. I really look for him to be in the mix when All-League selections are handed out at the end of the season."
Jeff Carroll, DC United (Major League Soccer)
Jeff Carroll was one of three Red Storm players selected in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, going with the 39th overall pick to DC United. He joined brother, Brian, in the organization and has recently made his first career appearance with the DC United after beginning the year in the developmental league . Carroll, who spent most of his time as an outside back while at St. John's, has seen time as a defender and midfielder as a pro.
Chris Corcoran, Charleston Battery (USL First Division)
In his first season with the Charleston Battery, Corcoran is the only player on the team to have started all 10 games of the season. He leads the team in minutes played with 900, as he has helped anchor the Battery's defensive back line. Corcoran was the 25th overall selection in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, but played in limited time with the team's reserve squad as he rehabilitated from injuries.
Bill Gaudette, Columbus Crew (MLS)
Bill Gaudette is one of four injured Crew goalkeepers, currently sitting out with a broken right hand. Gaudette was taken in the first round of the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft and went on to appear in six games and make five starts for the Columbus Crew that season. He made his MLS debut against the LA Galaxy on May 25, 2005 and finished the second half of a shutout. Days later, Gaudette made the first of his five career starts, against the New York-New Jersey MetroStars.
Matt Groenwald, Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
Matt Groenwald and the Kansas City Wizards sit in second place in the MLS Eastern Division with a 6-4-2 record through 12 games. Groenwald has seen time in each of those 12 games and made nine starts in the midfield. He has recorded two assists and taken one shot and averaged over 60 minutes of action per game. Groenwald was selected by Kansas City in the third round (28th overall pick) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft and made his season debut on April 1st.
Shalrie Joseph, New England Revolution (MLS)
Shalrie Joseph has continued his strong play with the New England Revolution, scoring three goals and recording one assist in the team's first 12 games (all starts). Joseph was a first round selection of the New England Revolution in 2002 and joined the Revs in 2003 after a year overseas. He started 15 games that season, leading the Revs to the MLS Finals and earning the first of two All-Star selections. In the 2005 season, Joseph received serious consideration for MLS Most Valuable Player honors after scoring six goals and recording five assists for a total of 17 points.
Jeff Matteo, Charleston Battery (USL First Division)
Matteo, along with Corcoran, signed with Charleston for the 2006 season and has since played in eight games and made six starts as a defender. Matteo joined the Battery after spending two seasons with the Minnesota Thunder, where he played in 51 games and racked up five goals and seven assists. The Stormville, N.Y., native began his professional career in the MLS with the Columbus Crew, then had stints with the New York Red Bulls and Serie C1 of the Italian Third Division, before landing in Charleston for the 2006 season.
Stefani Miglioranzi, Swindon Town FC (English Second Division)
A third-round draft choice of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire in 1999, Miglioranzi has played the last four-plus seasons overseas. He originally signed a month-by-month contract with Portsmouth of the English First Division and then earned a long-term deal with Swindon of the Second Division after a successful run at Portsmouth. Miglioranzi has played four seasons at Swindon and scored eight goals, despite injuries leading to inconsistent playing time.
Tim O'Neill, Virginia Beach Mariners (USL First Division)
Tim O'Neill has begun his second season by playing in 10 games for the Virginia Beach Mariners of the USL First Division. A Philadelphia, Pa., native and a two-time member of College Cup teams while at St. John's (2001, 2003), O'Neill is in his fourth season of professional soccer. In 2004, he made his professional debut with the Syracuse Salty Dogs, before signing with Virginia Beach where he became a starter in 2005.
Dan Popik, Columbus Crew (MLS)
Dan Popik was picked up by the Columbus Crew after the team's top four goalkeepers, including Bill Gaudette, went down with injuries. Currently an assistant coach at North Carolina State, Popik started in one game and made seven saves for the Crew. A member of the St. John's 1998 and 1999 teams, Popik spent parts of the 2003 and 2004 season with the Los Angeles Galaxy and played in 2002 with the A-League champion Milwaukee Rampage.
Brent Sancho, Gillingham Town FC (English League 2)
In addition to playing for Gillingham of the English League 2, Sancho has played for the Trinidad and Tobago national team and just became St. John's first ever World Cup participant. A member of the Red Storm's 1996 national championship team, Sancho played two seasons with Dundee of the Scottish Premier League before signing with Gillingham in August 2005.
Chris Wingert, Colorado Rapids (MLS)
Chris Wingert, the 2004 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner as the nation???s top collegiate player, joined Colorado for the 2006 season after playing two seasons for the Columbus Crew. Wingert has played in five games, made four starts and logged 372 minutes for the Rapids in 2006. The Crew originally drafted Wingert in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft, and the Babylon, N.Y., native spent two seasons in Columbus as a starting defender.
