Eye on the Academy- Keeping an Eye on the Alumns

By Pat Eyler

RSL's academy has 40 alumni playing at various levels of college soccer this year. And it’s time for our monthly check in.  I’m going to keep focusing on the same set of players, unless someone crops up as a really interesting alternative.

I think there are seven players that deserve some attention and five of those are freshmen, I’ve dropped Davide Flores (a Junior) who doesn’t seem to be getting much time recently.  Even with a couple of defenders in their midst, they’ve accounted for 20 goals and 28 assists so far this season while playing for pretty good teams.

Player (Yr Pos Games/Starts)	School	Goals	Assists
Jordan Allen (Fr F/D 17/17)	Virginia	2	5
Andrew Brody (Fr M 18/18)	Louisville	3	8
Ive Burnett (Fr D 17/17)	South Carolina	1	0
Phanuel Kavita (Jr D 18/18)	Clemson	0	0
Riggs Lennon (Fr F 6/16)	Virginia	5	1
Coco Navarro (Fr F 17/17)	Marquette	2	5
Ricardo Velazco (So M/F 18/18)	Louisville	7	9
	Total	20	28

There’s also a pretty good keeper out there, Matt Bersano, R-So, GK, Oregon State University: 17 starts, 17 games, 20 goals allowed, 5 clean sheets, 95 saves - those are pretty good numbers. His GAA is up to 1.18 but he’s also climbed to 5.59 saves/game.

Ricardo Velazco was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season - pretty good for a Sophomore.  Andrew Brody has previously been recognized as ACC Rookie of the Week.  

Unfortunately, Velazco and Brody were part of a losing effort in their final game of the season as the Cardinals dropped the first game of the ACC tournament and will not be advancing. Jordan Allen’s Virginia squad are moving on in the ACC tournament after beating Boston College.