WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 – Dozens of soccer players have gone from the Des Moines Menace Academy to the college game. This season, more than 30 Menace Academy alumni are contributing to college teams across the United States.

They come from 14 different high schools, and they represent colleges in 11 states. They play for teams with nicknames like Bruins, Crusaders, Golden Hurricane and Midshipmen – Gusties, Tommies, Stags, Scots and Dutch – Lords, Trolls, Tritons, Fighting Bees and Fighting Leathernecks – Blue Devils, Scarlet Hawks, Red Raiders and Yellowjackets.

This is an update of the former members of our academy who have taken their game to the next level.


NCAA Division I

UCLA Women (8-4-1): After a standout freshman season, Chelsea Cline has appeared in every match for the No. 13 Bruins, who are trying to repeat last year’s trip to the College Cup (Final Four). Cline, a former high-school all-American at Shattuck St. Mary’s (Faribault, Minn. – 2009 graduate), has scored one goal, connecting on a penalty kick in a 4-2 win over Denver last month.

Western Illinois (3-5-4): A member of the Menace’s 2010 Premier Development League side, Husref Jupic shares the Fighting Leathernecks’ lead with six points. The 2009 Iowa High School Player of the Year (Hoover High School) has collected 10 starts, two goals, two assists and a team-best 20 shots.

Tulsa (7-3-0): Kyle Cumings (Norwalk, 2008), who has played for the 2009-10 Menace PDL teams, has appeared in five matches, including the nationally televised match between No. 1 Akron and then-No. 2 Tulsa on Sept. 24. The Golden Hurricane’s ranking has dropped to the No. 14 spot in this week’s poll, after losing three of its last four.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee (3-6-2): Tony Maxey (Dowling Catholic, 2008) has made eight starts and scored one goal for the Panthers.

Navy (6-2-2): Senior captain Sam Lepley has appeared in all 10 of the Midshipmen’s matches, starting eight. For the second time in three years, the Roosevelt grad earned all-tournament recognition in the UMB/Navy Kick-Off Tournament.

Drake (6-5-1): The Bulldogs feature a pair of former Menace Academy and Dowling Catholic teammates. Joe Lyons has played in five matches and earned one start. Jackson Teeling, who has transferred after a standout freshman season at NAIA St. Ambrose, is sidelined by an injury this season.

Hartford’s Ben Poppen (Ankeny, 2009 – and a former Menace PDL player) and Valparaiso’s Eric May (Norwalk, 2009) are on their respective teams’ rosters but have not played in any matches this season.


NCAA Division II

Drury (8-4-0): Grant Bowden, who played for the Menace’s PDL team in 2009, is a senior defender who has been in the lineup every match for the Panthers, whose four losses were all 1-0 contests. Bowden, a 2007 Waukee grad, scored his only goal last month in Drury’s 3-0 payback win over then-No. 3 Lewis, the team that knocked the Panthers out of last year’s national tournament.

Philadelphia (7-4-0): Alex Heston has stepped in as a freshman to start seven matches in goal. The Roosevelt grad is 5-2-0 with a 0.88 goals against average, 28 saves and two shutouts.


NCAA Division III

Simpson (5-8-0): A trio of Menace Academy alumni play for the Storm. Lucas Haak (Ankeny, 2007) tops the team (and all academy grads) with five goals. Bryan Michelsen (Norwalk, 2008) has been a part of Simpson’s starting lineup for every game, along with Haak. Recent Lincoln grad Pedro Campos has notched four shots in four matches.

Central (9-3-0): Leland Schipper (Ankeny, 2008) and KJ McQuerry (Valley, 2008) have each started every contest for the Dutch. Schipper’s three assists lead the team.

Wartburg (8-4-0): Neil Shields (Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, 2009) has played in nine matches, collected a goal and an assist. The Knights are on a four-game winning streak after shutting out Central, 4-0, on Wednesday (Oct. 13).

Loras (7-6-0): Zach Bruns (Waukee, 2007) has seen action in four of the Duhawks’ matches.

Gustavus Adolphus (7-3-3): Mark Adams (Waukee, 2008) scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Macalester on Wednesday (Oct. 13). His second goal of the season stretched the Gusties’ unbeaten streak to seven.

Macalester (10-3-1): Thanks to Adams’ game-winner, Gustavus snapped Macalester’s 14-game home winning streak. The Macalester recap features an action shot of Will Mackaman, the Menace Academy’s 2010 Player of the Year. Mackaman (Roosevelt) has played 11 matches as a freshman, picking up a goal and an assist.

St. Thomas (6-4-3): Colten Llewellyn, another former Menace Academy Player of the Year, has played in 13 matches. He’ll see Adams, a former Menace Academy teammate and Waukee classmate, on Tuesday (Oct. 19), when the Tommies travel to play the Gusties in St. Peter, Minn.

Kenyon (10-1-1): Jared Kunze (Waukee, 2008) has a 4-0-0 record with a 0.27 GAA and two shutouts in five matches. The Lords (Kenyon, Ohio) are ranked third in this week’s Great Lakes regional poll.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (7-2-2): Marshall Fisher (Roosevelt, 2007) has played in all but one of the matches for the Stags (Claremont, Calif.), who defeated the rival Whittier Poets in double-overtime on Wednesday (Oct. 13).


NAIA
Graceland (4-7-1): Following in the footsteps of his brother Greg, Kevin Irr (Creston, 2010) starts for the Yellowjackets.

St. Ambrose (5-8-2): Wes Erickson (Dowling Catholic, 2008) has four goals and two assists for 10 points – tied for third-best on the Fighting Bees.

Clarke (6-6-2): A senior from Johnston, Matthew Carlson has appeared in each of the Crusaders’ 14 matches, recording an assist.

Northwestern (4-9-1): Just a freshman, Matt Dowie (Pella) is one of only two Red Raiders to start every match.

Trinity Christian College (6-6-0): Andrew Boersma (Des Moines Christian, 2007) is 2-0-0 as starting goalie for the Trolls (Palos Hills, Ill.), with a 1.00 GAA.

Illlinois Tech (7-4-0): Jared Svaldi (Lincoln, 2007) is 2-3-0 with a 1.80 GAA. Svaldi and Boersma watched from the sidelines on Oct. 9 when the Chicago-based Scarlet Hawks beat the Trolls, 4-0.


Community Colleges

Indian Hills (7-7-0): Ben Smiley, a 2009 Norwalk grad, is the Warriors’ top goalkeeper.

Iowa Central Community College (8-4-3): 2010 Lincoln grad Diego Aquino is on the roster for the Tritons, who have been in the national top-15 after making it to the national Elite Eight in 2009.

Kansas City, Kansas (2-8-3): Matt Miller (Norwalk, 2009) plays for the Blue Devils.

Related links:

Menace Academy alumni

Menace PDL alumni update (Oct. 8, 2010)

Did you find any missing Menace Academy alumni or inaccurate information? Please email us!