Men's Soccer: Mountaineers in the Pros
July 18, 2008 05:11 PM | General
By Ira Green for MSNsportsNET.com
July 18, 2008
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| Former Mountaineer Nick Noble is playing his second season in the MLS.
Courtesy of the Chicago Fire |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Although the 2008 edition of the West Virginia men’s soccer team won’t lace up its cleats for nearly a month and a half – when the Mountaineers play host to the two-day West Virginia University Classic, beginning Aug. 29 – several former players already have more than a month of play under their belts, as members of Major League Soccer (MLS). Since 2003, six West Virginia athletes have made the jump to the next level.
Pat Carroll, Devon McTavish, Nick Noble, Aaron Pitchkolan, Jarrod Smith and Dan Stratford each have spent their summers playing at the United States’ biggest stage for professional soccer.
McTavish, a Mountaineer from 2002-05, was drafted by D.C. United in the 2006 MLS Supplemental Draft. McTavish is now in his third season with the squad and is second on the team in assists (4). He also has taken six shots, four of have been on goal. The Winchester, Va., native has started and played in 11 of the team’s 15 contests.
In 2008, two other former Mountaineers joined McTavish on the D.C. United squad. Carroll and Stratford both starred for West Virginia from 2004-07 and were picked up earlier this year. Stratford was drafted by D.C. in the second round of the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft, while Carroll was signed as a developmental player in March.
In United’s first reserve division game in mid-April, it was Stratford who earned the squad’s first goal of the season. The midfielder struck from 25-yards out early in the second half. However, it was Carroll who earned praise by delivering the game-winning assist in the 90th minute.
Both Carroll and Stratford have played six games in the reserve division.
About 11-and-a-half hours northwest of Washington, D.C., former WVU standout goalie Noble now calls Chicago home. In six matches with the Fire, Noble has earned the starting nod five times, playing a total of 394 minutes. This season, he has recorded a shutout, which came against D.C. United in early May, and boasts a 1.83 goals against average.
Noble played with WVU from 2003-06 and is one of seven Mountaineers to earn All-American status. Noble is also the career record holder in three goalkeeper categories: goals allowed average (0.88), shutouts (37) and goalkeeper minutes (7,179).
Pitchkolan is almost 1,000 miles away from Chicago, deep in the heart of Texas. The former Mountaineer has been playing soccer with FC Dallas since 2005. With the MLS team, Pitchkolan has totaled 57 games played, including 31 starts, four goals and one assist in three-and-a-half seasons.
As a member of the reserve squad in 2008, he only has played in three matches because of postponements. Pitchkolan has one goal, which served as the go-ahead goal against Real Salt Lake.
During his time in Morgantown, he played from 2002-04 for the Mountaineers and registered career totals of 52 starts, 11 goals, four which were game-winners, and 24 points.
Smith, the sixth All-America selection in West Virginia men’s soccer history, is now playing for Toronto FC. He was taken with the first overall pick in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft.
Although he was picked up by the squad in 2007, he was loaned to play for Hawke’s Bay United. As a member of Hawke’s Bay, he made nine appearances and scored two goals.
In 2008, Smith stepped up his game with the MLS squad. The rookie has appeared in 12 contests, including four starts for Toronto FC. On April 13, Smith scored his first career goal with the squad, blasting one past the Los Angeles Galaxy’s goalkeeper, Steve Cronin, early in the second half.
Smith, who played for the Mountaineers from 2003-06, finished his career with 32 goals, tying him for fifth all-time in school history and played in 74 matches, good enough for third in school history.
The Chicago Fire, D.C. United, FC Dallas and Toronto FC each have one more match, before taking a break for the 2008 MLS All-Star Game on July 24, which takes place in Toronto this year.
The Mountaineers open their season with an exhibition match at home on Aug. 16 against Virginia. The two teams will square off at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
West Virginia opens its 2008 regular season, when it plays host to Lafayette (Pa.) College at 7 p.m., on Aug. 29.
