MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University men’s soccer senior defender Jack Elliott has been selected to the 2017 MLS Player Combine.
Elliott is one of 53 players who have completed their collegiate eligibility invited to the Combine by Major League Soccer. At the Combine, held from Jan. 8-12 in Los Angeles, Elliott will play in front of personnel from all 22 MLS teams in advance of the 2017 SuperDraft, on January 13.
A London, England, native, Elliott is the eighth Mountaineer to earn an invite to the Combine in coach Marlon LeBlanc’s tenure. He is one of just three players from the Mid-American Conference selected to the Combine.
“Congratulations to Jack on his selection to the 2017 adidas MLS Player Combine,” LeBlanc said. “Jack has earned a lot of recognition this offseason, and this selection is certainly on par with his First Team Academic-All America honor. Jack is proof that you can achieve the highest level of success in the classroom and on the pitch at West Virginia University. This is a great honor for him, our program and our University.”
“This is a fantastic opportunity that I hope I can make the best of,” Elliott said. “Thank you to the coaches and staff at West Virginia that helped me get to this point.”
Elliott concluded his WVU career with a stellar senior season, as he was named to the 2016 NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region First Team in addition to earning CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors, becoming WVU’s first three-time Academic All-America honoree. He also was named to the All-MAC Second Team for the second time in his career.
While starting all 16 matches as a senior and logging a team-high 1,487 minutes, Elliott scored two goals and added an assist while anchoring a back line that recorded record-setting numbers. Elliott and the Mountaineers posted eight shutouts in 2016, including a shut-out streak that lasted a program-record seven consecutive matches and 758 minutes.
In his career with the Mountaineers, Elliott has played in 72 matches, missing just one match in his four seasons. The defender made 66 starts. In 6,039 minutes, he scored six goals and five assists. Two goals were game-winners.
Along with the honors and awards he has earned this season, Elliott has been recognized with numerous accolades throughout his career. He was named to the Academic All-America Third Team in 2014 and the Second Team in 2015. He was also named to the All-MAC Second Team in 2014 and has been recognized as a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete by the Mid-American Conference and has earned Academic All-MAC Team accolades and Academic All-Big 12 honors. He has been named to the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll, the President’s List and the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll throughout his career.
