2014 Boys Soccer Verbal Commitments

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PB had a great, no fantastic year and was very exciting to watch. I stayed out to the discussions throughout the year as I wanted to see how he progressed in the state tournament. IMO, he is not D1 material. Anyone who watched the later rounds of the state tournament figured out real quick that he was lost when matched up against a good defense or a defender who had similar speed. He simply stood around and waited for one of his midfielders to create an opportunity for him and play a through ball or a ball over the top that he might be able to race for. He had no idea about how to continuously move, get behind a defender, create space, play with his back to the net, etc. In the South Sectional finals, SL team did not start to create opportunities until they moved him to midfield. In D1, there are dozens of defenders with his speed and most are likely to have better skills. I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to take away the fantastic season he had, I just think most posters don't truly understand how the game is played and what it takes to be a impact D1 player.

BTW, if he is not D1 material in your opinion, who is? The kid dominated the entire south shore and to large extent south of boston, so are there no kids in these parts who can play D1?

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BTW, if he is not D1 material in your opinion, who is? The kid dominated the entire south shore and to large extent south of boston, so are there no kids in these parts who can play D1?

OP here. I have not seen the kid play so I can't say whether he would be a D1 player. The D1 players who are listed earlier in this thread are DAP players many of which did not play HS soccer. If he is a senior, he should already know what D1 school he is going to by now. Occasionally BU picks up a local kid late. Kids picked up at this point in the kid's senior year will be depth players. The other question around here is academics. Not sure where he is on that but most local D1's ignore kids unless they have the necessary academic qualifications. Ones that don't can look at UML, or D2/3 schools. There are a lot of very talented MA players who are playing D2/3 due to grades. VF and BB come to mind.

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OP here. I have not seen the kid play so I can't say whether he would be a D1 player. The D1 players who are listed earlier in this thread are DAP players many of which did not play HS soccer. If he is a senior, he should already know what D1 school he is going to by now. Occasionally BU picks up a local kid late. Kids picked up at this point in the kid's senior year will be depth players. The other question around here is academics. Not sure where he is on that but most local D1's ignore kids unless they have the necessary academic qualifications. Ones that don't can look at UML, or D2/3 schools. There are a lot of very talented MA players who are playing D2/3 due to grades. VF and BB come to mind.

Understood. This kid is not a borderline academic kid. Academic schools like Brandeis were drooling over him. I doubt a coach would have trouble getting him in BU, NU, and certainly UMass-A. On the other issue, there are late bloomers who are not tied into the normal channels for recruiting. He has played high level non-DAP club (two state cup finals in a row so at top of non-DAP level with nationally ranked club team). And although most here wouldn't realize this, there are families out there who are very naive about the recruiting scene and could use some help. The kid I'm sure would be very happy and be a star at a good D3, but his raw talent level is rare and if I was a D1 coach I would certainly take my chances with him. I've been a close observer of high school soccer for the past 8-10 years and I haven't seen a single kid during that time with his speed and acceleration. And he can finish, which is important.

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Understood. This kid is not a borderline academic kid. Academic schools like Brandeis were drooling over him. I doubt a coach would have trouble getting him in BU, NU, and certainly UMass-A. On the other issue, there are late bloomers who are not tied into the normal channels for recruiting. He has played high level non-DAP club (two state cup finals in a row so at top of non-DAP level with nationally ranked club team). And although most here wouldn't realize this, there are families out there who are very naive about the recruiting scene and could use some help. The kid I'm sure would be very happy and be a star at a good D3, but his raw talent level is rare and if I was a D1 coach I would certainly take my chances with him. I've been a close observer of high school soccer for the past 8-10 years and I haven't seen a single kid during that time with his speed and acceleration. And he can finish, which is important.

If so, BU could be the spot. They have scooped up FDB and CR in the past few years from the local talent pool late in the process. The issue now would be do they have any scholarship $$ left this year? BU is very costly. As an alternative, UMass is more affordable, but there won't be much $$, if any.

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What would be cost difference between full price for Mass resident to UMass-A and half-scholarship to UMass-L?

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after all the hullaballoo about the Silver Lake kid PB I was surprised he was looking at what are pretty mediocre academic schools. The only one that lent itself to soccer cred was SNHU but let's face it, it's not exactly a stretch academically. There was so much written about him on another thread, ostensibly by his dad, about going to a top notch D1 school.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/kingston/...-a-kind-talent

So this is where you got that info. A rival Kingston parent perhaps? What a bad post you wrote. Mediocre academic schools? Brandeis and WPI are now "pretty mediocre"??? So you read the article and decided everything has just been "hullaballoo"? What a distortion and disservice you did. The kid is a real talent, and clearly the family could use some help.

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http://www.wickedlocal.com/kingston/...-a-kind-talent

So this is where you got that info. A rival Kingston parent perhaps? What a bad post you wrote. Mediocre academic schools? Brandeis and WPI are now "pretty mediocre"??? So you read the article and decided everything has just been "hullaballoo"? What a distortion and disservice you did. The kid is a real talent, and clearly the family could use some help.

OP here. Decent four schools to look at. My personal ratings

Soccer

1)SNHU
2)UML (Div 1 though)
3)Brandeis
5)WPI

Engineering

1)WPI
2)UML

Best School Academically

1)Brandeis
2)WPI
3)UML
5)SNHU

My advice: He's not going to earn a living at soccer playing at any of these schools. If he wants to major in engineering, pick one of those two. He'll get a job doing that.

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OP here. Decent four schools to look at. My personal ratings

Soccer

1)SNHU
2)UML (Div 1 though)
3)Brandeis
5)WPI

Engineering

1)WPI
2)UML

Best School Academically

1)Brandeis
2)WPI
3)UML
5)SNHU

My advice: He's not going to earn a living at soccer playing at any of these schools. If he wants to major in engineering, pick one of those two. He'll get a job doing that.

Agree with your ratings but not final assessment. Out of these 4 Brandeis is the best combination of academics and soccer (two straight D3 sweet sixteens, known as one of top D3 programs in New England, and almost everyone back next year). Saying you want to major in engineering is pretty vague and unless a kid is really, really gung-ho with engineering that could a one semester deal before a change happens. UML seems like a huge risk -- brand new in D1, team is going to struggle, taking on a lot of players similar to SNHU, and if not engineering then what? Engineering at WPI is tough as nails and the soccer is by far the weakest. My vote? Even though it's very late, add to the list by selling that this is a very unusual situation with an unusual kid. Try to get UMass-A in the mix, maybe UVM and UNH, and if intent on engineering look at Stevens in NJ or Union in NY, both with with superb to very good D3 soccer programs. Otherwise, I would pick Brandeis. Hope someone is helping this kid. He deserves an optimal outcome.

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http://www.wickedlocal.com/kingston/...-a-kind-talent

So this is where you got that info. A rival Kingston parent perhaps? What a bad post you wrote. Mediocre academic schools? Brandeis and WPI are now "pretty mediocre"??? So you read the article and decided everything has just been "hullaballoo"? What a distortion and disservice you did. The kid is a real talent, and clearly the family could use some help.

Not a rival Kingston parent and had not seen this article. Had heard only snhu and uml. brandeis and wpi are excellent schools so good for him.

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Doesn't WPI have a HS all American?

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Good to hear things worked out for TD this fall who had to choose between DAPnor high school soccer. Seems as of right now he made the right choice.

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Doesn't WPI have a HS all American?

Yes from 2012, CM. Played well freshman year. DNP this year, although on the roster. Not sure what is up.

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Good to hear things worked out for TD this fall who had to choose between DAPnor high school soccer. Seems as of right now he made the right choice.

I don't think he made the choice. Revs benched him last year. Don't think they saw much in him. Not sure why.

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He was given a spot on the team but he wasn't given the choice for a waiver. Good for him though, if he chose the revs he would be buried on the bench and wouldn't be getting the looks from some prestigious D1 colleges that he is now.

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He was given a spot on the team but he wasn't given the choice for a waiver. Good for him though, if he chose the revs he would be buried on the bench and wouldn't be getting the looks from some prestigious D1 colleges that he is now.

Is he a senior? If so D1's would only be scouting him as a depth player, with little or no $$. IMO he would be smarter to go D2/3 at this point.