Feb. 4, 2004
Fresh off an Atlantic 10 regular season Co-Championship and second straight Atlantic 10 Tournament appearance, Duquesne University head soccer coach Wade Jean has announced his roster additions for the 2004 season. Joining the Dukes in the fall will be Nick Balara (Langhorne, PA/Holy Ghost Prep), Patrick Flinn (Roswell, GA/Lassiter) Travis MacKenzie (Carnegie, PA/Chartiers Valley) and Aaron Van Overschelde (Dallas, TX/Coppell) along with freshman transfer Nolan Sheldon (Moatsville, WV/Bridgeport HS/Pendleton School-FL).
"The 2004 class has the ability to take Duquesne soccer to another level," said head coach Wade Jean. "They have skill, size and speed, but most importantly, they compete to win."
Balara has had a well-decorated high school and club soccer career. At Holy Ghost Prep, he was a four-time BAL honoree, garnering first team honors twice as well as second team and honorable mention accolades. He was also a four-time Golden Team selection and was named to the All Southeastern PA First Team in 2003 and the Second Team in 2002. In addition, he was named to the All-State Team as a senior. His teams were BAL champions in 2000 and 2003 and were district champions in 2001 and 2003.
In ODP action, he was chosen to the Super Y League Regional Pool Team for 2003-04 and has been on the EPSYA state team from 1998-2003. He was also the 2003 EPYSA Snickers Cup Fair Play Award winner.
"Nick is the most complete midfield player coming out of Southeastern Pennsylvania," said FC Delco coach Mike Gorni.
Flinn is about to begin his fourth year of high school competition this spring. In three seasons he has compiled 21 goals and eight assists while his team has compiled a 37-17 record. As a junior, he was named First Team All-County and was the team's Defensive MVP. A team captain of both his high school and club teams, he was also named All-County Honorable Mention as a sophomore.
In club action for United Quest, Flinn's teams finished second in the U18 State Cup, advanced to the Capital Cup semifinals and were finalists in the Raleigh Shootout while his U17 team was Atlanta Cup champions, State Cup semifinalists, Sun Bowl quarterfinalists and Raleigh Shootout finalists.
"He is old school. He's a hardworking, honest team player and a leader," said United Quest Red coach Rocky Harmon. "He will benefit any program he is a part of."
MacKenzie, who was recently named a 2003 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American, is also a two-time Regional All-American, a three-time All-State selection, a three-time All-WPIAL choice, a three-time Section Player of the Year and a three-time All-Section pick. His Beadling Soccer Club team was four-time State Champions and he played on the ODP State Team twice. In addition, he was recently invited to attend the adidas/ESP Camp this summer.
The all-time leading scorer at Chartiers Valley with 71 goals, he led the Colts to a WPIAL championship as a sophomore and to the state championship game as a junior. MacKenzie has received numerous additional accolades including a three-time Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Elite 11 choice, a three-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Finest 11 choice and a three-time South Hills Almanac Player of the Year.
"Travis is a player who makes his teammates better by consistently competing at a high level," said Chartiers Valley head coach Mike Blatz. "He is competitive, has a great attitude and works extremely hard on and off the field."
Van Overschelde has just begun his fourth season for the Coppell Cowboys, ranked number one in Texas and the country. He is among the top 50 scorers in Texas' class 5A and is an Honorable Mention All-State choice in 5A as well.
"Aaron Van Overschelde is a very exciting, attacking player", said Comets 86 Blue coach David Hudgell. "He has outstanding speed and may have an impact very early in his college career."
Sheldon is a mid-year transfer after attending Valparaiso in the fall. He did not compete at Valpo and will be eligible to practice with the Dukes this spring. He was a West Virginia ODP player and attended IMG Academy for three years. He was also a three-year PDL starter and played in the PDL finals two years ago.
The Dukes finished the 2003 season ranked 25th nationally with a 13-3-3 record.
