University of Kentucky senior defenders Annie Gage and Ilkka Jantti have been selected to the Umbro Select All-Star Soccer Classics, which will be played Saturday, Feb. 9 in Miami, Fla.
The seventh annual all-star event, held this year at Lockhart Stadium, home of the Major League Soccer’s Miami Fusion, features the country’s top men and women collegiate senior soccer players. KICS International, a Ft. Lauderdale-based marketing and management firm representing Umbro, made the announcement.
Being named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, Jantti helped lead the men’s soccer team to their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2001. A native of Lati, Finland, Jantti was named to the 2001 NSCAA All-America second team and also earned first-team Scholar All-America status by the NSCAA during his senior campaign.
“Without question Ilkka is one of the best players in America,” Coach Ian Collins said. “This will give him an excellent chance to showcase his talent to a lot of professional teams. He has been one of the biggest factors in the rise of the UK program, and I believe he can make the move to the professional ranks.”
The Umbro Select rosters are comprised of the top college seniors in the country who will be trying to impress the scouts of Major League Soccer leading up to its draft on Feb. 10-11.
Men’s Umbro Select Roster
East
Goalkeepers: Bryheem Hancock (UConn), Mark Spears (William Carey)
Defenders: Danny Jackson (North Carolina),
Ilkka Jantti (Kentucky), Shalrie Joseph (St. John’s), Kenny Owens (Georgetown)VMidfielders: Matt Goldsmith (Furman), Erik Ozimek (Davidson), Matt Behncke (Princeton), Mansour N’Diaye (UConn), Ted Giannacopoulos (Williams)
Forwards: Alejandro Moreno (UNCG), John Barry Nusum (Furman), Nicholas McCreath (Rhode Island), Mike Nugent (Princeton), Dennis Ludwig (Rutgers)
West
Goalkeepers: Byron Foss (SMU), Armando Femia (IUPUI)
Defenders: Jeff Stewart (Santa Clara), Lee Morrison (Stanford), Josh Rife (Indiana), Marty Taipel (Saint Louis), Brian Lavin (Yale)
Midfielders: Derek Potteiger (Penn St), Ricardo Villar (Penn St.), Carl Bussey (SMU), Brantley Spillman (UAB), Glen Collins (Greensboro)
Forwards: Dominic DaPra (Wisconsin), Jordy Broder (Appalachian State), Mohamed Fahim (SMU), Ian Fuller (Clemson)
