The University of Kentucky has seen a number of its best athletes opt for a professional career before their eligibility at UK expired.Rex Chapman. Ron Mercer. Jamal Mashburn. Antoine Walker. Tim Couch. Derek Smith. Dennis Johnson. Antti Peltonen.
That’s right. One of the Wildcats’ top men’s soccer players will be departing the university in May with one year of eligibility remaining to pursue dreams of professional livelihood. And the Kokkola, Finland, native is ready for the challenge.
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| Despite having one season of eligibility remaining, Peltonen will earn his degree in May and will try his hand at playing professionally in Europe. |
However, one thing that differentiates Peltonen from the rest of the aforementioned group is that he will also have his degree in hand when he departs.
“I could have tried out for professional teams back in Finland and gone pro (before entering college),” Peltonen said. “The whole point of me coming to the states was to get my degree. The soccer isn’t that important to me and I may still go to graduate school. But I feel I can do it physically (play in the pros), so I am going for it.”
“Antti has had tremendous success,” Coach Ian Collins said. “He was a first-team all-conference selection. He has great vision in the game and is a real quality player.”
Evidence also can be easily gathered of Peltonen’s devotion to academics. He was a member of the Mid-American Conference Academic Honor Roll, a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American and a PNC Bank Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
Many know of the long tradition of the UK men’s basketball and football teams supplying talent to the professional ranks. What many don’t know is the extent to which the UK men’s soccer program has done the same, despite having been a varsity sport for just 11 seasons.
Brian O’Leary, who made key save after key save against Saint Louis in the 2000 NCAA Tournament including one in a penalty shootout, played for the Cincinnati Riverhawks of the A-League last season. Sean Mondelli and Sean Endicott also played for A-League teams, which are comparable to Major League Baseball’s Triple A level of play, and Alex DeFilipe played for Espanyol of the Spanish Premiere League.
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Ilkka Jantti was drafted by the Cincinnati Riverhawks of the A-League. |
On Feb. 13, UK senior Ilkka Jantti became the fourth UK soccer player to be drafted by an A-League team when the Riverhawks took him in the third round. The most decorated player on and off the field in UK soccer history is Jantti, a native of Lahti, Finland. He has been a key to Kentucky’s emergence as one of the top collegiate soccer programs in the U.S.
A second-team All-American and a first-team Academic All-American, Jantti hopes a long professional career is ahead of him, and the 2001 MAC Player of the Year certainly has the credentials to assure that of happening.
Jantti anchored a stellar UK defensive corps this past season that allowed 15 goals on the year (just five in the last 12 games) and collected nine shutouts to finish ninth in the nation with a 0.67 goals-against average. He also stepped up his offensive work, finishing second on the team with 15 points on five goals and five assists.
“Ilkka is definitely one of the best players in the country,” Coach Ian Collins said. “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.”
Like Peltonen, Jantti’s academics are very important to him and were the main reason for coming to the U.S. He has been a yearly member of the MAC and Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Rolls. He is a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and served as the president of the UK Student-Advisory Committee. But he still looks forward to taking a shot at playing professionally.
“I don’t have a preference of playing somewhere in particular,” Jantti said. “I’d like to play in the U.S. for a year or two, though. I also want to get my master’s degree before I finish playing so I will be better prepared for life after soccer.”
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| Jantti (7) and Peltonen celebrate a goal during the 1999 season. |
It is clear that UK men’s soccer is becoming a breeding ground for quality players and individuals and should continue to be so. Peltonen, Jantti and the many others have transformed the program from a club sport in 1990 to a multiple conference champion.
Kentucky has won three consecutive MAC Tournament titles and has advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament two straight seasons. The Cats dropped a triple-overtime heartbreaker to No. 4 Clemson in 2001 but showed great promise.
“We won 10 of our last 12 games and conceded just four goals in that span,” Collins said. “This was the best team we’ve had at UK since I have been here. I think this season was a great step for this program and we are certainly moving toward our goal of winning a national championship.”
Continued production of future professionals like Peltonen and Jantti will certainly make that goal attainable.
