PDL Feature
Thursday, September 19, 2013
After helping the Austin Aztex claim the PDL Championship last month, Khiry Shelton has made a good start to the NCAA season with Oregon State. On Sunday, the forward will get to show his abilities on national television as the Beavers host San Jose State on the Pac-12 Network, one of a number of games set to air on television or online this weekend that feature current and former PDL standouts.
Shelton had three goals and two assists for the Aztex in the club’s four playoff games, and now has four goals and an assist for Oregon State to lead the side to a 5-1-0 record. The Portland Timbers U-23s’ Will Seymore has also contributed to the Beavers’ attack, recording a goal and an assist, while the North Sound SeaWolves’ Daniel Van Vleet has a pair of goals.
The weekend’s action begins on Friday night as Virginia Tech hosts North Carolina in an ACC clash on ESPN3 at 7 p.m. ET. The Hokies have opened the season with a 3-1-1 record, thanks in part to former Virginia Beach Piranhas midfielder Robert Alberti, who leads the team with 10 points in five games. FC Tucson’s David Clemens has also chipped in a goal and an assist, while defender Devante Dubose, who spent this past summer with the West Texas Sockers, leads the team in minutes played.
The Hokies will be strongly tested by a North Carolina side that is coming off a 2-2 draw with Maryland in its last outing. Led by Chicago Fire PDL forward Tyler Engel, who has three goals and an assist this season, the Tar Heels returned to their No. 1 ranking in the NSCAA poll this week, with former Reading United defender Jordan McCrary and the Carolina Dynamo duo of Boyd Okwuonu and Jonathan Campbell both playing important roles.
Also on Friday night, Washington hosts Florida Gulf Coast in a non-conference matchup that can be seen on the Pac-12 Network at 10 p.m. ET. The Huskies moved up to No. 6 in the NSCAA rankings this week, and have been led by the North Sound SeaWolves’ Taylor Peay, who has four goals. The Huskies are without Washington Crossfire standout goalkeeper Spencer Richey, who recently saw his season ended by a broken leg, but were able to maintain their undefeated record in their last outing as the Sounders FC U-23s’ Ian Lange scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Brown.
FGCU, meanwhile, is looking for an improvement on a slow start to the season that has seen the side go winless in its first four outings. A key will be the Austin Aztex’s Aaron Guillen, who leads the team in minutes, and the SW Florida Adrenaline’s Xavier Silva, who is looking for his first point of the season.
Action returns to the ACC on Saturday night as Wake Forest visits Pitt at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN3. The Demon Deacons are led by former Carolina Dynamo forward Andy Lubahn, who has two goals and three assists in five games, while the Sounders FC U-23’s Sean Okoli has also chipped in a goal and an assist. Another player to watch will be Super-20 League standout Sam Fink, who helped St. Louis Scott Gallagher reach the national semifinals this past summer.
Saturday night also sees non-conference action as the Orlando City U23’s David Graydon leads St. Louis against Connecticut on NSCAATV.com at 7 p.m. ET. Graydon has a goal and four assists for the Billikens this fall, while Francisco Vizcaino, who also played for the Lions this summer, has a pair of goals.