PDL Feature
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – 2013 PDL Award winners Kris Tyrpak of the Austin Aztex and Pete Caringi III of the Baltimore Bohemians lead the group of 33 current and former players named among the 50 invitees to the 2014 MLS Combine announced on Wednesday. The combine is set to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. from January 10-14, 2014.
Tyrpak, the 2013 PDL Most Valuable Player, is one of three former members of the 2013 PDL Champions to be invited, with the Houston Baptist standout having recorded five goals and seven assists for the Huskies this fall after leading Austin with 19 points and nine goals during the summer. Robbie Derschang (Akron) and Michael Kafari (New Mexico) will also attend the combine with Tyrpak.
Caringi, who claimed the 2013 PDL Golden Boot with 16 goals while leading Baltimore to its first playoff appearance during the summer, had a standout season for UMBC this fall. Caringi tied for ninth in the nation with 13 goals for the Retrievers, and was named America East’s Striker of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Kafari is one of three former PDL players invited to the combine who will compete this weekend in the NCAA Division I College Cup, with former Real Colorado Foxes defender Kyle Venter a teammate of Kafari’s with New Mexico, and former New Orleans Jesters standout Patrick Mullins leading Maryland into the semifinals.
Mullins, who is tied for the most goals in the nation with 16 for the Terrapins, had 12 goals and three assists in 21 games in two seasons for the Jesters, and hopes to lead Maryland to its first national championship since 2008 this weekend.
Other players to watch in Fort Lauderdale include 2012 PDL Defender of the Year Kevin Cope of the Michigan Bucks, who completed a standout career with Michigan State last fall. Also invited is 2012 PDL All-League selection Mark Sherrod (Memphis) of the Portland Timbers U-23s, while other standouts include Reading United captain Steven Neumann (Georgetown) and defender Ben Sweat (South Florida), former Orange County Blue Star defender Steve Birnbaum (California), and the Ventura County Fusion’s JJ Koval (Stanford).