UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; December 4, 2005- Senior midfielders Brian Devlin (Philadelphia, Pa.) and David Walters (Hunlock Creek, Pa.) have received invitations to participate in the 2006 adidas Major League Soccer (MLS) Combine to be held at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. from Jan. 12-15.
The list of combine participants was selected by a panel of Division I coaches representing all conferences. The college coaches nominated and voted for players in conjunction with the MLS coaches. At the combine, the players will be separated into four teams and will play in four doubleheaders from Jan. 13-15 at The Home Depot Center.
Brian Devlin started every game in which he played, a total of 85, since joining the Penn State program as a freshman in 2002. He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team his sophomore season and to the conference second team in both 2004 and 2005. This season, Devlin totaled two goals, both game winners, and six assists. His overtime goal against Wisconsin maintained Penn State's spot atop the Big Ten standings and his postseason score versus Michigan State advanced the Lions to the Big Ten Championship game. For his career, Devlin amassed 10 goals and 19 assists. He punctuated his senior year by collecting six points in the final four games.
David Walters was also a four-year starter in the midfield for head coach Barry Gorman. A co-captain for three seasons at Penn State, Walters was honored on the All-Big Ten First Teams in both his junior and senior years. In 2005, he recorded two goals and two assists. In the second round of the NCAA Championship, Walters' second-period goal beat Seton Hall and advanced Penn State in the bracket. For his career, Walters scored six goals and notched 14 assists.
As senior co-captains, Devlin and Walters piloted Penn State to a historic and unprecedented season. For the first time in program history, the Nittany Lions went undefeated and untied in the Big Ten, captured the conference regular season title, and defeated national powerhouse Indiana twice in the same season. A third Big Ten Championship led to a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Championship. Penn State then advanced to the third round after defeating Seton Hall at Jeffrey Field.
The coaching staffs and general managers of all 12 MLS teams will attend the combine to scout the talent before their SuperDraft selections at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa. on Fri., Jan. 20. Of the 48 players chosen in last year's draft, 39 participated in the combine the week before.
