Anyone questioning the level of talent that Med City FC, Rochester’s top-level National Premier Soccer League team, has attracted over the last two summers, or the value that players have realized during their time with the team in Rochester, need look no further than the awards garnered by several Mayhem players during this fall’s collegiate season. No less than seven players from the 2018 Med City FC roster have been honored for their performances on college soccer fields all over the country this fall.
In the NAIA ranks, several players were named as all-conference players in their respective conferences. Goalkeeper AJ Jarvis earned first-team all-conference honors in the Association of Independent Institutions as well as being named the A.I.I. Goalkeeper of the Year. Jarvis had a goals against average of 0.60 in 1660 minutes of play for Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska. Defender Finlay Bloodworth was also named first-team all-conference. Jarvis, Bloodworth and fellow 2018 Med City FC player Andrew Wilkinson led the Bruins to a #6 national ranking and were selected to participate in the 2018 NAIA national men’s soccer championship. Speaking of rankings, Matias Pazos and Alvaro Adan have helped lead William Carey University to a #1 national ranking and qualification for the NAIA championship, as well. In addition to the success of these 2018 Mayhem teammates, Ignacio Milla was also named American Midwest Conference first-team all-conference for the third time in his collegiate career. Milla plays for Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas. 2018 Med City FC forward Claudio Repetto, who led the Mayhem in scoring last summer, was also named second team all-conference in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Repetto had eight goals and four assists for the Des Moines, Iowa-area school.
Among our players who play NCAA Division 3 soccer, two local players were honored with all-conference awards. Senior forward Ayo Adebayo was selected as an All-American Rivers Conference all-conference selection for Wartburg College. Adebayo, a graduate of Rochester’s John Marshall High School, ended his collegiate soccer career with 20 career goals and 10 assists. Tiernan Talbot also received All-American Rivers Conference all-conference recognition for his play at Loras College, which included three assists. Talbot graduated from Rochester Lourdes High School in 2017.
Among Med City FC’s NCAA Division 2 players, Javier Milla was named the University of Illinois – Springfield’s recipient of the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award. This award is given to a player from each of the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s participating teams, honoring them for displaying fairness, graciousness and respect toward teammates, opposing teams, coaches, and officials before, during and after competition. Milla started all 18 games for the Prairie Stars this season, tallying two goals and an assist. In addition, 2017 Med City FC player Thilo Wilke, who scored 17 goals for Shaw University this fall, was named to the NCAA Division 2 All-Atlantic Region first team, which is comprised of just 13 players from the region.
“We’re so pleased to see these players excelling,” says Med City FC general manager Frank Spaeth. “I think it really shows us two things about our program here in Rochester. First, that we are offering something that allows us to attract some extremely high quality soccer players from throughout the community and around the country. Second, that the opportunity we’ve provided these players the past two seasons, including the level of soccer, the performance training through Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine, workout opportunities at the Rochester Athletic Club and incredible, caring host families for the out of town players, is giving them a platform for continued and further success.” Spaeth says that the team’s growing reputation is also putting them on the map with some NCAA Division 1 programs and that a handful of D1 universities have reached out to see about getting players here for the 2019 season.
Med City FC is busy preparing for its third season as a member of the National Premier Soccer League’s North Conference and Midwest Region. The season will again run from early-May through mid-July. Season tickets will go on sale November 21 and tryouts for the 2019 team will be held in mid-February.