Photo credit Dalhousie Athletics
HALIFAX, NS - Athletes consistently strive to reach higher levels in their sport and this month graduating Tigers soccer netminder Ben Ur has the opportunity to achieve his dreams at the 2012 United Soccer League (USL) PRO Combine in Bradenton, Florida.
Annually 102 elite men’s soccer players from across North America are invited to attend this prestigious camp where they are able to showcase their talents for scouts and professional soccer coaches from around the world. Ben’s invitation to attend the USL PRO Combine makes history, as this is the first year that Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) athletes have been selected to attend.
Tigers head coach Pat Nearing says, “This is a great opportunity for Ben to showcase his talents to MLS and USL scouts from across North America. He has worked hard to get to this point and has always had the ambition to play at the professional level.”
Earlier last year the CIS Men’s Soccer Coaches Association negotiated a partnership with the USL to allow for selected top CIS players to attend the camp and Ben is one of only four athletes invited this year. The other three CIS attendees are Anthony Costa (McMaster), Jason Gill (UBC), and Michael Marousek (StFX).
“Successfully getting to a professional level for any of the four candidates will open doors and raise the profile of CIS soccer in North America,” says Nearing. “Up to now professional careers in the game have been rare for CIS players, but with the growth of the professional game in North America and specifically with three Canadian teams now operating in the MLS (Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver), Canadian University players should be more successful in finding playing opportunities.”
An exciting goaltender to watch, Ben is known for his aggressive play, timely saves and offensive appearances in the dying seconds of games. He recently concluded his fifth season with Dalhousie and was named both a CIS first team all-Canadian and an AUS first team all-star for his outstanding performance on the field. Previously Ben was also named an AUS first team all-star in 2010, an AUS second team all-star in 2008 and 2009 and was an important member of the Tigers 2008 AUS championship team.
On the upcoming camp Ben says, “It’s very exciting to be given the opportunity to compete at this event, and it’s something that I'm looking forward to. Not only can it help me in terms of continuing to play soccer at a higher level, but I feel that if things go well it will allow more Canadian university soccer players the chance to compete at this event.“
A native of Halifax, NS, Ben plans to graduate from Dalhousie’s arts program this summer.
Source:
Dalhousie Sports Info