Dec. 11, 2009

Center Valley, Pa.--Two Patriot League student-athletes have been invited to participate in the 2010 adidas Major League Soccer Player Combine, which will be held Jan. 8-12 at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The coaching and management staffs of all 16 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the showcase, which concludes two days before the 2010 MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia. Among the 62 college seniors invited to the combine are Bucknell's Conor O'Brien and Lehigh's Adam Welch.

O'Brien is hoping to become the second Bucknell standout to play in MLS. Two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Michael Lookingland was taken by then-expansion franchise Real Salt Lake with the 13th pick of the 2005 Supplemental Draft. Lookingland made one start for Real Salt Lake in 2005, then went on to become an indoor soccer star for the Baltimore Blast.

Since wrapping up a terrific college career last month, honors have come pouring in for O'Brien. In addition to being named one of the 15 semifinalists for the Hermann Trophy, which is soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy, O'Brien earned NSCAA First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region and Goal.com Third Team All-America honors.

O'Brien in 2009 became only the fourth player in Patriot League history to repeat as the league's Offensive Player of the Year. He was also a First Team All-Patriot League selection after leading the league in goals (11), assists (9) and points (31). More importantly, he co-captained the Bison to a school-record 17 wins.

It was O'Brien's third All-Patriot League certificate, as he was also a first-team selection in 2008 and a second-team pick as a sophomore in 2007. O'Brien had a point in 17 of the team's 23 games this season, and in 22 of 28 matches dating back to the end of the 2008 season. Seven of his 11 goals were game-winners, the most dramatic of which was his golden goal against Lafayette in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.

Welch is coming off a career year with the Mountain Hawks where he led the team in points (15) and tied for the team lead in goals (5). The Bethlehem, Pa., native scored two game-winning goals, including the overtime game-winner against Bucknell that clinched a Patriot League Tournament berth for the Mountain Hawks. He displayed his versatility by moving up to forward half way through the season and didn't miss a beat.

Despite playing half the season at forward, Welch was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and earned first team All-League honors. The senior became only the second Lehigh student-athlete to receive the Defensive Player of the Year award, joining John O'Reilly in 2006. Welch was named to the All-Patriot League second team in 2007 and 2008.

The last Mountain Hawk to be invited to the MLS Combine was Andrew Mittendorf in 1999, and he was selected eighth overall by the Colorado Rapids that same year.

Both Bucknell and Lehigh reached the 2009 Patriot League Tournament, with the Bison claiming the crown. Bucknell advanced to the 2009 NCAA Tournament, where it defeated Princeton in the first round before falling to second-seeded Virginia in the second round.