Four of the newest members of the University of Evansville soccer team are on their way to Frisco, Texas this week for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs.  Three of the four are Evansville Harrison High School graduates Patrick Hodges, Drew Schall and Eric Teppen, teammates on the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Frontier Division team that has qualified for the 32-team playoffs.  They'll be joined in Texas by fellow freshman Charlie Macias, who plays for the Crew Soccer Academy team from Columbus, Ohio.  Other incoming UE freshmen who played on top Development Academy teams this summer include Nick Schroeder of Great Lakes Division champion Derby County Wolves, and Kevin Schafer from Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota.

"The U.S. Development Academy pits the very best youth players and teams in the U.S. against each other," according to Aces' Head Coach Mike Jacobs. "For us to have so many of our entering freshmen perform so well at that level really bodes well for their future in college."

The Development Academy is a partnership between U.S. Soccer and the top youth clubs around the country to provide the best youth players in the U.S. with an environment designed to produce the next generation of National Team players. The Academy’s programming philosophy of increased training, less total games and more competitive games is based on U.S. Soccer’s Best Practices utilized by the U-17 U.S. National Team Residency program.

A total of eight University of Evansville soccer players will be busy this weekend with their club teams. While the Development Academy playoffs take place in Texas, UE incoming freshmen Joel Craig, Peter May and Derek Rehagen, and sophomore Brandon Causey, will be competing at Fox Cities, Wis. beginning Friday in the U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Championships.