Alumni News                     

Chris Garcia-Prats Named Head Coach of Men's Soccer
 

Feb. 26, 2008

Luther College Director of Athletics Joe Thompson has announced that Chris Garcia-Prats has accepted the position as head coach of men’s soccer.

Garcia-Prats succeeds Doug Mello, who served 18 years as both the men’s and women’s head soccer coach in the Luther athletic department. Mello resigned in January after accepting the head men’s soccer coaching position at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.

Garcia-Prats joins the Luther athletic department after a successful playing and coaching career at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas.

For the past six years, he has been the assistant men’s soccer coach and recruiting coordinator for one of the top NCAA Division III programs in the country. During this stretch, Trinity University made six NCAA Tournament appearances and three semifinal appearances, winning the national championship in 2003, and finishing second in 2007.

Since 2004, Garcia-Prats has also been a head Coach for the Classics Elite Soccer Academy in San Antonio and an Olympic Development Program state coach for the South Texas region.

In 2004, he served as boys head coach at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, where he led a team that posted one win in 2003 to a 20-3-4 record and a 6A state runner-up finish. He was selected by the San Antonio Express News as the High School Soccer Coach of the Year for this turnaround season.

While wearing a Trinity uniform, Garcia-Prats started 86 of 87 games of his soccer career and served as team captain as a junior and senior. All four years he was awarded Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference all-conference honors and was an NSCAA All-Region selection in 2000. He played on two SCAC championship teams, two NCAA National Tournament teams that advanced to the quarterfinals, and three that reached the regional finals. During this four-year stretch, Trinity University posted a record of 74-10-2.

"I would like to thank President Torgerson and Dr. Thompson for providing me with this opportunity to be at a prestigious college and an athletic department with a winning tradition,” stated Gracia-Prats. “I look forward to working with this group of committed student-athletes to elevate the Luther College men's soccer program to national prominence."

Garcia-Prats graduated from Trinity University with a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education in 2002. The following year, he earned his master’s in the art of teaching in elementary education from Trinity University.

Chris and his wife Stephanie were married in June of 2007.

"We are excited to have Chris join the Athletic Department at Luther College,” commented Thompson. “He brings a wealth of experience and success to the men's soccer program. For the past six years, he has been involved with one of the most successful soccer programs in the country, and we look forward to his leadership."

FC Dallas D Gbandi headed to Norway
 

February 8, 2008

FRISCO, Texas (Ticker) - FC Dallas announced Friday that the team has finalized the transfer of defender Chris Gbandi to FK Haugesund of the Norwegian Second Division.

Per team and league policy, terms of the transfer were not disclosed.

Selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft, Gbandi played in 111 games with Dallas in six seasons, including 100 starts. He scored three goals and recorded eight assists, and leaves as one of only 14 players in team history to appear in over 100 regular-season games.

"We're proud that Chris was able to develop as a professional here in Dallas," FC Dallas general manager Michael Hitchcock said. "We want to thank him for his service to our club, both on and off the field, and wish him all the best in Norway."

Gbandi came to the MLS after a successful career at the University of Connecticut, where he won the Hermann Trophy in 2000 and was a finalist in 1999 and 2001.

"We thank Chris for his effort and commitment to FC Dallas over the course of his career," Dallas coach Steve Morrow said. "We believe this is the right move for Chris at this stage of his life and we wish the very best for him in the future."

Updated on Friday, Feb 8, 2008 7:38 pm, EST

Chris Gbandi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chris Gbandi

Personal information
Full name Chris Gbandi
Date of birth April 7, 1979 (1979-04-07) (age 28)
Place of birth Bong Mines, Liberia
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Left Back
Club information
Current club FK Haugesund
Number 15
Youth clubs
1998-01 Connecticut
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2002-07
2008- FC Dallas
FK Haugesund 91 (2)
0 (0)
National team2
2004-present Liberia 1 (0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 13 April 2007.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 16 July 2006.
* Appearances (Goals)

Chris Gbandi (born April 7, 1979 in Bong Mines, Liberia) is a Liberian-American professional soccer player, who currently plays left back for FK Haugesund.

Gbandi was drafted by the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas) first overall in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft after a hugely successful career at the University of Connecticut, where he was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy in 1999 and 2001, and a winner in 2000 (he was named First Team All-American during his last two years in college). However, Gbandi missed all of the 2002 season while rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). He returned in the 2003 season, where he registered one goal and two assists after playing 22 games in a disappointing campaign for the Burn. Gbandi played in another 23 games in 2004.

It was speculated that Gbandi might cap for the United States national team, however, in 2004 he accepted an offer from the Liberian national team to compete in the 2006 World Cup Qualifiers, making him ineligible for the US squad.[citation needed]

On February 8, 2008, he completed a transfer to FK Haugesund.[1]

Willis Forko, Albion Hurricanes FC Alumnus

Willis Forko is an Albion Hurricane who now plays with Real Salt Lake in the MLS. Willis was drafted #16 in the 2006 supplemental draft by Real Salt Lake. Willis made the following statement recently regarding his time with the Albion Hurricanes FC..."Youth Soccer in Houston, Texas is very competitive. There is a diversity of players and many teams to choose from. Making the choice to play for the Albion Hurricanes was an easy decision for me to make. One reason it was easy for me to make the decision to play for this club was the knowledge of the game I could receive from the coaches in the club. If you look at thChad Riley, Albion Hurricanes FC Alumnus

Chad Riley returns to his alma mater for his first season as assistant coach for the Fighting Irish in 2006. The 2004 Notre Dame graduate spent last season as an assistant at St. John's and served the same role at Oberlin College during the 2004 campaign.

Riley, a native of Houston, Texas, was a four-time monogram winner and received all-BIG EAST honors on three occasions during his Notre Dame career. He started 75 games in a Fighting Irish uniform and was an integral part of the Notre Dame squad that captured the 2003 BIG EAST tournament championship. That team would also make the program's second-ever trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

For his career, Riley totaled 52 points on 10 goals and 32 assists. He led the team in assists three seasons and was Notre Dame's top scorer as a freshman. Riley currently ranks second on the Irish career list for assists. He graduated with a degree in theology from the College of Arts and Letters and was twice named to the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team.

"I had a wonderful experience of playing at Notre Dame for four years and now this is a great chance for me to come back to a place I really believe in," says Riley. "I had the pleasure of playing under Bobby (Clark) and now being able to coach along side him is a dream come true."

Following his graduation from Notre Dame in 2004, Riley served as an assistant coach at Oberlin College in Ohio during the 2004 season. He helped guide the Yeomen to a 9-8-3 record as five players earned all-North Coast Athletic Conference honors. The team was also a recipient of the National Soccer Coaches Association Team Academic Award, posting a 3.52 grade-point average, the highest of any of the 73 men's teams honored.

At St. John's in 2005, Riley helped guide the Red Storm to an 11-6-5 record and a berth in the third round of the NCAA tournament before falling to top-seeded Maryland. St. John's boasted five all-BIG EAST selections in 2005, including M.A.C. Hermann Trophy semifinalist Matt Groenwald.

"It'll be great to work with some of the players that I already know," states Riley. "I've played with some of them and I was also involved in their recruiting with official visits and all of that. I have also been able to get to know a lot of them by working summer camps here, so the transition should be pretty easy."

"It's great to have a Notre Dame alumnus on the staff," comments Irish head coach Bobby Clark. "He was a great four-year monogram winner here at Notre Dame. He was just a fabulous person to coach and I know he'll be a wonderful coach here for the University."

Josh Gardner, Albion Hurricanes Alumnus

Josh Gardner is an Albion Hurricane who now plays with LA Galaxy in the MLS. Josh recently gave us his thoughts about what it means to be an Albion Hurricane..."The Albion Hurricane soccer club was actually the first and only club that I played for growing up. The Albion Hurricanes history was that of a good one and knowing that almost every team in the club was successful both regionally and nationally helped my decision in choosing a club. The reason I feel that the club was most successful was due to the fact that we had fun winning. Winning is very contagious. Our training habits growing up were very professional. I remember the most important skill that we learned was technique. Working on our technique every training really helped our confidence both on and off the ball. Our fitness level was probably the best in the state. Playing as a team and working hard for each other were the key reasons for our teams success. That and the fact that we never allowed mediocrity in each other. Learning all the fundamentals early in my career helped to push me further than most footballers. The will to win and push myself every training session helped me get to college where I was playing with and against some of the best players in the country. Two training sessions a week didn't do it for me though. Our trainers always emphasized the importance of doing more work on our own. Training with older teams on a regular basis definitely helped me in my college transition. Playing with seniors as a freshman can be very intimidating. However playing for the club during my youth helped me to become the footballer I am today. I take great honor in having been a part of the Albion Hurricane soccer club and wish continued success for the club and each individual within it."

Chris Gbandi, Albion Hurricanes Alumnus

Chris Gbandi is an Albion Hurricane who now plays defender with FC Dallas in the MLS. Chris let us know his thoughts about his years with Albion Hurricanes FC..."Growing up as a youth in Houston it was always my dream to play college and pro soccer. I think being a member of the Albion Hurricane soccer club helped make that happen. I was around coaches that love to teach as much as win. Don't get me wrong winning was very important but the teaching that I got from the coaches help me developed as a player.

The club also had us play in some of the toughest tournaments around the country. This was very important because it got us seen by some of the top colleges in the nation. I think for me to play with some of the best players in the Houston area at the time helped me as a player, because every practice was like a game. When I got to college it was not that big of a change, because I was used to playing at a high level."
e profile of the coaches you can see that they have all played the game at a high level. The two most influential coaches for me when I was at the club was Tony Johnson and Glenn Davis. I feel as a player you want a coach who is experienced, always pushing you and one who cares about his players. These two coaches definitely brought this to the table. I personally had a good relationship with Tony and knew how much of a competitor he was which he tries to instill in his players. Being competitive is a something you must have if you want to take your game to the college, professional, or whatever level of your desire. Being competitive has definitely helped me have a successful college career and so far a pretty good MLS rookie season. Coaches at the college and professional level will always be looking to bring someone in your position to have depth. If you want to keep your spot must be competitive because the next man is trying to take your position. To sum it up all th

Luis Pedraza, U14 Albion Hurricanes Alumnus

Fifteen-year-old goalkeeper Luis Pedraza, who played youth soccer with the Albion Hurricanes Soccer Club, is in the youth program of Mexican professional club Tigres in Monterrey and was selected to represent Mexico at the U-15 age level.

Read More

Sam Wormald (class of 2006), Aug 2006

Sam practiced and tried out with a Scottish Div. 3 pro Club, Elgin City FC http://www.elgincity.com/ (founded in 1893). Then he played in a 3-0 win in a refereed scrimmage against the Club's U-19 team (he's too old for that team), scoring all three goals. The Club told him they would like to sign him on a League contract but were past the roster deadline, so he's been assigned to Lossiemouth FC (effectively a Farm Club for Elgin City) for this season to get some heavy-duty playing time. http://www.lossiemouthfc.co.uk/ - see Match Reports for August 5th. However, Elgin City asked him not to sign a contract with Lossiemouth until after Elgin's CIS Cup run....he will be playing (on a temporary amateur contract) in the CIS Cup, which has an open roster, and then in the League with Lossiemouth...

Chad Riley-Named Assistant Coach at St. Johns University

Chad Riley joined the St. John's men's soccer program as an assistant coach in June 2005. Riley takes over for Erick Davis, who left to pursue a career on Wall Street. Riley will work with the midfielders and forwards, assist with recruiting efforts and assist in gameday preparation for the team.

"We're very excited to add someone of Chad's caliber to our staff," Masur said. "He had a tremendous playing career and will be a great addition to our staff."
 

Alex Woods- Albion Hurricanes 2001 Alumnus

DALLAS -- FC Dallas President and General Manager Greg Elliott announced today that the club selected forward/midfielder Alex Woods off waivers and then signed him to a developmental contract for the 2005 season. Woods, 22, played four seasons with Trinity College in San Antonio, Texas from 2001-2004. During his junior year, Woods helped lead Trinity to the 2003 Division III NCAA Championship. He scored the first goal during Trinity's 2-1 win over Drew (NJ) at the national championship match, capping a perfect 24-0 season for the Tigers. In 24 matches in 2003, he ranked tied for second on the team in assists (10) and third in goals (13). During his senior season at Trinity, he led the Tigers in assists (16) and was a Division III All-American.Woods joins one of the club's 10 Developmental Roster spots. Formerly consisting of six players last season, the Developmental roster has been expanded to 10 spots in 2005 with the start of the reserve division this year. Woods tallied a goal in FC Dallas' first-ever reserve division match that saw the team defeat Chivas USA 2-1 on Apr. 17 in Carson.

Chris Garcia-Prats - Albion Hurricanes 1998 Alumus

Soccer Coach of the Year: Chris Garcia-Prats, Central Catholic

In a family like his, it isn't easy for Central Catholic coach Chris Garcia-Prats to stand out. He has nine brothers, ranging in age from 29 to 11. His parents have authored three books and operate a Web site detailing their clan's various achievements, including an appearance on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and recognition as the 1998 Houston Family of the Year.

The Garcia-Prats even have their own logo — 10 linked stick figures, one for each sibling, next to the letters "GP."

Chris' profile at garcia-prats.com will have a new entry after his designation as the Express-News Area Coach of the Year.

In his first season as a high school head coach, Garcia-Prats helped the Buttons rebound from a 1-14-6 debacle in 2004 to an appearance in this year's TAPPS Division I state title match, where they fell 1-0 to Addison Trinity Christian. Central Catholic finished the season at 20-4-3.

"Soccer's been a big part of our family for a long time," said Garcia-Prats, 25, who also is an assistant at Trinity University. "I made the phone call (Tuesday), and they couldn't be more happy for me. It was a tremendous season."

Also considered were Brent Draker, who led Judson to the regional finals for the first time since 1986; and Bruce Fink, whose Alamo Heights team reached the regional semifinals for the third consecutive year.

Applying what he's learned from Trinity coach Paul McGinlay, Garcia-Prats immediately went to work on restoring the team's confidence. Senior defender Chris Garcia said the team knew from the first meeting that he was the right coach for the job. "We could sense he was a winner," Garcia said.

Web Posted: 04/24/2005 12:00 AM CDT

Dan McCarney
Express-News Staff Writer