Pages 18-35.indd - Duke University Athletics

Blue Devils in the Pros
22
The Duke men’s soccer program has established a reputation as one of
the top program’s in the country since Head Coach John Rennie started his
tenure in 1979. The Blue Devils have been to fi ve NCAA College Cups and won
the national championship in 1986 with a 1-0 victory over Akron. Rennie has
produced 15 All-Americas in his 27 years at the helm and has
had several of his former players move on to play professional
soccer.
One of the biggest names in Major League
Soccer history is a former Blue Devil. Real Salt Lake
forward, Jason Kreis, became the league’s all-time
leading scorer in 2004 and last season became
the fi rst player in MLS history to score 100 career
goals. He broke the scoring record with a goal in
the 37th minute against D.C. United on June 26, 2004.
His 100th goal came on August 13, 2005 against Kansas
City. Kreis was the 43rd overall pick (fi fth round) in the
Inaugural MLS Draft in 1996. He was drafted by the Dallas
Burn and scored the franchise's fi rst-ever goal on April 18,
1996, against Kansas City. He played his fi rst nine seasons
with Dallas before he was traded to Real Salt Lake for future
considerations on Nov. 17, 2004.
Kreis has 106 career goals and 74 assists. He has been
Mark
Dodd
Blue Devils in the MLS
Jason
Kreis
named to the all-star team seven times and was given the
Honda MVP award in 1999 as the player of the year. He
captured the scoring title that season, becoming the fi rst
player in MLS history to score 15 goals and have 15
assists in the same season. Kreis was a three-time All-
America selection at Duke and ranks among the top 10
in career goals and the top fi ve in assists and points.
Three other Duke players were selected in
the Inaugural MLS Draft with two of them also going to
Dallas. Mark Dodd, a former goalkeeper, was drafted in
the sixth round (53rd overall pick) by the Burn. He spent
four years in the league and was named the Goalkeeper of
the Year in 1996 after posting a 1.46 goals against average.
Before the creation of the MLS, Dodd played for the Dallas
Sidekicks in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and
the Colorado Foxes of the American Professional Soccer
League (APSL). He earned 15 caps for the United States
national team.
Seventeen former Duke soccer players and coaches have gone on to
be affi liated with Major League Soccer.
Blake Camp: New York Red Bulls
Jordan Cila: Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls
Ali Curtis: Tampa Bay Mutiny, D.C. United, Dallas Burn
Mark Dodd: Dallas Burn
Doug Hamilton: Vice President/General Manager, Los Angeles Galaxy
Jay Heaps: Miami Fusion, New England Revolution
Josh Henderson: Los Angeles Galaxy (drafted)
Mike Jeffries: Dallas Burn head coach, Chicago Fire assistant coach
Brian Kelly: New York/New Jersey MetroStars, Los Angeles Galaxy
John Kerr: Dallas Burn, New England Revolution
Jason Kreis: Dallas Burn, Real Salt Lake
Garth Lagerwey: Miami Fusion, D.C. United, D.C. United broadcaster
Mark Noonan: Vice President of Marketing, MLS
Trevor Perea: Columbus Crew, D.C. United
Robert Russell: Los Angeles Galaxy (drafted)
Kevin Sakuda: San Jose Earthquakes (drafted)
Evan Whitfield: Chicago Fire, Real Salt Lake
John
Kerr
Brian
Kelly
Midfi elder John Kerr was also picked up by
Dallas as the 83rd overall pick (ninth round). Kerr played
12 games for the Burn in 1996 before fi nishing out the
season with New England. He went on to play one
more year with the Revolution, tallying seven goals
and six assists for his career. After his career with
the MLS he played two seasons with the Boston
Bulldogs of the professional A-league as a playercoach.
In college Kerr helped lead Duke to their fi rst
NCAA Championship and was awarded both the Hermann
Trophy and the fi rst-ever Missouri Athletic Club Award
as the nation’s top player. He was a two-time All-America and
three-time All-Region selection at Duke. He ranks in the top fi ve
i n
goals, assists and points. After college he played professional
soccer in England, Ireland, France, Canada and the U.S. He also played with
the U.S. National team from 1984-1995. He is currently the Head Men’s Soccer
coach at Harvard.
The fourth Blue Devil selected in 1996 was
goalkeeper Garth Lagerway. He was chosen in
the 15th round (150th overall pick) by D.C. United
but played 23 games for Kansas City and posted a
1.75 goals against average. In the 1997 and '98 seasons
he played for Dallas, and from 1999-2000 he played for
Miami. While at Duke, he was an All-Region selection
in 1992. He also has recorded the most saves by any
Blue Devil in both ACC and NCAA tournament play
with 12 saves against Virginia on Nov. 5, 1993, and 12
saves against Southern Methodist on Nov. 27, 1992.
Garth
Lagerway
In 1997, Brian Kelly
became the fi rst Duke player to be selected in the fi rst round
of the MLS College Draft. The forward was chosen by the
MetroStars with the fi fth overall pick. Kelly played three
full seasons with the MetroStars before he was traded
to Los Angeles midway through the 2000 campaign.
He spent his fi nal season with Tampa Bay in 2001
and fi nished his career with 10 goals and 11 assists.
In his collegiate playing days, Kelly was a third team
All-America selection in 1995 and two-time All-Region
choice. He is eighth all-time at Duke with 29 assists.
Two Blue Devils were drafted in the 1999
MLS College Draft. Jay Heaps, the 1998 Missouri
Athletic Club award winner,
became the highest Duke player
drafted, going second overall to
the Miami Fusion. Miami traded up from the fi fth pick to
take the two-time All-America. In his rookie season with
the club, he was named MLS Rookie of the Year after
scoring three goals. He spent three seasons with Miami
and recorded a career-high fi ve goals and six assists in
2000 to earn his fi rst all-star selection in 2000. Midway
through the 2001 season he was traded to New
England and remains a starter for the Revolution
defense. A year later he scored the game-winning
goal in the semifnal game against Columbus to lead
the Revolution into the MLS Cup. Heaps ranks in
the top fi ve in career goals, assists and points at
Duke. He was named to the All-South Region team
all four years of college and was both the National and ACC Freshman of the
Jay
Heaps
Year in 1995. Heaps was the embodiment of Duke Athletics, playing both soccer
and basketball. Not only did he possess great athletic talent but he was also a
great student and was one of three Duke soccer players to be named Academic
All-America.