Class of 2014 Academic Award Winner:
Brian Howell
Class of 2014 Academic Award 2nd Place
Andrew Accardi (Tie)
Eduardo Palacios (Tie)
Class of 2014 Academic Award 3rd Place
Jeremy Collier
Honorable Mention
Nora Howard, Ashley Houghton, Cory Ellis, Haley Carter, Will Frost, Monica Pearring
Brian Howell
Class of 2014 Academic Award 2nd Place
Andrew Accardi (Tie)
Eduardo Palacios (Tie)
Class of 2014 Academic Award 3rd Place
Jeremy Collier
Honorable Mention
Nora Howard, Ashley Houghton, Cory Ellis, Haley Carter, Will Frost, Monica Pearring
Andrew Accardi
Madison (Card) Carew
Madison Card was a proud member of the Academy One Goalkeeping class of 2014. Madison's goalkeeping career got off to strong start as a freshmen in high school when she started in goal at one one of the top high school teams in Virginia. Madison joined AOG in the Spring of 2011 while she was ranked as one of the one of the top goalkeepers in the state. She even managed to play club in one of the top leagues in the nation. In the summer of 2011, She competed in the Gothia Cup in Sweden where she went on to be classified as one of the top keepers in the international tournament She made the ODP team for her state in the only year she tried out. When Madison was not goalkeeping, she continued to stay moving on her feet with activities such as playing on her high school basketball team and participating in volunteering work in Northern Virginia. By Madison's senior year, she was already being recruited by national level colleges. Madison went on to commit to Butler University where she would play soccer and majored in marketing/marketing management. While at Butler, she worked at Top Soccer Coach where she helped physically and mentally disabled athletes learn how to play soccer and work in teams. After receiving her Bachelors degree, she did one year post grad at Georgia State University where she got her Master of Science in Marketing and participated with the Georgia State women's soccer team. After Madison's post grad, she kept herself busy from a marketing internship at GM Omni-Channel. To a congressional internship with former representative Susan W.Brooks. And she managed to rise the ranks with the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium in the two years she worked there. Today, Madison lives in Dublin, Ohio, where she is currently married and she now goes by Madison Carew. Currently, she works for Arbor Homes as a Marketing Coordinator and Customer Advocate.
Haley Carter
Haley first became a member of Academy One Goalkeeping back in 2007. At the time, she was the youngest female member. She has had an eventful career whether it be playing travel recreational level soccer in a small town, to making the Maryland State ODP team, and starting for one of the best club teams in the state. All that hard work payed off as she went on to earn a starting spot on her high school varsity team as a Freshman. She guest played with as many as three age groups up in premier level tournaments for her club. Her high school team had one of the most successful seasons in its history. When it came to improving her skills as a keeper, Haley chose to play field for her high school team in her sophomore year. She once again earned a starting spot on the varsity. Outside of soccer, Haley is an honor student.
Alicia Chavez
Alicia joined Academy One Goalkeeping in early 2012. Alicia started played club soccer with U-9 and spent several summers in the Super-Y-League Program. Alicia was a very engaging person and hard worker that led to her becoming an accomplished goalkeeper. Alicia started on her high school varsity team as a freshman at a private school in Baltimore. In her sophomore year she transferred to one of the top high schools in the nation and started on the JV team. In her first season on JV, her team finished 13-1-2. It was the best record for JV teams in the WCAC Conference that year. The following year as a junior, Alicia played on her high school varsity team. Her team won the WCAC private high school championship where they went on to be considered one of the top high school teams in the nation. Alicia would continue her strong efforts by remaining on the varsity soccer team. In the summer of 2013, Alicia trained with the U-20 Peruvian National Woman's Soccer Team. Besides soccer, Alicia played varsity softball at her high school. Alicia proved herself in the classroom as much as he did on the field by being an honor student and winning academic and leadership awards. Alicia managed to find time to work with a non-profit organization to collect soccer equipment to send overseas for children. Alicia committed to college in the fall of 2014 to study biology and play soccer at St. Mary's College of Maryland. She even got the privilege to be a part of the Honors College. In her college endeavors, she was joined by fellow AOG members Nate Ramsland and Nora Howard.
Jeremy Collier
From his first day at AOG, Jermy proved himself to be a stand out goalkeeper as he stood at almost 6'7 feet tall. To this day, Jermey is the tallest goalkeeper in the Academy's history. Jeremy did not let his height be the only thing that determined his worth as an athletes and an individual. Jeremy started his club career with the SYA club team and helped them finish strong in the Virginia State Cup final four and Region I Premier League. He then moved to the Loudon club and PWSI clubs, playing in top leagues in the DC/Virginia/Maryland area. He finished his club career with a highly accomplished Arlington team that participated in the CCL and Colonial Region I Premier League. Jeremy played 3 years of high school soccer at his John Paul The Great School in Northern Virginia. His first year he was a goalkeeper and his last two he played defender. Jeremy was a member of the basketball team and ran track on a Virginia State Independent Private Schools Championship team. As impressive as his athletic achievements were, Jeremy was truly excellent in the classroom. He was on the Dean's List all four years of school. He was a member of the National Honor Society highest honors. He won the Microbiology Award his senior year. Jeremy finished in the top three of the Academy One Academic Award in a very competitive year. Jeremy had several opportunities to attend some prestigious universities, but he chose The United States Merchant Marine Academy in New York to serve, study and play soccer. He chose it for the high level of soccer, the high level of academics, and the flexibility it gave him. Jeremy is currently serving as a captin in the army and at the same time, he is an engineer.
Corey Ellis
William Frost
Will joined the Academy in the Winter of 2010/2011. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the eastern region of the country. Will was offered a spot for the top US Soccer Academy program in the nation, but because of the time commitment, Will stayed with his top level club team. Will has started for his high school team since he was a freshmen. His high school team plays in the best private school league in the nation. In Will's freshmen year as a high school starter, he led the team to the playoffs. In his sophomore season, Will led the team to a spot in the finals. Will plays baseball and is an accomplished musician. He performs in various music groups and is in the honors choir. Will is also an honor student.
Nora Howard
Brian Howell
Undergraduate:
Le Tourneau University
Brian joined the Academy back in 2008 when he was in 7th grade. He was certainly one of the best goalkeepers in Maryland and the Northeast United States. He was definitely one of the best combinations of athletics and academics in the region. Brian started off playing in the Frederick Soccer Club in one of the best leagues in the DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia area. He then moved to the MSC United team playing in the National Capital Soccer League Division I, playing up one age group. At the time, The NCSL, was one of the best leagues in the country. After a couple seasons, Brian again moved up to one of the best club teams in the Northeast Region - The Pachuca Dragons. The team made it to the Maryland State Cup final four. They played in the Region I Premier League and the EDP League. By the end of his club soccer career, the team was a power in Maryland and Region I. The Pachuca FC was ranked third in the state and 59th in the nation. The team was Disney International Tournament semi-finalists. Brian made the Maryland State ODP team in the only year he tried out. It was in high school where Brian really shined. A three-year starter at Urbana High School, Howell posted 21 shutouts and an impressive 0.89 goals-against average. It was during his senior season where he allowed just five goals in 15 games with a 0.33 GAA en route to a 20-0 mark and a state title. His performance earned him the area's Defensive Player of the Year, All-Conference and Maryland All-State honors. Brian's Urbana High School team ended the season ranked No. 15 in the nation. As a junior, Urbana posted a 17-1-1 mark and lost in the state finals in overtime. He was again named All-Conference. Throughout his high school career, Brian and his Urbana team recorded a 60-5-1 mark. He led the team to a Maryland State Championship, two Maryland State Championship finals, two Regional Championships, two County Championships, and Conference Championships. Brian won the Academy One Academic Award. After high school, Brian had many great college soccer and academic offers. Some very prestigious schools, including Ivy League schools, made offers, but Brian had very specific interests. Brian eventually chose Le Tourneau University in Texas because it offered high level technical/engineering along with a Christian atmosphere/education, and quality soccer. In his three years as a member of the soccer team, he earned starting minutes every year, even though he struggled with injuries. It was in his Junior year and third year on the team where Brian really shined. Brian finished second in the American Southwest Conference in saves with 90 as he also recorded four shutouts on the season. Howell played in 17 games and logged 1,518 minutes in the goal for LeTourneau. The Germantown, Maryland native was also named the ASC Defensive Player of the Week on September 5th after 204 minutes of scoreless soccer between the posts and recording 11 saves in two shutout games with a win against TLU and tie with Schreiner. At the end of the season, Brian was named to the ASC All-Conference team. After his Junior year, Brian's injuries and demanding academics motivated him to end his playing career. Brian graduated with Honors with a Master's of Science degree in Engineering with a concentration in Computers. He also earned a Computer Science minor. During his time at Le Tourneau, Brian would spend his Summers interning at highly competitive and prestigious positions with VT IDirect. His first two Summers he designed a web-based application to be used internally to track the allocation of resources to all projects/assignments and was an active member of scrum team focused on software development and testing. Focused on development with C++, development in a linux environment, and version control using git. The Summer before his final year at Le Tourneau, Brian earned the prestigious full engineer intern and he was an active member of a scrum team focused on software development. Fixed release blocking bugs which required direct communication with customers. Designed the front end for an internal network monitoring tool. After graduation, Brian accepted a position at ST Engineering IDirect. He currently lives in the Northern Virginia area.
Le Tourneau University
Brian joined the Academy back in 2008 when he was in 7th grade. He was certainly one of the best goalkeepers in Maryland and the Northeast United States. He was definitely one of the best combinations of athletics and academics in the region. Brian started off playing in the Frederick Soccer Club in one of the best leagues in the DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia area. He then moved to the MSC United team playing in the National Capital Soccer League Division I, playing up one age group. At the time, The NCSL, was one of the best leagues in the country. After a couple seasons, Brian again moved up to one of the best club teams in the Northeast Region - The Pachuca Dragons. The team made it to the Maryland State Cup final four. They played in the Region I Premier League and the EDP League. By the end of his club soccer career, the team was a power in Maryland and Region I. The Pachuca FC was ranked third in the state and 59th in the nation. The team was Disney International Tournament semi-finalists. Brian made the Maryland State ODP team in the only year he tried out. It was in high school where Brian really shined. A three-year starter at Urbana High School, Howell posted 21 shutouts and an impressive 0.89 goals-against average. It was during his senior season where he allowed just five goals in 15 games with a 0.33 GAA en route to a 20-0 mark and a state title. His performance earned him the area's Defensive Player of the Year, All-Conference and Maryland All-State honors. Brian's Urbana High School team ended the season ranked No. 15 in the nation. As a junior, Urbana posted a 17-1-1 mark and lost in the state finals in overtime. He was again named All-Conference. Throughout his high school career, Brian and his Urbana team recorded a 60-5-1 mark. He led the team to a Maryland State Championship, two Maryland State Championship finals, two Regional Championships, two County Championships, and Conference Championships. Brian won the Academy One Academic Award. After high school, Brian had many great college soccer and academic offers. Some very prestigious schools, including Ivy League schools, made offers, but Brian had very specific interests. Brian eventually chose Le Tourneau University in Texas because it offered high level technical/engineering along with a Christian atmosphere/education, and quality soccer. In his three years as a member of the soccer team, he earned starting minutes every year, even though he struggled with injuries. It was in his Junior year and third year on the team where Brian really shined. Brian finished second in the American Southwest Conference in saves with 90 as he also recorded four shutouts on the season. Howell played in 17 games and logged 1,518 minutes in the goal for LeTourneau. The Germantown, Maryland native was also named the ASC Defensive Player of the Week on September 5th after 204 minutes of scoreless soccer between the posts and recording 11 saves in two shutout games with a win against TLU and tie with Schreiner. At the end of the season, Brian was named to the ASC All-Conference team. After his Junior year, Brian's injuries and demanding academics motivated him to end his playing career. Brian graduated with Honors with a Master's of Science degree in Engineering with a concentration in Computers. He also earned a Computer Science minor. During his time at Le Tourneau, Brian would spend his Summers interning at highly competitive and prestigious positions with VT IDirect. His first two Summers he designed a web-based application to be used internally to track the allocation of resources to all projects/assignments and was an active member of scrum team focused on software development and testing. Focused on development with C++, development in a linux environment, and version control using git. The Summer before his final year at Le Tourneau, Brian earned the prestigious full engineer intern and he was an active member of a scrum team focused on software development. Fixed release blocking bugs which required direct communication with customers. Designed the front end for an internal network monitoring tool. After graduation, Brian accepted a position at ST Engineering IDirect. He currently lives in the Northern Virginia area.
Ashley Houghton
Zach Haussler
Jeff Madigan
Jeffrey became a member of Academy One Goalkeeping in the summer of 2012. Upon joining AOG, he was one of the top goalkeepers in Virginia for his age. He began playing organized soccer since the age of 5 and progressed rather quickly through the ranks. He played for top club teams before being selected to play on one of the top US Soccer Academy teams in the nation - DC United. During his early career, he earned a place on the Virginia State Olympic Development team (ODP) several years in a row. Jeff led his U-13 Super-Y team to the North American Finals in Tampa, Florida. As a high school athlete, Jeff was a three-year high school letter winner who finished his HS career at Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, Virginia. He helped the Yellow Jackets to the state championship as a freshman in 2010-11. He did not compete during his junior season due to training with the Potomac U.S. Soccer Development Academy. He recorded a 0.75 goals against average during his senior season. Jeff also earned a varsity letter in football as a punter. As a 16 year old, Jeffrey guest played for a U-20 team in its Region 1 ‘National Cup’ tournament, helping it secure a 2nd place showing in that competitive arena. He has also guest played for a local U-23 team, playing an entire game as goalkeeper and did not allow one goal. Despite his youth, Jeff completed several Army Ten Miler races and Marine Corps Marathons as a high school age athlete. Right after graduating high school, Jeff accepted an offer to play soccer at Campbell University. During his first year at Campbell, Jeff earned playing time, but a severe shoulder injury, and multiple surgeries, ended his soccer career abruptly. After recovering from his injury, Jeff joined his girlfriend on to the Cheer-leading Squad where he was a member of their nationally ranked team for three years. Jeff graduated from Campbell University with a B.S. in Homeland Security. He finished off his last semester on the Dean's list. His commitment to fitness paid off after graduation where Jeff has been working as a personal trainer since graduation. He competes regularly in fitness competitions and endurance events. Jeff currently is in the process of doing something to serve his country, whether it is the military or police or homeland security. He currently resides in the Northern Virginia area.
Eduardo Palacios
Undergraduate:
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Hawaii Pacific University
Graduate:
Stanford University
Eduardo joined the Academy in the Summer of 2016 when he was one of the top goalkeepers in college soccer. He combined athletic ability and genuine academic brilliance to have forged the beginning of a great life of meaning and accomplishment. Eduardo grew up in Madrid, Spain. He grew up playing for Union Adarve. After significant progress and development, Eduardo was invited to train with Getafe CF reserves at the age of 16 and then Atletico de Madrid Academy in Spain. In 2011, Eduardo was the winner of the Juan Gomez "Juanito" trophy for human values in sports. Upon his graduation from IES Ramiro de Maeztu in Madird, Spain, Eduardo made the difficult decision to pursue his academic career instead of a professional soccer career in Spain. Eduardo started his university career at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. He studied Chemistry and played for the university team in the Jugador de Futbol en Division de Honor Juvenil. After a year at University in Madrid, Eduardo accepted a scholarship offer to study and play soccer at Hawaii Pacific University. Eduardo started in 10 of the 11 matches he played in 2014 (830 minutes) in his first year at HPU. He allowed 12 goals and posted a 1.30 goals against average. Eduardo made 35 saves and went 3-4-1. He posted two shutouts and he also appeared in one match as a forward. Eduardo was named PacWest Freshman of the Week. In 2015, Eduardo started all 14 of the matches in which he appeared and logged 1262 minutes as goalkeeper. He allowed 17 goals (1.21 GAA) and made 40 saves (.702). Eduardo had a record of 7-6-1 and recorded 4 shutouts. He posted 3 consecutive shutouts, including a double-overtime tie with first place Fresno. At the end of the season, Eduardo received the Shark of the Year award given to the top student-athlete based on a combination of academics and athletics. Eduardo was also two-year co-president of Student Athletic Advisory Committee and a member of Chi Alpha Sigma - National College Athlete Honor Society. Eduardo charitably volunteered to help train disabled youth with AYSO of Hawaii. In the Summer of 2015, Eduardo interned at The Department of Health, Food, and Agriculture at the Spanish Embassy in Washington, DC. Eduardo graduated Cum Laude from Hawaii Pacific University with a degree in Biochemistry Pre Med, and another diploma in Life Sciences - Medicine...IN JUST THREE YEARS! With the eligibility Eduardo had left, he accepted an opportunity to study and play soccer at one of the best universities in the world - Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Eduardo also walked in to the best college soccer program in the country. Stanford had just won the last two NCAA Division I Championships. In Eduardo's first year with the team, he helped Stanford to another PAC 12 Championship and another NCAA Division I Championship. The following year, Stanford was not able to win a fourth national title, but they did win another PAC 12 Championship. During his time at Stanford, not only was Eduardo excelling in the classroom and the soccer field, but he was very busy with activities and charitable pursuits. Eduardo was a fundraiser for The Make-A-Wish-Foundation. He served as a Spanish Medical Translator at the Arbor Free Clinic at the Stanford Medical School. Eduardo also helped coach at the Stanford Soccer camps. Eduardo graduated from Stanford with a Master's of Science in Epidemiology and Clinical Research. Eduardo made such an impression academically that he was offered to return to Stanford and their world class medical school with a scholarship. Eduardo had other opportunites to contemplate. He had the opportunity to return to Spain and play professional soccer. During his Summers away from school, Eduardo would come to Washington DC and play for DC United's U-23 team. Eduardo trained with DC United's first team in the summer of 2018. Eventually, academics won Eduardo over and he decided to stay in California to continue his studies, but he did take a year off to work and travel. Eduardo worked as a Clinical Research Associate at Stanford Health Care. He works on the Stanford Orthopedic Surgery Research: "The Utility of a Dichotomous Pain Scale in Reducing Post-Operative Opioid Consumption in Outpatient ACL Surgery: a Prospective Randomized Controlled Study." Eduardo also works as a Clinical Research Consultant at Empire Spine Inc. and the study: "A Concurrently Controlled Study of the LimiFlex Paraspinous Tension Band in the Treatment of Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis with Spinal Stenosis." Eduardo has not left soccer behind yet. He coaches with a major club in the Palo Alto area and does goalkeeper training. Eduardo has been a staff person at Academy One since he joined. Eduardo currently lives in the Palo Alto area. He still is able to get back to Spain and visit his noble parents.
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Hawaii Pacific University
Graduate:
Stanford University
Eduardo joined the Academy in the Summer of 2016 when he was one of the top goalkeepers in college soccer. He combined athletic ability and genuine academic brilliance to have forged the beginning of a great life of meaning and accomplishment. Eduardo grew up in Madrid, Spain. He grew up playing for Union Adarve. After significant progress and development, Eduardo was invited to train with Getafe CF reserves at the age of 16 and then Atletico de Madrid Academy in Spain. In 2011, Eduardo was the winner of the Juan Gomez "Juanito" trophy for human values in sports. Upon his graduation from IES Ramiro de Maeztu in Madird, Spain, Eduardo made the difficult decision to pursue his academic career instead of a professional soccer career in Spain. Eduardo started his university career at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. He studied Chemistry and played for the university team in the Jugador de Futbol en Division de Honor Juvenil. After a year at University in Madrid, Eduardo accepted a scholarship offer to study and play soccer at Hawaii Pacific University. Eduardo started in 10 of the 11 matches he played in 2014 (830 minutes) in his first year at HPU. He allowed 12 goals and posted a 1.30 goals against average. Eduardo made 35 saves and went 3-4-1. He posted two shutouts and he also appeared in one match as a forward. Eduardo was named PacWest Freshman of the Week. In 2015, Eduardo started all 14 of the matches in which he appeared and logged 1262 minutes as goalkeeper. He allowed 17 goals (1.21 GAA) and made 40 saves (.702). Eduardo had a record of 7-6-1 and recorded 4 shutouts. He posted 3 consecutive shutouts, including a double-overtime tie with first place Fresno. At the end of the season, Eduardo received the Shark of the Year award given to the top student-athlete based on a combination of academics and athletics. Eduardo was also two-year co-president of Student Athletic Advisory Committee and a member of Chi Alpha Sigma - National College Athlete Honor Society. Eduardo charitably volunteered to help train disabled youth with AYSO of Hawaii. In the Summer of 2015, Eduardo interned at The Department of Health, Food, and Agriculture at the Spanish Embassy in Washington, DC. Eduardo graduated Cum Laude from Hawaii Pacific University with a degree in Biochemistry Pre Med, and another diploma in Life Sciences - Medicine...IN JUST THREE YEARS! With the eligibility Eduardo had left, he accepted an opportunity to study and play soccer at one of the best universities in the world - Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Eduardo also walked in to the best college soccer program in the country. Stanford had just won the last two NCAA Division I Championships. In Eduardo's first year with the team, he helped Stanford to another PAC 12 Championship and another NCAA Division I Championship. The following year, Stanford was not able to win a fourth national title, but they did win another PAC 12 Championship. During his time at Stanford, not only was Eduardo excelling in the classroom and the soccer field, but he was very busy with activities and charitable pursuits. Eduardo was a fundraiser for The Make-A-Wish-Foundation. He served as a Spanish Medical Translator at the Arbor Free Clinic at the Stanford Medical School. Eduardo also helped coach at the Stanford Soccer camps. Eduardo graduated from Stanford with a Master's of Science in Epidemiology and Clinical Research. Eduardo made such an impression academically that he was offered to return to Stanford and their world class medical school with a scholarship. Eduardo had other opportunites to contemplate. He had the opportunity to return to Spain and play professional soccer. During his Summers away from school, Eduardo would come to Washington DC and play for DC United's U-23 team. Eduardo trained with DC United's first team in the summer of 2018. Eventually, academics won Eduardo over and he decided to stay in California to continue his studies, but he did take a year off to work and travel. Eduardo worked as a Clinical Research Associate at Stanford Health Care. He works on the Stanford Orthopedic Surgery Research: "The Utility of a Dichotomous Pain Scale in Reducing Post-Operative Opioid Consumption in Outpatient ACL Surgery: a Prospective Randomized Controlled Study." Eduardo also works as a Clinical Research Consultant at Empire Spine Inc. and the study: "A Concurrently Controlled Study of the LimiFlex Paraspinous Tension Band in the Treatment of Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis with Spinal Stenosis." Eduardo has not left soccer behind yet. He coaches with a major club in the Palo Alto area and does goalkeeper training. Eduardo has been a staff person at Academy One since he joined. Eduardo currently lives in the Palo Alto area. He still is able to get back to Spain and visit his noble parents.
Monica Pearring
Undergraduate:
Virginia Polytechnic University
Monica joined Academy One Goalkeeping in the Spring of 2012. She used to be the tallest female player in the academies history as upon arrival, she stood at 6' 1". Monica is a highly accomplished all-around individual. As a soccer player, Monica started out as a field player. She was an accomplished defender until she suffered knee injury. That injury led her to switch to goalkeeping. She ended up playing for one of the top clubs in the Northern Virginia/DC/Maryland area, Chantilly Soccer Club. This same club just happend to be part of one of the top leagues in the country, WAGS. Monica helped lead them to appearances in the Virginia State Cup final four. Monica played high school soccer for one of the top private high schools in the Northeast region of the country. As a member of the Bishop O' Connell program, she went to three straight private school championships. Each time her team lost to fellow Academy member Alicia Chavez's team. Following Monica's senior season, she was named WCAC All-Conference. She was teammates with Academy Class of 2013 members Ashley Cox and schoolmate with Robert Flott. In addition to her remarkable soccer career, she carried one of the highest grade point averages in the Academy's proud academic history at the academically prestigious Bishop O' Connell High School in Northern Virginia. She was a highly proficient basketball player at the high school and club level. She was a member of the varsity basketball team for three years in one of the toughest girls basketball leagues in the country. Not to mention, she was a standout at the AAU level. Monica was highly involved in numerous school activities ranging from the Student Government Association, National Honor Society, Chemistry National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. She started the Social Studies Honor Society at Bishop O' Connell. She finished her academic career at Bishop O'Connell with a grade point average above 4.6/4.0. Monica was offered a position as a goalkeeper on several nationally ranked university programs, NCAA Division I, II and III levels, but she decided to attend Virginia Tech University as purely a student. It broke our heart that someone so talented with such potential decides not to play soccer! Monica was very busy at Virginia Tech. For starters, she volunteered with the Relay of Life of Virginia Tech. This is a community event to honor cancer survivors and raise money to continue cancer research and help find a cure. Monica helped with the Big Event which is a student-run community service effort that has grown into the second largest event of its kind in the nation. Every spring, thousands of students, faculty, and staff come together to complete nearly one thousand community service projects throughout Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and the New River Valley. Monica was a volunteer for Special Olympics at Virginia Tech. During her time at Virginia Tech, Monica held several prominent internships. She interned with Keller Williams Realty. She digitized up to 15 years of files; Categorized/indexed a detailed filing system. She restored organization to personnel, financial and operational records and accelerated data input, processing and retrieval times.Monica created and Organized a google hard drive for all data 7 years or younger. She interned with KMPG US, that would later lead to her future employer. She tested internal controls to verify effectiveness and reliability of client IT systems for use in financial statement audits.She met with client executives to understand the business processes and controls in place in order to identify risks or possible discrepancies. Monica gave back to her University by being an Intramural Sports Supervisor. She supervised 10 to 30 employees daily ensuring their tasks are properly executed; 9 – 14 hours/week in multiple sports. Her most impressive internship, though, was as Peer Mentor and Teaching Assistant. She was competitively chosen as one of 15 out of 80 undergraduates to peer mentor 50 students per semester. She taught class twice a week; met with every student individually outside of the classroom setting. She taught students skills in time management, problem-solving, diversity, inquiry, and integrated learning. And Monica administered and graded class homework and projects including blogs, group video projects, and written assignments. Upon earning her Bachelor of Science, Business Information Technology, Monica went to work as a IT Audit and Risk Assurance Associate for KMPG US. After a couple of years, Monica was promoted to Senior Associate Advisory, Technology Assurance Consultant. Today, she lives in the Washington D.C. area. Since her time in AOG, Monica has proven to be one of the most stand out people in not only her soccer skills, but accomplishments in life. So many accomplishments that many future members of the academy may aspire to be like her.
Virginia Polytechnic University
Monica joined Academy One Goalkeeping in the Spring of 2012. She used to be the tallest female player in the academies history as upon arrival, she stood at 6' 1". Monica is a highly accomplished all-around individual. As a soccer player, Monica started out as a field player. She was an accomplished defender until she suffered knee injury. That injury led her to switch to goalkeeping. She ended up playing for one of the top clubs in the Northern Virginia/DC/Maryland area, Chantilly Soccer Club. This same club just happend to be part of one of the top leagues in the country, WAGS. Monica helped lead them to appearances in the Virginia State Cup final four. Monica played high school soccer for one of the top private high schools in the Northeast region of the country. As a member of the Bishop O' Connell program, she went to three straight private school championships. Each time her team lost to fellow Academy member Alicia Chavez's team. Following Monica's senior season, she was named WCAC All-Conference. She was teammates with Academy Class of 2013 members Ashley Cox and schoolmate with Robert Flott. In addition to her remarkable soccer career, she carried one of the highest grade point averages in the Academy's proud academic history at the academically prestigious Bishop O' Connell High School in Northern Virginia. She was a highly proficient basketball player at the high school and club level. She was a member of the varsity basketball team for three years in one of the toughest girls basketball leagues in the country. Not to mention, she was a standout at the AAU level. Monica was highly involved in numerous school activities ranging from the Student Government Association, National Honor Society, Chemistry National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. She started the Social Studies Honor Society at Bishop O' Connell. She finished her academic career at Bishop O'Connell with a grade point average above 4.6/4.0. Monica was offered a position as a goalkeeper on several nationally ranked university programs, NCAA Division I, II and III levels, but she decided to attend Virginia Tech University as purely a student. It broke our heart that someone so talented with such potential decides not to play soccer! Monica was very busy at Virginia Tech. For starters, she volunteered with the Relay of Life of Virginia Tech. This is a community event to honor cancer survivors and raise money to continue cancer research and help find a cure. Monica helped with the Big Event which is a student-run community service effort that has grown into the second largest event of its kind in the nation. Every spring, thousands of students, faculty, and staff come together to complete nearly one thousand community service projects throughout Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and the New River Valley. Monica was a volunteer for Special Olympics at Virginia Tech. During her time at Virginia Tech, Monica held several prominent internships. She interned with Keller Williams Realty. She digitized up to 15 years of files; Categorized/indexed a detailed filing system. She restored organization to personnel, financial and operational records and accelerated data input, processing and retrieval times.Monica created and Organized a google hard drive for all data 7 years or younger. She interned with KMPG US, that would later lead to her future employer. She tested internal controls to verify effectiveness and reliability of client IT systems for use in financial statement audits.She met with client executives to understand the business processes and controls in place in order to identify risks or possible discrepancies. Monica gave back to her University by being an Intramural Sports Supervisor. She supervised 10 to 30 employees daily ensuring their tasks are properly executed; 9 – 14 hours/week in multiple sports. Her most impressive internship, though, was as Peer Mentor and Teaching Assistant. She was competitively chosen as one of 15 out of 80 undergraduates to peer mentor 50 students per semester. She taught class twice a week; met with every student individually outside of the classroom setting. She taught students skills in time management, problem-solving, diversity, inquiry, and integrated learning. And Monica administered and graded class homework and projects including blogs, group video projects, and written assignments. Upon earning her Bachelor of Science, Business Information Technology, Monica went to work as a IT Audit and Risk Assurance Associate for KMPG US. After a couple of years, Monica was promoted to Senior Associate Advisory, Technology Assurance Consultant. Today, she lives in the Washington D.C. area. Since her time in AOG, Monica has proven to be one of the most stand out people in not only her soccer skills, but accomplishments in life. So many accomplishments that many future members of the academy may aspire to be like her.
Joe Rice
Undergraduate:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Joe joined the Academy back in early 2012. He was a talented athlete, but what really set him apart was his work ethic and desire to improve every single day. He had great success with his club team. His Annandale team won multiple Virginia State Cup Championships and was a force to be reckoned with in national tournaments and league play. As a high school player, Joe twice earned All-District honors and earned All-Region and All-Met honors for his Fairfax High School team. Coming out of high school, Joe was a three-star recruit who drew interest from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, not far from his hometown of Fairfax. With VCU coming off one of its best seasons in program history, Rice obliged and spent five years with the Rams. Though he only appeared in six games, Rice made the most of his chances when they came, finishing his collegiate career with an even 1.00 goals against average. During his Summers while attending VCU, Joe began seeing consistent action for the first time with Lionsbridge FC, a small club in Newport News, Va., and a member of the Premier Development League (now USL League Two), during the 2018 summer season. The 6-foot-4 keeper played in 12 games for Lionsbridge that year, allowing 17 goals while making 57 saves. Rice credits his time with Lionsbridge for helping shape his mindset to further his career. Rice graduated from VCU with a business degree, concentrated in real estate. With some family ties to the real estate business and his outgoing personality, Rice fell into the concentration during his junior year and was hooked. Though he studied to be a real estate agent, Rice’s dream job after his playing career is to become a sports agent. His desire to stay around the game of soccer and help young players in tough situations connect with professional franchises would never get old. After graduating from VCU, Rice signed his first professional contract with the Richmond Kickers of USL League One. Rice spent time as the primary backup, making three appearances with two starts. His professional debut came on July 20, 2019 as a substitute when Kickers keeper Akira Fitzgerald was shown a red card. He finished the season with a 1-1 record as a starter, recording the USL League One Save of the Week for Matchday 28. After his stint with Richmond, Joe was signed by the New England Revolution II. Joe was the lone Revolution II player with previous experience at the USL League One level from the league’s premiere season. Signed after a successful trial period, Rice impressed in preseason, allowing one goal in 135 minutes of play. His shining moment came in a full 90-minute effort during Revolution II’s victory over Hartford Athletic, keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 triumph. With Rice vying for minutes this season, the veteran keeper has already earned a reputation for his hard work and enthusiasm. Joe currently lives in the Boston area.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Joe joined the Academy back in early 2012. He was a talented athlete, but what really set him apart was his work ethic and desire to improve every single day. He had great success with his club team. His Annandale team won multiple Virginia State Cup Championships and was a force to be reckoned with in national tournaments and league play. As a high school player, Joe twice earned All-District honors and earned All-Region and All-Met honors for his Fairfax High School team. Coming out of high school, Joe was a three-star recruit who drew interest from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, not far from his hometown of Fairfax. With VCU coming off one of its best seasons in program history, Rice obliged and spent five years with the Rams. Though he only appeared in six games, Rice made the most of his chances when they came, finishing his collegiate career with an even 1.00 goals against average. During his Summers while attending VCU, Joe began seeing consistent action for the first time with Lionsbridge FC, a small club in Newport News, Va., and a member of the Premier Development League (now USL League Two), during the 2018 summer season. The 6-foot-4 keeper played in 12 games for Lionsbridge that year, allowing 17 goals while making 57 saves. Rice credits his time with Lionsbridge for helping shape his mindset to further his career. Rice graduated from VCU with a business degree, concentrated in real estate. With some family ties to the real estate business and his outgoing personality, Rice fell into the concentration during his junior year and was hooked. Though he studied to be a real estate agent, Rice’s dream job after his playing career is to become a sports agent. His desire to stay around the game of soccer and help young players in tough situations connect with professional franchises would never get old. After graduating from VCU, Rice signed his first professional contract with the Richmond Kickers of USL League One. Rice spent time as the primary backup, making three appearances with two starts. His professional debut came on July 20, 2019 as a substitute when Kickers keeper Akira Fitzgerald was shown a red card. He finished the season with a 1-1 record as a starter, recording the USL League One Save of the Week for Matchday 28. After his stint with Richmond, Joe was signed by the New England Revolution II. Joe was the lone Revolution II player with previous experience at the USL League One level from the league’s premiere season. Signed after a successful trial period, Rice impressed in preseason, allowing one goal in 135 minutes of play. His shining moment came in a full 90-minute effort during Revolution II’s victory over Hartford Athletic, keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 triumph. With Rice vying for minutes this season, the veteran keeper has already earned a reputation for his hard work and enthusiasm. Joe currently lives in the Boston area.
Sydney Schultz
Junior College:
College of Southern Maryland
Undergraduate:
Marymount University
A friendly, determined, and dedicated woman who displayed her excellence on the field and in the classroom, Sydney joined the Academy in the Fall of 2011. Despite a couple injuries that hindered her high school career, Sydney played for a couple of the top clubs in the Northeast region of the US. She road the roller coaster as far as her club teams. Her first club team was Freestate ECNL. They played at the highest level of female club soccer at the time. They were a power in Maryland and made the ECNL National playoffs. Syd then moved to the SYC Storm. The Storm played in the lower levels of Washington DC area club soccer. After a year with the SYC Storm, Syd moved to the Maryland Rush team that was a regional power in the Northeast US. Her team won Maryland State Cup and showed well in the US Regional tournament. They were a force in the Region I Premier League and the Club Champions League. As a high school player and student, Syd helped her La Plata High School team to a Region finals appearance. All the more impressive considering her school had very little soccer history. Syd was named team Most Valuable Player. She also earned the Teammate Award, Scholar Athlete Award, School Scholar Award, Certificate of Merit Award, and she graduated Cum Laude. Deciding to stay close to home after high school, she chose the College of Southern Maryland to attend and play soccer. She started and led them to the US Junior College Regional finals. Syd has been an honor student everywhere she has attended school and it was no different at The College of Southern Maryland. She earned her Associated degree and then accepted an academic scholarship to Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. During her time at Marymount University, Sydney earned major minutes as a starter. Sydney graduated from Marymount University Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Health Sciences. She currently works in a physical therapy clinic as a Physical Therapy Techmician. She is looking to start her Doctoral education to pursue a career as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She lives in Southern Maryland.
College of Southern Maryland
Undergraduate:
Marymount University
A friendly, determined, and dedicated woman who displayed her excellence on the field and in the classroom, Sydney joined the Academy in the Fall of 2011. Despite a couple injuries that hindered her high school career, Sydney played for a couple of the top clubs in the Northeast region of the US. She road the roller coaster as far as her club teams. Her first club team was Freestate ECNL. They played at the highest level of female club soccer at the time. They were a power in Maryland and made the ECNL National playoffs. Syd then moved to the SYC Storm. The Storm played in the lower levels of Washington DC area club soccer. After a year with the SYC Storm, Syd moved to the Maryland Rush team that was a regional power in the Northeast US. Her team won Maryland State Cup and showed well in the US Regional tournament. They were a force in the Region I Premier League and the Club Champions League. As a high school player and student, Syd helped her La Plata High School team to a Region finals appearance. All the more impressive considering her school had very little soccer history. Syd was named team Most Valuable Player. She also earned the Teammate Award, Scholar Athlete Award, School Scholar Award, Certificate of Merit Award, and she graduated Cum Laude. Deciding to stay close to home after high school, she chose the College of Southern Maryland to attend and play soccer. She started and led them to the US Junior College Regional finals. Syd has been an honor student everywhere she has attended school and it was no different at The College of Southern Maryland. She earned her Associated degree and then accepted an academic scholarship to Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. During her time at Marymount University, Sydney earned major minutes as a starter. Sydney graduated from Marymount University Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Health Sciences. She currently works in a physical therapy clinic as a Physical Therapy Techmician. She is looking to start her Doctoral education to pursue a career as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She lives in Southern Maryland.
