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Declan McCabe, Midfielder, New England Revolution
Top 150 Rank: 30
Class: 2014

A member of the U.S. Soccer U17 Residency program in the fall of 2011, Declan McCabe has put this break from school and soccer to good use.

“I have made several visits to colleges this summer during vacation,” he wrote TopDrawerSoccer.com in an email. “I went on tours and attended info sessions. I feel that I need to go back during the school year to get a better feel for the campus and soccer program when the school is in session.”

A two-footed attacking midfielder for the New England Revolution, the 16-year-old has a good idea what he’d like to locate during his college search.

“Factors that are important to me are a Division 1 soccer program, excellent academics, and the quality of campus life,” he said.

Spending time with the U17 team – not to mention his Development Academy side – has taken McCabe to different corners of the country, and with that influence, he’s not limited to a choice of college.

“I have traveled a lot in the US and abroad playing soccer,” he said. “My recent time in residency helped me realize that where I am isn't as important as the school I attend.”

He also indicated that he’d like to make a decision by the spring of 2013, the end of his junior year of high school.

Megan Niebuhr, Defender, Ohio Elite SA
Top 150 Rank: 113
Class: 2014

A versatile defender/midfielder, Megan Niebuhr is smack in the middle of her college search process.

“I still have a few schools I want to visit, but am narrowing my choices,” she wrote TopDrawerSoccer.com in an email

While Niebuhr usually sees time in central defense, she also has the ability to play as a holding midfielder and protect the back line. A stalwart for Ohio Elite, she’s focused on locating the right academic fit in her search.

“First and foremost, the school needs to have the program I plan to study, which is Nutrition Sciences,” she said. “I like a school with a strong tradition and a family oriented feel. I am looking for coaches that are similar in style to my current club coaches.”

Geography isn’t too big of a concern to her either.

“Mostly Midwest and East but it doesn’t matter as long as I am comfortable there,” she said.

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