Every college soccer hopeful has to seize each opportunity in hopes of getting noticed and playing in front of college scouts. A chance to turn heads.

Last weekend, more than 130 players jumped at the opportunity, competing in front of college coaches at the TopDrawerSoccer.com Philadelphia Combine.

“Overall I thought the turnout was tremendous,” combine coach and NJIT assistant David Janezic told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “There was tons of talent from pretty much all over the Eastern seaboard.”

The October 6 event featured a variety of boys and girls standouts from clubs throughout the region, predominately drawing players from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Some attendees came from as far south as North Carolina and as far north as Montreal. 

Morning sessions broke the players into their pre-assigned teams, offering coaches a chance to work through drills and give them an understanding of the technical level. Small-sided games were next, followed by a lunch break, recruiting seminar, and for the rest of the day, full field 11 vs. 11 games.

And while coaches lauded the level, there were stretches where it was clear that the majority of the players had never been on the same team together. However, that kind of test is something that coaches look out for.

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“When they come to college, they won’t know many of the other players,” La Salle assistant coach Jamie Scott told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “They’ve got to go in there and look to make an impact as fast as possible...Some kids will play in their shell a little bit because they’re not used to not knowing anybody, they’re used to being around their buddies and friends. If these players can show quickly in a situation that’s normally an uncomfortable one, that’s great.”

Plenty of players managed to acquit themselves well in the short window of time. Forward Tziarra King (Winslow SC) showed good footwork and speed up front in the full-sided games. Defender Jaylyn Thompson (Penn Fusion) was solid and steady for her squad, anchoring the team at the back. Attacker Sydney Jones (FC Bucks) was another player to consistently show well. 

On the boys side, Dantae Greer (New York Red Bulls) looked solid in the small-sided drills, but flourished in the full field games, displaying good speed and finishing touch in front of goal. Midfielder Julian Stifano (Oakwood SC) showed a good left foot and offered a creative option in the middle, while left back Samuel Phelps (Penn Fusion) combined well with his new teammates, demonstrating a good motor patrolling up and down his flank. 

There were plenty of other success stories as well, as several players seemed to heed Scott’s message he shared with the players.

“The best advice I give them as a college coach is go in there and show us who you are,” he said. “If you’re an outside fullback who is tidy on the ball, plays simple, runs up and down, that’s the kind of player you should be. I don’t expect you to go in there as a No. 10 and try and play passes and through balls. Just don’t overcomplicate your game and show us your strengths.”

And on the day, Janezic was pleased with how things progressed with his group.

“One thing I always teach them is to have fun,” he said. “You’ve got to enjoy every moment; don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It was great to see how we came together and we fought hard to the end.”

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