37 Commit to College Soccer

The
Chicago Fire have confirmed 37 player development alumni that have committed to
college soccer programs throughout the United States. From Big Ten schools,
such as Northwestern and Wisconsin to the Ivy League with Princeton and Yale,
Fire development players will be making the mark at colleges across the country
this fall.

“It’s
an incredible amount of players to have to commit to so many top schools,” said
Fire Director of Player Development John Dorn. “The last few months have been a
great testament to the club’s long-lasting dedication to player development.”

Among
the Fire’s commitments were the club’s first two youth signees, both from
Naperville, IL: Chris Prince (Naperville Central HS; committed to Wisconsin)
and Bryan Ciesiulka (Nequa Valley HS; Marquette) -- both joined the Fire
Academy in Fall 2007.

“Both
guys have been with us since the beginning with Fire Juniors,” said Academy
Director Larry Sunderland. “They’ve come through a deep, talented group of
players and made their mark. Overall we’re just proud of all the guys that
signed this past week.”

Leading
the Fire charge was Bradley University, signing three developmental players,
all from Nequa Valley High School: defender Keegan Balle, striker Scott Davis
and midfielder Zach Kovacevic.

While
many will be staying in the Chicagoland area, players like Cody Wilkins and
Billy McGuiness are headed to Ivy League schools, Yale and Princeton
respectively.

 ”It’s a good mix of schools for kids to go to,” said Sunderland. “We’re excited
to see how they progress in their college careers.”

Below
is a list of all player commitments: