UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; December 14, 2006 - Senior forward Simon Omekanda (Rochester Hills, Mich.) has received an invitation to participate in the 2007 adidas Major League Soccer (MLS) Player Combine to be held Jan. 5-8 at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

The list of 58 combine participants was selected by a panel of Division I coaches representing all conferences. The college coaches nominated and voted for players in conjunction with the MLS coaches. At the combine, the players will be separated into four teams and play doubleheaders on Jan. 5, 6 and 8 at Lockhart Stadium.

While at Penn State, Simon Omekanda established himself as one of the Big Ten's top threats on the attack. The lone survivor of a plague of injuries that decimated the starting front line in 2006, he was counted on heavily to supply offensive firepower. The two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection delivered, leading Penn State in nearly every offensive statistical category, including goals (5), assists (4), points (14), shots (61), and shots on goal (28). One of his team-high three game-winning goals propelled Penn State past Northwestern in a double overtime Big Ten Championship opening round contest. Omekanda totaled 20 goals as a Nittany Lion and his 26 career assists places him sixth on Penn State's all-time list.

The coaching staffs and general managers from all 13 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2007 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes four days before the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. The 2007 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Fri., Jan. 12, 2007 in Indianapolis, Ind., in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention. Of the 48 players selected in the four rounds of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, 23 had participated in the 2006 adidas MLS Player Combine.