Dec. 3, 2004

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C - Wake Forest senior Amir Lowery, James Riley and Scott Sealy were three of the 66 seniors chosen to participate in the adidas Major League Soccer (MLS) Combine being held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., Jan. 8-11, 2005.

The Demon Deacons had the second most players chosen to participate of any team in the country. Of the entire pool of players, 11 were from the ACC and 14 others were on teams that Wake Forest faced this season.

MLS general managers and members of all 12 MLS coaching staffs will be in attendance to scout talent at the event leading up to the 2005 MLS SuperDraft. The adidas MLS Player Combine will take place just a few days before the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, which will be held in Baltimore, Maryland on Friday, January 14 in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. Last year a total of 42 players who participated in the Player Combine were eventually selected in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft, in which a total of 60 players were drafted.

Lowery, a midfielder from Washington, D.C, was named second team All-ACC each of the past two seasons. A rugged and durable player, Lowery started every single match over his last three years in a Demon Deacon uniform -- a streak of 62 consecutive starts. Lowery was recently the recipient of the Walt Chyzowych Award, which is presented annually to the player who most typifies what it means to be a Wake Forest men's soccer played through hard work, determination and season-long effort.

Riley, a defender from Colorado Springs, Colo., ended his Wake Forest career as one of the most versatile and consistent players in program history. Riley seamlessly played in the back or midfield and still remain one of the top players in the ACC. Riley played in 82 games for the Deacs and started 79 of them. During his career, Riley totaled 22 points on three goals and 16 assists. He is tied for 11th place on the all-time assists chart in Wake Forest history.

Sealy, a native of Petit Valley, Trinidad, is one of the most prolific scorers in Wake Forest history. He closed his Demon Deacon career second all-time in goals (43) and points (108). Sealy also finished in a tie for fourth place on the all-time assists chart with 22. He led Wake Forest in 2004 with 17 goals, 10 assists and 44 points. For his effort, he was named 2004 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and first team All-ACC. Sealy was named All-ACC second team in 2003. An All-American candidate, Sealy was named ACC Player of the Week and Soccer America Team of the Week on two occasions this season.

The field of players was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches in conjunction with MLS coaches and the consultation of select Division II, Division III and NAIA coaches. A total of 47 colleges will be represented, including teams from Division I, Division II, Division III and the NAIA.

The 2005 adidas MLS Player Combine will feature doubleheaders at The Home Depot Center on the mornings of January 9, 10 and 11 at 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. local time. Players will arrive on January 8 and participate in organizational training sessions that same afternoon at The Home Depot Center.

For the second consecutive year, collegiate coaches will be selected to manage the squads during the course of the three-day competition. The names of the coaches and any alternate call-ups will be released at a later date.

-- WakeForestSports.com --