TORONTO—Friday, February 9—Canadian national team player Robbie Aristodemo, considered one of the brightest young prospects in Canadian soccer, has been picked-up by the Toronto Lynx in the A-League college draft. The Lynx protected the diminutive midfielder from the University of Tulsa, along with David Clemente, a goalkeeper from the University of Alabama and Niki Budalich, a midfielder with James Madison University in Harrisonburg Va.
The A-League draft is an original list of the best 225 players attending universities and colleges mostly in the United States. Major League Soccer (MLS) drafts a number of players, but the majority are taken by the 21 A-League teams. The Lynx took Aristodemo, 23, by virtue of the Toronto team’ s territorial rights with Canadian players and although Clemente and Budalich are Canadians, they were secured on an open draft.
Many consider Aristodemo to be destined for Europe now that he has completed the four-year course at the University of Tulsa. He has been a prominent player with four Canadian national teams, including the Olympic squad and 10 caps for the full national side under Holger Osieck. His great speed and sparkling ball control stamps the Etobicoke, Ontario-born player as a standout playmaker, but he can also take on an attacking role who knows how to find the net.
Clemente from Brampton
David Clemente is an impressive 6 feet 2 inches at 210 lb. with a goalkeeping style that seems to leave very little net to shoot at. This accounts for a season goals-against-average of just 1.00 with the UAB Blazers and a career GAA 1.17. He was named to the All Conference USA team last year after being named Player of the Year. In 1999, Clemente was team captain and earned second team Conference USA honours.
Nikola Budalich
Nikola (Niki) Budalich, is a 23 year-old midfielder, sometimes forward from Kitchener, Ontario with a host of honours in southern Ontario before attending James Madison University where he has excelled as a goalscorer. He was the Rookie of the Year there in 1997 and earned All CAA honours in 1998 and 1999. In Canada, he was a member of the under-16 Canadian national squad in 1994 and was selected for Ontario honours against Cuba in 1993, Trinidad & Tobago in 1992 and represented a London Select side to play in Italy in 1992. He was a member of the impressive Oakville Winstars OYSL championship team in 1996, won the Robbie Tournament that same year and went to the quarter-finals of the Dallas Cup.
Toronto Lynx coach and GM, Peter Pinizzotto, has 14 days in which to sign any or all of the players he has drafted.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL STAN ADAMSON AT (416) 251-4625 EX 25
Toronto Lynx Pro Soccer Club Inc.
100 The East Mall, Suite 11
Toronto, Ontario
M8Z 5X2
Phone: 416-251-GOAL (4625)
Fax: 416-251-7054
Web Site: www.lynxsoccer.com
