Three Mustangs Playing in Men's Soccer Premier League
OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Stevenson men's soccer juniors Josh Danza (Pasadena/Archbishop Spaulding) and Ayinde Akinbinu (Bowie/Bowie) and sophomore Ansger Otto (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) are playing in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a semi-pro league comprised of premier high school, college and former professional players.
Danza and Akinbinu are members of the TSC Maryland Red Devils while Otto plays for the New Jersey Blaze.
The NPSL is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the ruling body for soccer in the United States, and FIFA, the world's ruling body for soccer.
The league is considered to be at the fourth tier of competition in the United States behind Major League Soccer, USSF Division 2 and the USL Second Division.
In the NPSL, all current NCAA players will be able to play soccer at an elite level and continue to maintain their eligibility while incoming NCAA players can impress college scouts and coaches alike.
Danza appeared in 18 of Stevenson's 23 games last season, making eight starts and totaling seven points on three goals and one assist. A two-time CAC All-Academic selection, he played in 17 games as a freshman in 2008 and had three assists.
In addition to playing for the TSC Maryland Red Devils, Danza played in the USASA U23 National Championship in Kansas July 22-25 as a member of FC Maryland who received the Region I bid by winning the USASA Regional Championship in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Otto was named the CAC and ECAC Division III South Rookie of the Year in 2009 after leading the Mustangs with nine goals and 22 points. He was also named to the All-CAC First Team and is in his second season in the NPSL after competing for the Morris County Colonials (NJ) a year ago.
Akinbinu appeared in 21 games for Stevenson in 2009, making three starts and scoring his first career goal on a penalty kick in a 6-1 victory at Penn State Harrisburg on September 15. In two seasons with the Mustangs, he has played in 36 of the team's 41 games with four starts.
