LAUDERDALE, Fla. – University of North Carolina forward Andy Craven can’t quite remember the exact moment that launched his soccer career, but he’s heard the story enough times from family members to know it by heart.
It was 1996.
Craven was just 4 years old, and he and his family were sitting in front of the TV set at their home in St. Simons Island, Ga. On the screen were Columbus Crew SC and D.C. United, playing at Ohio Stadium on April 13, 1996, in one of the first matches in MLS history.
Columbus romped over D.C. that night, beating the eventual champions 4-0 behind a brace from former Crew, Fire and USMNT legend Brian McBride.
One of McBride’s goals (watch video above) made a particularly big impact on the Craven family, serving as the impetus for Andy and his older brother to really dive into the sport.
“[McBride] took down a punt from the goalkeeper and then he headed it over the defender and ran onto it before it ever hit the ground and smashed a volley in,” Craven recalled to MLSsoccer.com on Saturday afternoon. “For whatever reason, that play was kind of instrumental to my family being soccer players and soccer fans.”
A finalist for the 2014 MAC Hermann Trophy, given to the top player in college soccer, Craven might have a chance to make his own impression on the next generation of MLS fans very soon after becoming one of 12 college seniors to sign with the league ahead of Thursday's SuperDraft.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound striker arrived at the 2015 adidas MLS Player Combine on Saturday, one day after attending the Hermann Trophy ceremony in St. Louis. He played in his first Combine game on Sunday, putting in an active shift for Team adiZero in their 2-0 loss to Team Nitro Charge.
Like many Combine attendees, Craven hasn’t had the smoothest road to South Florida. When he was young, he and his parents had to trek more than 150 miles round-trip several times a week from St. Simons – which is also the hometown of Women’s Hermann winner and US women’s national teamer Morgan Brian – to Jacksonville so he could play for a high-level club team.
He parlayed his experience in Jacksonville into an invitation to the US Soccer’s residency program, spending five semesters of high school with the national team before heading to the College of Charleston.
He only lasted two years at Charleston, scoring at a solid clip but suffering through injury issues. His time in the training room made him realize how much he appreciated the game, motivating him to transfer to a more traditional soccer program to further his career.
“I had taken a couple of injuries and realized my passion for the game,” he said. “I wanted to strive to a new level and a new height, and I knew I’d be able to get that if I were able to find a top-25 program to go to. Thankfully, North Carolina was interested.”
Craven moved to UNC ahead of the 2012 season. He found immediate success there, scoring six goals and notching five assists in his first year in Chapel Hill. After missing 2013 due to an injury suffered in preseason, Craven returned with a vengeance in 2014, recording 15 goals and five assists for the Tar Heels.
His transfer, injuries and the long drives from St. Simons have all forced Craven to adapt quickly to new situations, something that he thinks will serve him well at the next level.
“I’m just stoked to be here honestly,” he said. “I don’t want to come in with too many expectations, none of that, I’m trying to just focus on my game, focus on playing and enjoying the game I love.
“Of course, in the back of my head I know that this is kind of a cutthroat situation. I feel like I’m fully prepared for it; I trained the past few months to be ready for it. I’ve joined plenty of new teams before, so I’m not nervous like I might have been the first time I did that. I’m just excited for something new, excited for that next chapter.”
