Doherty gets head start

[Brad]

Doherty gets head start

By Jim Stout THE NEWS-TIMES

Jim Stout/The News-Times

Marc Doherty, right, graduted from Newtown early in December, and spent this spring training at and attending the University of South Florida.

NEWTOWN – The graduating class of 2006 at Newtown High has plenty to look forward to this fall.

Marc Doherty is no exception.

Doherty, however, enjoys a markedly difference perspective than most of his Newtown classmates. Instead of entering college for the first time, Doherty is headed back to college and back to a Division I soccer career that is already well underway.

Doherty, a Parade Magazine and NSCAA All-America midfielder at Newtown last fall, is on summer break from his accelerated first semester at the University of South Florida and its nationally-ranked soccer program.

Because he had already fulfilled his high school academic obligations by last December, Doherty enrolled early at USF for the Spring 2006 semester. That allowed him to begin preparing for his freshman year by playing with coach George Keifer's South Florida Bulls during their non-traditional spring season.

Though spring college soccer is less intensive than its fall, full-season version, Doherty experienced a far higher level of training and competition than he'd ever been exposed to previously. The experience included two starts in his familiar recessed midfield position against the United States U-17 national team and the University of Virginia, and appearances off the bench against Wake Forest and Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards and Columbus Crew.  

Just as importantly, Doherty became acclimated in advance with the overall soccer and academic rigors of college, and put his first five college courses behind him, gaining a 3.35 grade point average in the process.

"It was a great and unique opportunity that both myself and my family thought was worth taking advantage of," said Doherty.

"We balanced things out between me staying (in Newtown) and training on my own and getting a job for the spring or going down to South Florida (in Tampa) and getting started with college. Meeting the team and training with the team and getting a head start with classes and playing against MLS teams and other top college teams seemed like a good idea.

"There were times when I'd be laying awake at night in my dorm room wondering what my friends back in high school were doing," he added, "but you get past that. Most of the time you're so busy, you don't really have time to think anything."

Doherty's life wasn't totally void of friends from Newtown. In the Wake Forest spring game, he was matched up directly against his former Newtown teammate, midfielder/forward Marcus Tracy, who will be entering his sophomore season at the Atlantic Coast Conference school.

South Florida, 13-6-2 a year ago, reached the Big East Conference tournament championship in 2005 – losing 1-0 at UConn in the final – and the second round of the NCAA Division I tournament.

"It was kind of weird at first going against Marcus," said Doherty, "but you just go and do what you have to do. He was coming off that (leg) injury that he had at Wake as a freshman, but he's always a threat."

Though the instant step up from high school to college soccer was a major challenge for Doherty, he had a number of assets working on his side, not the least of which was his skill and tactical understanding of the game. Having played in the U.S. Region I program previously gave him experience needed against the other high-level national team candidates on opposing teams.

Then there was the USF program itself, which resembled in many ways the components Doherty was used to seeing at Newtown. That's because Keifer, South Florida's fifth-year coach, and Newtown coach Brian Neumeyer grew up together on Long Island and played soccer at Southern Connecticut State under then-coach Ray Reid. Keifer later followed Reid to UConn to become an assistant coach before landing the USF job.

"I really like Coach Keifer," said Doherty. "He has a tremendous drive to win, which is something I've always felt and was always exposed to at Newtown. He's a lot like Brian. They have the same training philosophies and routines and think a lot alike."

Among Doherty's new freshman teammates at South Florida will be three players who have spent time in the U.S. Residency Program at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and two who have played as high up as the U.S. U-20 team. Several older players who have served with the national team of Trinidad & Tobago also mark the South Florida roster.

Among the scheduling trips USF will be making this fall is an Oct. 21 Big East date in New York against perennial national championship contender St. John's.

"Hopefully, with the decision to go (to college) early, I'll have a better opportunity to get a starting spot as a freshman and play more minutes," said Doherty. "It's obviously very competitive, so anything you can do should help. I feel better and more confident already knowing what it's all about. "

"Marc handled himself on the field very well this spring," said Keifer. "I think he will be a solid contributor in his first (full) year. It helps that he was with Brian (Neumeyer) in high school because we play the same style and same system, and our backgrounds are similar. I'm sure that helped Marc with the transition."

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[Ricky the Bull]

Great PR for our soccer program in that area!

[Greg Auman]

Kiefer has great ties in Connecticut. I was talking to Doherty's high school coach when I did a story on his coming to USF this spring, and I asked him if he knew Kiefer from his days at Connecticut. "Well, he was in my wedding," Brian Neumeyer said.

[Kyle]

I cant wait for the soccer season to start...this team is stacked.

[BULLfreak]

USF soccer = 2006 NCAA National Champs

[TyBull]

I cant wait for the soccer season to start...this team is stacked.

The womens team?

[Kyle]

The womens team?

The Men's team.

[Minotaur]

If I liked soccer I would be giddy, as it is I am just excited about the Red Division Champions loading up to push the rest of those Big East pansies around. I mean they don't have a chance. Over the next 3 years USF soccer will kick some @#$%^&*()

AW NUTS!!

[smazza]

sounds like a great kid