Elon’s Thomas Invited to MLS Combine

ELON, N.C. – Elon senior forward Chris Thomas has been invited to participate in the 2013 adidas Major League Soccer Player Combine as announced by the league on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 11. Thomas becomes only the second player from Elon to be invited to the event, joining a list of 54 Division I seniors to partake in the combine, scheduled for Jan. 11-15, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

All invited players will be eligible for selection in 2013 SuperDraft presented by adidas, which will take place on January 17, in Indianapolis, Ind., at 12 p.m. ET.

“It’s an honor to be selected out of so many great players,” Thomas said. “I want to thank the coaches, the support staff and the Elon community for their support. I will try my best and hope everything goes well in Florida.”

Thomas joins Steven Kinney in 2009 as the only players from the Phoenix men’s soccer program to be invited to the combine. Kinney went on to be selected in the MLS SuperDraft and currently plays for the Chicago Fire.

“We are very excited for Chris to play in the combine games,” Elon head coach Darren Powell said. “We feel he has had a exceptional career at Elon and hope he can make the transition to the next level. The team wishes him well in all his future endeavors.”

A committee of NCAA Division I coaches from every conference, as well as MLS representatives, selected the invitees, all of whom completed their college eligibility this season. Generation adidas signings, non-collegiate players, and additional college seniors will be announced in the coming weeks.

The invited players will be divided into four separate teams that are led by prominent collegiate coaches and select youth coaches. Matches will be played as doubleheaders on January 11, 13 and 15, and will be closely monitored by technical staff from all 19 MLS clubs.

Thomas became the most prolific scorer in Elon men’s soccer history this season. He was an integral member of a Phoenix team that won 15 games and captured both the SoCon regular-season and tournament titles in the same year for the first time in school history and made its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Snellville, Ga., native set a single-season record by netting 23 goals and totaling 51 points, leading the nation in both categories. He became Elon’s all-time goal scorer on Oct. 2, in the Phoenix’s 3-2 upset win over then 18th-ranked West Virginia and had three game-winners against other ranked competition.

Thomas was named the SoCon Player of the Year for the second time in his career and garnered first team All-SoCon honors for the second as well. He was recently a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy and named an All-American by both the NSCAA and College Soccer News. He also made the All-South Region first team.

On the year, Thomas had nine game-winning scores and seven multi-goal games. He had 67 percent of the Phoenix’s goals this season and added two more in SoCon postseason play to earn a spot on the SoCon All-Tournament team. He was also the league’s Player of the Month for September and October and a three-time recipient of the conference’s weekly award. He received national accolades as well from CSN and the NSCAA by naming him its National Player of the Week after the Phoenix’s 2-0 upset of then sixth-ranked Charlotte on Sept. 22, in which Thomas scored both goals.

Thomas concluded his four-year career with the maroon and gold with 53 goals, 116 total points and 18 game-winners.

Tickets will be available to the public for $10 on the day of the games at the Central Broward Regional Park box office and include admission to both matches that day.