“He’s an exciting fullback who can overlap well and deliver dangerous crosses,” Galarcep’s scouting report said. “He’ll be in MLS by 2011 and is one of the most exciting college prospects around. He’s our long shot young player on the squad.”
Sarkodie, who plays for the No. 1 team in the nation according to the soccer RPI rankings and every poll, thought the blog mention was “really, really cool.”
“To me it was fantastic that he put me in there,” Sarkodie said. “It’s really a big honor, and I was extremely happy and proud to have my name mentioned with such talented guys.
“But the pool of players is so large, so you never know. It’s a tough road, and I still have a lot of work to do.”
So does his team. Sarkodie, in what could be his final college season depending on what professional options emerge, is focused on helping Akron make another deep NCAA tournament run, maybe win it this time. The Zips came so close last season, losing to North Carolina on penalty kicks in the championship game. They are 12-0-1 and their 32-game home unbeaten streak dating to 2008 is the fourth-longest run of its kind in NCAA history.
It was Sarkodie’s goal against Tulsa that vaulted Akron into the Final Four a year ago. While that remains a personal highlight, it has company now in the form of his first career hat trick, which gave him seven goals for the season, second on the team.
Soccer runs in the family. Sarkodie, a biology major who is taking four classes this semester, including physics, spent the balance of his high school days at the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla., just as his brother Ofori, who went on to star at Indiana, had done. Eldest brother Kwame played at Cincinnati.
“My brothers were an inspiration,” Kofi said.
And there is another Sarkodie in the pipeline. Sister Mimi’s skill at St. Peter’s Catholic School is said to be off the charts for a seventh-grader.
“Over the summer, when I was home training with Ofori, we were doing a drill and we told Mimi she wouldn’t be able to do it,” Kofi said, laughing. “Next thing I know she’s doing the same drill! She really excelled. I was so impressed.”
Campus tour
• Sophomore quarterback Chase Belton (Northmont)
threw a 75-yard touchdown pass against Oberlin and was in the midst of perhaps his best college game Saturday when he was sidelined by injury for the second week in a row. Belton had been cleared to play after suffering a concussion the previous week, but he was removed in the first half as a precaution following a hard hit. It was unclear whether he would be available for today’s game against Denison. The Little Giants are 5-1, 3-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
• Alee Everman (Centerville), a key member of the Robert Morris University women's golf team as a freshman, tied for 10th with a score of 76-78—154 at the University of Dayton Invitational in Kettering this week. RMU placed sixth overall.
If you have news of an area athlete competing in college, please send an e-mail to smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com or call (937) 225-2408.