Nelson Akwari Class: Senior Hometown: Houston, TX High School: Strake Jesuit College Prep Height / Weight: 5-11 / 180 Position: Defender Birthdate: 02/04/1982 Experience: 1V

2001 — Second-team NSCAA All-Far West and All-Pac-10 selection … Earned first-team Academic All-Pac-10 honors … Key member of a UCLA defense that recorded nine shutouts and held eight teams to 10 shots or less in a game … Made two backline saves to help preserve the shutout at San Diego in the NCAA second round … Earned all-tournament honors at both the Virginia Soccer Classic and the UCLA Pacific Soccer Classic … Pre-season honorable mention All-American by CollegeSoccer.com … Team co-captain … One of just three players to start all 23 games for the Bruins … Captain of the U.S. U-20 World Youth Championship team … Played every minute of every international with the U-20s since joining the team in 2000 … Has amassed nearly 75 career caps with the various youth national teams.

2000 — Honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection … One of just three UCLA players to start all 19 games … Had a season-high four shots versus Cal Nov. 12 … Helped lead the Bruins to six shutouts.

High School — Member of U.S. National Teams since making his international debut with the Under-16 team in May of 1997 … Played with the U-23s at the Pan American Games, helping the team earn a bronze medal … Also a member of the U.S. U-20 National Team … Team co-captain of the U-17 National Team which finished a national-best fourth at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championships … Scored a goal against El Salvador and Mali in 1999 for the U-17 team and has three career goals with the team … Played every minute during the USA’s qualification tournament for the World Championships … Named the Best Defensive Player at the Salerno Tournament in May 1998 … Lettered four years at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory under coach Bill McDonald … Selected the 1999 NSCAA National High School Player of the Year and a two-time NSCAA State Player of the Year … Named the 2000 Parade Magazine National Co-Player of the Year and the 1999-2000 Gatorade State Player of the Year … Two-time NSCAA High School All-American … First-team Parade All-American in 1999 … Texas High School Player of the Year in 1998 after leading his team to the state championship … October 1999 Sports Illustrated/Old Spice Athlete of the Month … Played club soccer with the Houston Texans, Texas state champions for five consecutive years and the regional champions in 1995 … Ran the 400m on the track and field team one season.

Personal — His biggest athletic thrill was co-captaining the U.S. team at the U-17 World Championships … Admires Nigerian National Team member Nwankwo Kanu … Hobbies are reading sports magazines and watching soccer … Member of the National Honor Society … Father William played soccer at USC … Full name is Nelson Ndukwe Akwari … Born February 4, 1982 in Houston, TX … Pre-Business-Economics major.

Career Statistics