April 27, 2010

Story courtesy of Montreat College

Shaka Bangura, a senior at Montreat College (N.C.) and the leading scorer for the Cavalier men’s soccer team for the past two seasons, has joined the Puerto Rico Islanders team in the United Soccer Leagues (USL).  Bangura signed a one-year contract on March 30 and will play for the Islanders with an option for a second season.

Bangura parlayed a superior final campaign with Montreat into tryouts with MLS squads such as the Seattle Sounders and D.C. United before joining Puerto Rico.  A two-time Player of the Year in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, Bangura cited his time in Montreat as pivotal to his development into a professional.

“Coaches [Brenton] Benware and [Josh] Riccardi honed my fitness and skill level and taught me how to be a leader on and off the playing field,” said Bangura, who will graduate from Montreat College in May 2010.  He also noted the international make-up of his new team and drew comparisons to his time as a Cavalier.

“My teammates are from England, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Liberia and the U.S.  Honestly, the quality of the teammates I had at Montreat – who are from America and Brazil and Jamaica and Africa - and those I played against in the AAC prepared me for competition at this level.”

And the competition is unrelenting: it’s typical for Bangura to attend three practices a day and squeeze in meals between training sessions.  The practice is yielding dividends already as the former AAC Golden Boot winner (awarded to the league’s top goal scorer) provided an assist in the team’s final exhibition game and contributed as Puerto Rico opened their regular season with a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Stars on April 21 on their home field in Bayamon.

Benware was not surprised at Bangura’s rapid advancement to the professional level, but he was proud of the dual effort the former Montreat star is making: “I'm most proud of Shaka for his dedication towards completing his undergraduate studies and for working an unmatched number of hours to pursue his professional soccer dream."

Montreat College is a Christ-centered liberal arts institution with its main campus for four-year traditional students in Montreat.  The accelerated School of Professional and Adult Studies program has campuses in Asheville, Charlotte, and Black Mountain.