Matt Van Oekel
Encyclopedia
James Matthew "Matt" Van Oekel (born September 20, 1986 in Chesapeake, Virginia
) is an American
soccer player currently playing for NSC Minnesota Stars
in the North American Soccer League.
at Longwood University
before transferring to Rutgers in his sophomore year. With Rutgers, he played in 47 games and earned 20 wins.
He made his professional on September 13, 2009, in 1-1 tie with Montreal Impact
., and was released at the end of the season when the Thunder failed, before being picked up by their successor NSC Minnesota Stars
, in April 2010.
NSC Minnesota Stars, now playing in the North American Soccer League
, re-signed Van Oekel for the 2011 season on March 11, 2011.
Chesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player currently playing for NSC Minnesota Stars
NSC Minnesota Stars
The NSC Minnesota Stars is an American professional soccer team based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
in the North American Soccer League.
Youth and College
Van Oekel played one year of college soccerCollege soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at Longwood University
Longwood University
Longwood University is a four-year public, liberal-arts university located in Farmville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 and became a university on July 1, 2002...
before transferring to Rutgers in his sophomore year. With Rutgers, he played in 47 games and earned 20 wins.
Professional
Van Oekel signed with Minnesota out of college in 2008, after impressing staff at the Thunder combine in February 2008.He made his professional on September 13, 2009, in 1-1 tie with Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
., and was released at the end of the season when the Thunder failed, before being picked up by their successor NSC Minnesota Stars
NSC Minnesota Stars
The NSC Minnesota Stars is an American professional soccer team based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
, in April 2010.
NSC Minnesota Stars, now playing in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League (2010)
The North American Soccer League is a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico which began league play on April 9, 2011. It has been provisionally sanctioned as the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer in the...
, re-signed Van Oekel for the 2011 season on March 11, 2011.