YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Former Young Harris College men's soccer player Niall McCabe has signed to play professionally with the Louisville City FC.
The Louisville City FC is located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are members of the United Soccer League's Eastern Conference. Louisville City opens its 2015 schedule with a home match March 28 against the Saint Louis FC.
McCabe, who graduate from Young Harris last May is the third former YHC men's soccer player to sign a professional contract. Samuel Mansour and Khurram Shazad both signed last month to play professionally in Austria.
"Niall McCabe is the player who set the standards for the Young Harris College men's soccer program," said Young Harris head coach Mark McKeever. "He is a player that could have played anywhere in the country but decided he wanted to stay at YHC, even though the period where the team was not able to play in postseason events due to the NCAA membership process. However, Niall's loyalty and commitment to me and this team has given him the just reward and helped him fulfill his dream of becoming a professional soccer player. He is going to a great coach and a great set up at Louisville City and I am delighted for him."
McCabe, a 5-foot 10 midfielder from Dublin, Ireland, was named to the All-Peach Belt Conference second team in 2013 after being named to the first team in 2012. McCabe, who was an NSCAA All-Southeast Region first-team selection in 2013 and a third-team selection in 2012, was named the Peach Belt Player of the Week and the NSCAA National Division II Player of the Week in October 2013, led the Peach Belt as a senior with 17 assists, and finished second in points with 40 and fourth in goals with 11.
McCabe led the Mountain Lions in 2012 with 15 goals, 10 assists and 40 points as he picked up the Peach Belt's Golden Ball Award, which went to the top goal scorer in the league. For his career, McCabe played in 62 matches and scored 32 goals and assisted on 31 others for a total of 95 points. He is tied for the college's all-time (NCAA era) lead in assists and second in goals and points.
"When I first spoke to Coach McKeever he spoke to me about his plan on taking the program forward and where he wanted me to go," said McCabe. "The plan between us was to always try to get to the next level wherever that would turn out to be. I had options to go somewhere else and play, but I chose to stay at YHC because I believed in coach's plan for the team and his plan for me moving to Young Harris gave me the opportunity to grow and develop my game due to the high level of coaching and facilities."
The fifth-ranked Mountain Lions enjoyed their finest season in the program's history with a 19-1-1 mark in 2014. Young Harris made the program's first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 2014, advancing to the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Lynn University.
The Mountain Lions captured their second consecutive Peach Belt Conference title this season with another perfect 9-0-0 league ledger and won their first Peach Belt Conference Tournament crown when they defeated the University of South Carolina Aiken 1-0 in overtime in the title match.
As a team, Young Harris finished second in NCAA Division II in assists per match (3.05), points per match (10.48), scoring offense (3.71 goals per match), total assists (64), total goals (78) and winning percentage (.929), and third in total points (220).
