YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Former Young Harris College men's soccer players Samuel Mansour and Khurram Shazad have both signed to play professionally in Austria.
The duo signed to play for the WSG Swarovski Wattens, which plays in the third division in Austria. The Wattens are currently in second place at the midway point of their season.
"I am delighted for Khurram and Samuel to have fulfilled their dreams of signing a professional contract in Austria," said Young Harris head coach Mark McKeever. "What we are trying to achieve here with the YHC men's soccer program is to allow players to develop and move onto the next level (professional).
"I have a strong feeling that there will be more to follow in the near and distant future," added McKeever. "This is proof of the high caliber of soccer player that is coming through Young Harris College. It is important to us that our student-athletes will leave Young Harris College with an opportunity to become a professional, for some that will be in employment and for many it will lead to professional soccer contracts."
Shazad, a 5-foot-7 forward from Halifax, England, was named the NSCAA Division II All-America second team in 2014. Shazad was also named to the All-Peach Belt Conference team for a second time in a row and was named to the NSCAA NCAA Division All-Southeast Region team last fall. Shazad, who was named to the Daktronics All-Southeast Region second team in 2014, was second in the Peach Belt with 27 points and third with 12 goals. Shazad also added five assists and was third in the league and 23rd nationally with four match-winning goals.
"Coming to YHC gave me the opportunity to reach the next level in my career and play at the professional level as well as the highest standard of soccer in the US," said Shazad. "Because of my time at YHC, I'm now able to prove and show my abilities at the professional level and reach my full potential. The level of coaching and training at YHC is of the highest level as you are working with quality coaches. They have great influence on you at your time at YHC, both on and off the field."
Mansour, a 6-3 defender from Paris, France, was recognized for a second straight season as an all-conference selection and was a first-team NSCAA Division II and Daktronics All-Southeast Region performer in 2014. Mansour, who had an assist this season, was part of a Mountain Lions defense that registered 10 shutouts and was ranked 16th in NCAA Division II with a 0.48 shutout percentage and 25th with a 0.84 goals-against average.
"I was at Young Harris College for two and a half years," said Mansour. "Since I've been there, many people have been asking me how is it to play soccer in the middle of the North Georgia mountains. My answer is the same every time - Young Harris is simply the best place to focus not only on soccer, but also on school. Young Harris allowed me to develop every aspect of my game with great coaches and great facilities."
The fifth-ranked Mountain Lions enjoyed their finest season in the program's history with a 19-1-1 mark. 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).
