"MVNC Adds Olathe South Standout to Men's Soccer Team"

written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director

   The Mount Vernon Nazarene College men's soccer team has landed its first recruit for the 2002 season as the Cougars have announced the signing of Shawn Morrison.

   Morrison, a defender/midfielder from Olathe, Kansas, led Olathe South High School to an 11-7 record in 2001 and a win in the regional semifinals after posting a victory in the regional finals the year before.

   Morrison, who was a four-year starter at Olathe South, was the team captain as a senior. He was also selected as the Olathe South Defensive Player of the Year twice, and was named to the All-Olathe Tournament Team and the All-Olathe High School Team in 2001. In addition, he was chosen to play in the Kansas-Missouri All-Star Soccer Game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

   In addition to playing on his high school team, Morrison was very active in club soccer. This past January, he played in the National Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, and he also was a member of the Gold Cup championship team in May.

   "Signing Shawn is a great start to our recruiting class for 2002," said MVNC head coach Paul Furey. "He is another excellent fit for our program and institution with a solid church background, strong academic interest, and outstanding soccer experience. I had a good feeling about him when we met initially, and I am glad the feeling was mutual after his visit with us."

   "Shawn will be a nice addition to our midfield and bring more depth to our already secure back line," Furey added. "He has defensive tenacity with very sound technical ability to go forward or to distribute from the middle. Losing only two seniors, we are very selective of who we would like to bring in, and Shawn is certainly the caliber of player we were looking for."

   Besides playing soccer, Morrison is active in the youth group at College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe. He is an honor roll student and received a student leadership award in 1998. He was also a member of the basketball team in 1998.

   "There are many reasons why I have chosen to attend MVNC," said Morrison of his college choice. "I wanted to go to a Christian college where I would be able to grow spiritually, have fun, and play on a really great soccer team."

   The Cougars are coming off a 14-6-2 season in 2001. The team advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA Region IX Tournament for the second straight year, and MVNC also finished fifth in the highly-competitive American Mideast Conference with an 11-4-1 conference mark.