Ortiz taken #3 in MISL college draft
LaSalle product selected by the New Jersey Ironmen
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Jeremy Ortiz
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For the third year in a row, a former Baron was selected in the Major Indoor Soccer League’s College Draft. This year, Jeremy Ortiz (LaSalle / Mt. Laurel, NJ) was taken with the third overall selection in the opening round by the New Jersey Ironmen. He joins former Barons teammate Matt Maher (Temple / Cape May, NJ), who was chosen in the first round of last year’s draft, on the expansion team’s roster.
Jeremy’s seasons in Ocean City were two of the most productive in club history. In 2006, he was named the Barons MVP after he led the team with eight goals and two assists (18 points) in 15 matches. For an encore in 2007, he duplicated those statistics and was a finalist for the MVP award. His 16 goals in 30 matches are the third highest career total in Barons history, and his 36 points are ranked fourth on the all-time list.
The Mt. Laurel native had an impressive career at LaSalle, where he was a four-year starter for the Explorers and a co-captain his senior year. In his sophomore season, he led the team in goals despite only appearing in 10 games due to injury. He also led all scorers as a junior, and of his three goals as a senior, two of them were game-winners. He finished his college career with 16 goals in 61 games.
Ortiz has also had a busy off season. In addition to attending the United Soccer Leagues’ College Player Showcase in Tampa, FL, he has been playing for the United German Hungarians (UGH), an amateur team who play in the United States Adult Soccer Association’s (USASA) United Soccer League (not to be confused with the "United Soccer Leagues" that the Barons are a part of). The Philadelphia-based club, which dates back to the 1920s, recently won the Eastern Pennsylvania championship, which qualifies them for the USASA Region I Finals. The winner and the runner-up of the regional tournament qualify for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Ortiz, who is playing alongside former Baron Tim O’Neill, scored the equalizing goal in the Eastern PA semifinals to help the club reach the championship game.
Tony Donatelli (Temple / Glenside, PA) began this string of Barons being drafted when he was taken in the first round by the Philadelphia Kixx in 2006. The following year, Donatelli’s college and Barons teammates, Matt Maher and Ryan Heins (Temple / Medford, NJ) were also selected in the opening round by New Jersey and Philadelphia, respectively.
For more information, visit the New Jersey Ironmen’s official website.
