PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Timbers U-23s today announced the addition of four more players to their roster for the upcoming Premier Development League (PDL) season. Forward Mark Sherrod and midfielder Eric Miller return for a second season, while midfielder Reinaldo Brenes and forward Zack Foxhoven join the team.
Sherrod assembled a standout PDL campaign in 2012, ranking among league leaders in goal scoring and being named to the PDL All-League team. Miller, a member of the U.S. U-20 National Team, along with Brenes and Foxhoven all helped lead their respective colleges to the NCAA tournament last season.
Sherrod (Knoxville, Tenn.) was the Timbers U-23s leading scorer last season with 10 goals in 16 matches and was named to both the PDL All-League and PDL All-Western Conference teams. He recently finished his junior season at the University of Memphis, compiling 12 goals in 18 matches, including three game-winners. In total, Sherrod has tallied 35 goals in 53 appearances at Memphis, including a 19-goal sophomore season in 2011 in which he set the school’s single-season record for goals scored. He has garnered numerous accolades, including All-Conference USA first team and C-USA Offensive Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons.
Miller (Woodbury, Minn.) rejoins the Timbers U-23s for a second PDL season after helping Creighton University to the 2012 NCAA College Cup and the U.S. U-20 National Team recently qualify for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. At Creighton, Miller earned All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team honors as a sophomore in 2012, starting 19 matches and logging one goal and one assist. He has been a regular contributor for the Bluejays, appearing in 43 games (41 starts) in his first two collegiate seasons. He earned seven caps with the U.S. U-20 National Team in 2012, and played for the United States during the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship tournament.
Brenes, born in San José, Costa Rica, had a breakout junior season at the University of Akron in 2012. He scored a Mid-American Conference-best 11 goals, including four game-winning strikes and recording a hat trick against Buffalo on Sept. 29. Brenes, who helped lead Akron to the third round of the NCAA tournament, was a two-time All-MAC Player of the Week, earned all-conference first-team honors and was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-America first team last season. He has appeared in 43 career games at Akron, totaling 12 goals and seven assists. Prior to Akron, Brenes was a member of the Costa Rica U-17 and U-18 National Teams and attended Edison Academic Center in Florida.
Foxhoven (Littleton, Colo.) played his first season at the University of Louisville – his junior season – last fall, helping the team make a run to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. He ranked among the Cardinals leading scorers with five goals in 20 games and tallied four of his goals in substitute appearances. Foxhoven played his first two collegiate seasons at UCLA, where he made 31 appearances and registered four assists. He has represented the United States at multiple youth levels, and was a member of the player pools for both the U.S. U-18 (2009) and U-17 (2007-08) National Teams.
With today’s transactions, the Timbers U-23s have eight players on their 2013 roster.
Portland plays host to Seattle Sounders FC U-23 in its 2013 PDL season opener Thursday, May 16, as part of a Providence Health & Fitness Day at JELD-WEN Field at 11 a.m. (Pacific).
ABOUT TIMBERS U-23s
Founded Nov. 11, 2008, the Portland Timbers U-23s, presented by Billups Worldwide, is an amateur team affiliated with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer and serves as the top development platform for the club's first team. The Timbers U-23s consist of standout players from collegiate and youth programs from Oregon, the Northwest and throughout the country, and competes in United Soccer Leagues’ Premier Development League (PDL). Since their founding, five Timbers U-23s players have signed with the first team, including goalkeeper Jake Gleeson and defender Ryan Kawulok and Timbers Homegrown Players Steven Evans and Brent Richards. The Timbers U-23s assembled an historic campaign in 2010, posting a perfect 16-0-0 record during the regular season on their way to becoming the first undefeated champion in PDL history.
