DePaul University Athletics
Hopkins, Vroom Pursue Dream of Pro Soccer
12/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S SOCCER
CHICAGO - Patrick Hopkins and Steffen Vroom are ready for the next step in their soccer careers.
The Blue Demon seniors were in Cary, N.C. on Tuesday at an invitation-only, three-day tryout with the Carolina RailHawks of the newly formed North American Soccer League.
"You could be offered a contract right after the tryouts or get invited to their training camp," Hopkins said before leaving on Monday. "They want to see how you fit in with the players they already have.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity. It's been a dream of mine ever since I was little to play pro soccer. I'm happy to have this chance so quickly after our college season ended."
The new Second Division professional league is paying tribute to the original NASL by adopting its name. The first NASL lasted from 1968 to 1984 and included such luminaries as Pele, Karl Heinz-Granitza and Franz Beckenbauer.
NASL II is currently composed of 10 teams including Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Montreal and St. Louis.
Former Sockers FC Chicago coach Brett Hall helped arrange for Hopkins' and Vroom's tryout.
"We'd like to make this a regular occurrence for DePaul," said Vroom, an all-BIG EAST selection after finishing with eight goals and 20 points. "After Hoppy and I, maybe next year a couple more guys get tryouts.
"I'm excited, and a little nervous. It's great going to a tryout with someone you know and trust as a player. You know you're not alone out there, and we can motivate each other to play well."
Hopkins felt the same way.
"It will be fun to play with Steffen again," Hopkins said. "We have played together for three years, and I have a good understanding of what he can do and where to get him the ball. We've gotten along well on and off the field."
"After my sophomore year, I began to seriously think about playing pro soccer. The team had a great year (NCAA tournament qualifier, BIG EAST Championship semifinalist) and I had played pretty well. The summer after my sophomore year, I went to Europe for 17 days and played well over there."
Vroom will go directly from North Carolina to Las Vegas for the Seattle Sounders team combine on Friday. He has been selected for the Major League Soccer (MLS) Player Combine Jan. 8-12 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. where he'll perform in front of MLS coaches and management. Vroom is a candidate for the 2010 MLS SuperDraft Jan. 14 in Philadelphia.
"I thought about pro soccer unrealistically when I was little," Vroom said. "When you get to high school, you begin to realize how tough it is to make the pros.
"Some coaches told me I had the potential to play pro soccer, but I took that with a grain of salt. After my first two seasons at DePaul, I thought I had the possibility.
"It would be nice to play for a pro team on TV someday. That would be fun for all my little cousins who kind of look up to me."