Dec. 6, 2004
Fairfax, Va.--Senior goalkeeper John O'Hara (Foxford, Ireland) will represent George Mason at the Major League Soccer (MLS) Player Combine Jan. 8-11 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. O'Hara is one of 66 players that was chosen to compete for the attention of MLS coaches and general managers in hopes of being selected in the MLS SuperDraft on Jan. 14 in Baltimore, Md.
MLS general managers and members of all 12 MLS coaching staffs will be at the event to scout players, who were selected to participate by a panel of select NCAA Division I coaches in conjunction with MLS coaches and select NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA coaches.
O'Hara earned All-CAA First Team honors for the third straight year at the close of the 2004 season and prior to the start of the season, O'Hara was tabbed as a Third Team Preseason All-America by College Soccer News. O'Hara started all 19 games and logged 1,780 minutes in the net during the 2004 campaign for the Patriots as he garnered a goals against average of 1.21. He closed out the 2004 season fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association in saves (71), tied for fifth in shut-outs (5), seventh in save percentage (74.7%) and seventh in saves per game (3.74).
O'Hara ended his career second in Mason's record books in minutes played (7500), fourth in saves (286) and fourth in shut-outs (65). He garnered All-Virginia first team honors and was also named to the Academic All-America University Division Second Team in District III in 2003.
O'Hara has been on the Athletic Director's honor roll for six-straight semesters, earned CAA Commissioner's Award for the second-straight year in 2003 and was named to the Dean's List spring 2003.
Since 1985, a total of 31 former Mason players have moved on to play professionally or for their national teams. There are two former Patriots who are currently active in the MLS in Rich Kotschau and Denis Hamlett. Kotschau became the first Mason player to be selected in the MLS collegiate draft and currently plays with the Colorado Rapids, while Hamlett is the Player Personnel Director and an assistant coach with the Chicago Fire.
