Player Bio: Nelson Akwari - UCLA Official Athletic Site

2001 — Second-team NSCAA All-Far West and All-Pac-10 selection …?Earned first-team Academic All-Pac-10 honors …?Key member of a UCLA defense that recorded nine shutouts and held eight teams to 10 shots or less in a game …?Made two backline saves to help preserve the shutout at San Diego in the NCAA second round … Earned all-tournament honors at both the Virginia Soccer Classic and the UCLA Pacific Soccer Classic …?Pre-season honorable mention All-American by CollegeSoccer.com …?Team co-captain … One of just three players to start all 23 games for the Bruins …?Captain of the U.S. U-20 World Youth Championship team … Played every minute of every international with the U-20s since joining the team in 2000 … Has amassed nearly 75 career caps with the various youth national teams.

2000 — Honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection …?One of just three UCLA players to start all 19 games …?Had a season-high four shots versus Cal Nov. 12 …?Helped lead the Bruins to six shutouts.

High School — Member of U.S. National Teams since making his international debut with the Under-16 team in May of 1997 …?Played with the U-23s at the Pan American Games, helping the team earn a bronze medal …?Also a member of the U.S. U-20 National Team …?Team co-captain of the U-17 National Team which finished a national-best fourth at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championships … Scored a goal against El Salvador and Mali in 1999 for the U-17 team and has three career goals with the team … Played every minute during the USA's qualification tournament for the World Championships …?Named the Best Defensive Player at the Salerno Tournament in May 1998 …?Lettered four years at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory under coach Bill McDonald …?Selected the 1999 NSCAA National High School Player of the Year and a two-time NSCAA State Player of the Year … Named the 2000 Parade Magazine National Co-Player of the Year and the 1999-2000 Gatorade State Player of the Year … Two-time NSCAA High School All-American …?First-team Parade All-American in 1999 …?Texas High School Player of the Year in 1998 after leading his team to the state championship …?October 1999 Sports Illustrated/Old Spice Athlete of the Month …?Played club soccer with the Houston Texans, Texas state champions for five consecutive years and the regional champions in 1995 …?Ran the 400m on the track and field team one season.

Personal — His biggest athletic thrill was co-captaining the U.S. team at the U-17 World Championships … Admires Nigerian National Team member Nwankwo Kanu …?Hobbies are reading sports magazines and watching soccer …?Member of the National Honor Society … Father William played soccer at USC …?Full name is Nelson Ndukwe Akwari …?Born February 4, 1982 in Houston, TX … Pre-Business-Economics major.

Career Statistics