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Boca GK Begins Pro Career in Kansas City
March 23, 2007

Former Boca goalkeeper Chris Konopka will begin his professional soccer career in Kansas City as the JSB alum has signed a contract with the Wizards of Major League Soccer as announced today by team officials. Konopka was a member of several Boca youth and SYL teams as well as the Boca U23 and PDL sides during his career. He becomes the 5th player in club history to don a MLS uniform.
Boca Keeper Begins Professional Career in Kansas City

Former standout becomes 5th player in Club history to play in MLS.

KANSAS CITY. MO (March 23, 2007) – Former Jersey Shore Boca veteran goalkeeper Chris Konopka who completed four years between the pipes at Providence College in 2006, will begin his professional soccer career in Kansas City as the highly-touted keeper has signed a contract with the Wizards of Major League Soccer as announced today by team officials.

Konopka who became the first player ever in Providence history to be drafted by a MLS team when he was selected by the Wizards in the 3rd round of the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft in January, now becomes only the second Friar to play in the MLS joining Providence head men’s soccer coach Chaka Daley who starred four years for Providence before signing with the New England Revolution in 1999.

The New Jersey native also becomes the fifth player in Jersey Shore Boca history to don a Major League Soccer uniform joining former club standouts George Genovitch (DC United), Teddy Gillen (NY-NJ Metrostars), Eric Stempinski (Dallas Burn) and Kevin Ara (DC United).

During the past two months, Konopka has impressed the Kansas City coaching staff as part of the Wizards 2007 pre-season training camp which took him from the west coast of Florida to Argentina.

During KC’s camp at the IMG Academies in Bradenton in February, Konopka saw action in all but one of the Wizards five games allowing no goals during his time between the pipes.

He then traveled with the Wizards to Buenos Aires also seeing action in four of five pre-season games, including 30 minutes in the net with KC’s first 11 against his former club’s namesake, the world-wide powerhouse CABJ Boca Jrs.

Konopka has now played in eight of ten Wizards pre-season games to date allowing only 3 goals.

Kansas City will continue their pre-season training locally before heading to North Carolina for a March 31 exhibition game against the Columbus Crew at Wake Forest University.

Kansas City will open their 2007 MLS season at DC United on April 14.

During his Providence career, Konopka finished third all-time in most games ever played by a Friar goalkeeper. He allowed only 57 goals for a 1.17 career GAA, made 199 career saves and had a career save percentage of 77.7% over four years and earned second-team BIG EAST honors his senior year, becoming only the second goalkeeper in Providence history to do so.

A long-time Jersey Shore Boca Soccer Club veteran, Konopka was a member of Boca’s youth system, Super Y-League, U20 and U23 teams throughout his career as well as a member of Boca’s Premiere Development League (PDL) team in 2003.

Jersey Shore Boca has been a fixture in the soccer community since 1978 and is one of the oldest and most respected soccer clubs on the East Coast.

For more information on the Jersey Shore Boca Soccer Club, visit the Club’s official web site at www.jerseyshoreboca.com

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