Lower Moreland senior Braden Alicea was recognized for signing a letter of intent to continue his soccer career at Bloomsburg University.
Braden Alicea – Bloomsburg University (Soccer)
Major: Business/Finance
Final list of colleges: Bloomsburg, Seton Hall, La Salle, University of Massachusetts, Franklin & Marshall, Scranton University
Reasons for choosing Bloomsburg: “I picked this college over the others because I thought that I would have a chance to get good (playing) time as a freshman. I believe that academically and athletically this school is very good. The campus, the fields, the facilities, and dorms are all beautiful. I think team chemistry is also very important, and after meeting with the players, they make it seem like it’s more than just teammates, but a family.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in soccer at the collegiate level? “I started playing soccer at four years old. My parents thought soccer would be perfect for me. Playing little league games at that age, my parents said I was scoring five-plus goals a game and thought I needed better competition. My father then put me on his friend’s team called Fishtown Hotspurs. We were first in the country for two years straight. Some key players on my team were Brandon Craig and Quinn Sullivan, who are now professional players for the Philadelphia Union. My team had many valuable players. I played for Fishtown for about five to six years until the Philadelphia Union split us up. I started to play for the Union Juniors, and it was the best experience because I was playing where the pros played. Later down the years, I started playing for Lower Merion Soccer club. I am playing with them this year and we are ranked number two in the country. When I was with LMSC Invictus (this is my third year with this team), that is when my recruiting process really started. Under Sam Lane (who used to coach for Drexel) and Dale, we started to play in many big tournaments that were able to get my name out there for colleges. The past three years, I was able to get my name out to colleges, go on visits, and play with some. Now I am in my last year of club and many colleges were interested in me. To end things off, I picked Bloomsburg and I can’t wait to start the next chapter of my life.”
Coach Bob Barnhart says: “I’m in a unique position because I teach at our middle school, so I’ve known Braden since he was a seventh grader. It’s been nice to see his journey as a player on the field and as a person and young man since the age of 13. I’ve been around him for six years, and the maturity that he has shown in the six years I have known him is pretty special. He started for me as a freshman and played pretty much every single minute of every single game since then. Being in a small district, we rely on kids who have been involved in soccer, which he has been since he was five. Right now, he’s on the Lower Merion soccer club Invictus, the PA state champs in 2021, so he’s been around the game a long time. As a coach in a small district, I rely on those type of kids from the moment they step on the field for me as freshmen.
“One of the things I admire most about Braden – he had a chance to go to a private school. We lose a lot of kids to private schools being a small district, and the fact that he stuck around at Lower Moreland and helped us build a program. We’ve been fortunate to make the district playoffs every single year that I’ve coached at Lower Moreland, and in the four years Braden was there, he played a giant role in that. He played every position for us on the field except for goalie, and that’s probably because I didn’t ask him to play in the goal. I’m sure if I asked him and told him we needed him to play goalie, he would have put gloves on and got in there. That’s just the kind of kid he is.
“He plays outside back for his club team, and he was gigantic for us as a freshman and sophomore in the midfield. He’s a two-year varsity captain. He’s just an all-around great kid. I can’t say enough positive things about him, and I can’t wait to see what he does at Bloomsburg the next four years.”
About Braden:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite TV show: Money Heist
Favorite artists: Drake and Roddy Rich
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