Hoya Staff Writer Tuesday, September 12, 2006 Lindsay Anderson/The Hoya After Vanderbilt Cancelled Its Men’s Soccer Program, Two Sophomore Transfers Find a New Home.

Last January, sophomore midfielders Brian Mascarenhas and Conor Neusel had every reason to look forward to their second semester at Vanderbilt. They were satisfied both in the classroom and outside of it, and had been a part of a Vanderbilt squad that was one win away from winning the Missouri Valley Conference the previous fall. “Everything was perfect,” Neusel said. On the first day of classes, however, Head Coach Tim McClements revealed to the team that Vanderbilt, in order to adhere to Title IX, had decided to cut its men’s soccer program while adding women’s swimming and diving. Immediately, Mascarenhas and Neusel found their excitement about the upcoming semester replaced by shock and frustration. One thing was clear: They had a decision to make. They could either stay at Vanderbilt, where their scholarships would be upheld, or they could find someplace else to play. After much deliberation, Mascarenhas and Neusel both came to the conclusion that they could not give up soccer – it meant too much to them. It was a decision that ultimately led the two players to Georgetown, where they have quickly made their presence felt. “Both Brian and Conor are very good fits for us because they are tremendous students, individuals and players,” Head Coach Brian Wiese said. “They really fit right into the culture of things at Georgetown.” Mascarenhas and Neusel have both played in all of Georgetown’s games so far this season. During the season opener against George Washington, Neusel scored the Hoyas’ final goal in a 5-2 win. In addition to their talent, the two transfers bring an intangible to the Georgetown squad that could benefit the Hoyas in close games down the stretch: experience, and a whole lot of it. It is hard to imagine a more seasoned sophomore than Mascarenhas. A native of Marietta, Ga., ascarenhas played on the U.S. U-16 and U-17 national teams before moving to London at the age of 16 to play for the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. He spent two years playing for Tottenham’s U-17 and U-19 teams before returning to the U.S. to attend Vanderbilt. “I was so into soccer,” Mascarenhas said. “Being a professional was something I really wanted to do at the time.” While playing for Tottenham’s youth teams, ascarenhas trained and ate lunch with some of soccer’s biggest stars, including U.S. national team goalie Kasey Keller and Irish striker Robbie Keane. Mascarenhas was assigned to clean Keane’s cleats after practice, but his efforts were rewarded when Keane handed him a 100 pound note one day. According to ascarenhas, his time in England taught him about the value of hard work and the importance of obtaining a college education. “As far as competitiveness, for some of the guys I was playing with, this was their only option out,” Mascarenhas said. “They never really went to school. If they didn’t make it as a footballer, then they would pretty much have to be building things or working with their hands.” At Vanderbilt, ascarenhas started 18 games for the Commodores and was one of two first-year players in the Missouri Valley Conference to earn all-conference accolades. “Brian has a tremendous ability to play simply and play good penetrating passes, which isn’t easy to do in soccer,” Wiese said. “He has a good soccer brain and he gives us some composure on the ball when we’re trying to get the ball deep.” While Neusel’s path to college soccer was more traditional than ascarenhas’, he also possesses an impressive amount of experience for someone his age. At Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, Mo., Neusel was named first-team all state and helped his team win a state championship. He also won a national championship with his club team. At Vanderbilt, Neusel scored one goal and recorded an assist while playing in 17 games. Both transfers have had to adjust to a new formation at Georgetown, and Neusel has been playing a position that is slightly different from his old one. “Conor is really by trade a center midfielder, but we have him playing on the wing,” Wiese said. “He has adapted very quickly and seamlessly into that role. He has a tremendous work rate and is also a very smart player.” After being told their team would but cut last January, Mascarenhas and Neusel are thankful simply to be out on the field. “Soccer’s just something I love to do,” Neusel said. “It lets me forget about everything else for 90 minutes.”