TAMPA, Fla. (May 25, 2017) – A significant chunk of the 2017 Rowdies U23 lineup this summer consists of some of the best soccer talent in the surrounding area and across the state of Florida. While nearby colleges like University of South Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, and Rollins College are well represented on the squad, bay area high schools have similarly impacted this season’s roster.
Many players have local roots hailing from Tampa Bay schools such as Jesuit, Steinbrenner, and Wharton to come together on the U23 squad this summer. Among this strong crop of former bay area prep school talents on the team this year is holding midfielder Andrew Samuels.
A former member of the Tampa Prep varsity team from 2011 to 2014, Samuels amassed a variety of accolades over his high school career. Beyond earning first team All-State honors, Samuels was a three-time all county selection and helped lead the Terrapins to two state championships in 2012 and 2013.
Samuels, as well as anyone, understands and appreciates the high level of soccer that exists around the bay area. Andrew states, “I feel like in Tampa Bay we’ve got plenty of good high school players and I think that the [quality of play] is good for high school soccer.”
Following his legendary high school career, Samuels continued the Terrapin tradition by committing to the University of Maryland, which has long been one of the best soccer programs in the nation. In his first two seasons, Samuels has played in each of Maryland’s games helping the team win back-to-back Big Ten championships and even reach the Elite 8 in 2015. This past season he helped lead the Terps to an undefeated regular season that included a school record 15-game winning streak.
Andrew attributes much of the success he has had thus far on the collegiate level to his time playing soccer back home. “I think that [my high school] experience and also playing with the Rowdies [U23 squad] really helped me transition to Maryland,” Samuels says.
In talking about this transition from high school soccer to starting on one of the best college programs in the nation, Samuels makes the distinction rather clear. “[In high school] you can get away with things that on the college level you really can’t,” Andrew explains. “Everything you have to do is at full intensity and you have to be concentrated all the time while giving 100% effort.”
When asked about what he hopes to achieve this summer Samuels explained that beyond getting back onto the field once more he is “hoping to get a chance to train with the first team again and [is driven to] win a PDL championship.”
Samuels will likely see his first action of the season, along with the rest of the U23 squad, this Saturday in the season opener on the road at Weston FC in South Florida.
