Nine Portland Timbers Academy players commit to colleges

Nine players from the Portland Timbers U-18 Academy team have committed to continue their soccer careers at a number of collegiate programs across the country this fall. The National Letter of Intent signing period began on Feb. 5.

The group of initial signees are part of this season’s Timbers U-18 Academy team and will spread out across seven different college programs in the fall, including four Division I programs.

Leading the way, three players signed letters of intent with the University of Akron, as forward Jesse Garcia (Beaverton, Ore.), forward Anthony Macchione (Camas, Wash.) (above) and defender Niko De Vera (Washougal, Wash.) signed with the Zips. Midfielders Sam Werner (Bozeman, Mont.) and Foster Langsdorf (Vancouver, Wash.) will join Stanford University in the Pac-12 Conference, joining former Timbers Academy defender Cameron Chesnutt who signed with the Cardinal in 2013.

Defender Ben White (Tigard, Ore.) is headed to the West Coast Conference and will join Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., this fall. Goalkeeper Collin Partee (Camas, Wash.) is headed to Utah Valley University as part of its first-ever signing class. The Wolverines will field a men’s soccer team for the first time this fall after making the jump to the Western Athletic Conference.

At the junior college level, Damian Garcia (Woodburn, Ore.) will join 2013 NJCAA National Champions Iowa Western and midfielder Octavio Hermosillo (Portland, Ore.) signed with Clark College in Vancouver, Wash.

List of Portland Timbers U-18 Academy college commitments:
Niko De Vera (Washougal, Wash.); Akron
Damian Garcia (Woodburn, Ore.); Iowa Western
Jesse Garcia-Aguilar (Beaverton, Ore.); Akron
Octavio Hermosillo (Portland, Ore.); Clark College
Foster Langsdorf (Vancouver, Wash.); Stanford
Anthony Macchione (Camas, Wash.); Akron
Collin Partee (Camas, Wash.); Utah Valley
Sam Werner (Bozeman, Mont.); Stanford
Ben White (Tigard, Ore.); Gonzaga