Feb. 21, 2008

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Conor O'Brien (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./St. Anthony's), a member of the Bucknell men's soccer team, was recently named the BigAppleSoccer.com Boys Youth Player of the Year after his performance last summer when he led his club team to the Under-18 U.S. Youth Soccer national title. Additionally, U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, a 1981 Bucknell graduate, was named the 2007 Person of the Year by BigAppleSoccer.com.

O'Brien was the team captain of the Terryville team that is based on Long Island. He assisted on the game-winning goal in the championship match, ending FC Arsenal's bid for its fourth consecutive championship. O'Brien, who completed his sophomore season at Bucknell last fall, has played with the Fire club team since 1999.

O'Brien, who was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection and an NSCAA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Second Team choice following the 2007 campaign, led Bucknell with seven goals and 19 points last fall. His five assists were tied for first on the squad with senior Justin Wolf. O'Brien's goal total was the most by a Bison since Scott Visnic netted 12 in 2003. The sophomore tallied five goals over the final six games of the regular season, and he assisted on Mark Schmiegel's goal in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals against Colgate.

Gulati, who has been the U.S. Soccer President for two years, made a pair of prominent coaching changes for the U.S. Under-17 National Team and the U.S. Women's National Team and started a youth soccer development academy in 2007, earning him the honor from BigAppleSoccer.com. While at Bucknell, Gulati served as a team manager for the Bison soccer program.