Speed, chemistry and international flavor: it was all a part of the talented freshman class in the Missouri Valley this past season.

These are the surefire sophomores to watch from the conference in 2010:

MF Dion Acoff, Creighton:  There are legendary tales about the speed of Acoff – some true, some apocryphal. Everyone, however, can agree that the kid has wheels. And those wheels helped drive the Creighton offense and establish Acoff (a former TopDrawerSoccer.com Player To Watch) as a guy to keep a serious eye on.

He started his freshman year well but finished even stronger, notching three assists and a goal in his last seven games. A dangerous presence in the midfield, he contributed two game-winning assists including one in a win against then-No. 7 ranked UCLA.

Acoff is a product of Arsenal FC, and plays well with other strong players; so as Creighton grows, so will Acoff.

Kyle Bullock, Eastern Illinois (blue)

D Francesco Capone, Missouri State (Ontario): The transition from defending club players to physically imposing and exceptionally skilled college athletes is a steep one, but Capone made it look easy this past year.

He worked his way into a prominent role from the beginning and ended up starting in all 19 games he played in, made even more impressive by the fact that the Bears were the cream of the Missouri Valley Conference.

A big reason for the team’s success was its defense, and Capone helped guide a unit that posted nine shutouts and was second in the conference in goals against average.

MF Jerry Maddi, Eastern Illinois: Glue guys are invaluable and hard to come by – especially as freshman. This past season, Maddi was a glue guy.

He combined with fellow outstanding freshman Kyle Bullock and dynamic leading scorer Alex Harrison to form a deadly combination. All three players will be back this season and Maddi will continue to help hold things together in the midfield.

He finished with three assists and two goals on the year, including a game-winner for the first score of his career. But what he provided the team in terms of chemistry is hard to measure.

F Kyle Bullock, Eastern Illinois: In staying with Eastern Illinois, Bullock is the other half of the two-headed freshman monster.

He’s a natural athlete and very good scorer as he displayed while scoring three times, including two in a six-minute stretch of a match. He had one of the highest shooting percentages on the team and should continue to develop as a well-rounded threat over the next couple of years.
   
D Tapiwa Machingauta, Bradley: Hailing from Zimbabwe, Machingauta became just the second player from Africa to play for the Braves program.

Machingauta came to the program having played in his share of international competition, and he really hit the ground running. At 6-foot-2 he possesses good size and positioning. He played in all 18 games for the squad and contributed six shots along with an assist to go with his stellar defense.