MONTVERDE, Fla. -- The reigning national champion, a pair of California powers, the defending Louisiana state champion and Florida and Texas state semifinalists from last season highlight the field for the 2017 Montverde Academy Soccer Tournament.

MAST officials confirmed the eight-team field Thursday morning for this school year’s event, and those squads were a combined 152-22-17 last year. Six of the eight teams finished in last year's SIMA FAB 50 final rankings. The eight coaches are along the nation's all-time winningest active coaches and hav a combined career record of 2,056-422-239. 

The 2017 MAST will be held Jan. 12-14, 2017, on the Montverde Academy campus.

Host Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) is riding a national record 136-match undefeated streak entering the 2016-17 high school season. The Eagles have won the last four SIMA FAB 50 national titles. St. Paul's (Covington, La.) returns to the MAST after a runner-up showing in the 2016 event, despite scoring only one goal in three matches. St. Paul's went 27-1-3 last year with its lone loss a 5-0 setback to Montverde in the MAST final. California has two entries in the event for the first time: NorCal power Watsonville (Calif.), which has never had a losing season in the nearly 50-year history of the program, and SoCal power Paramount (Calif.), whose lineup features Bryan Ortega, one of the national players to watch this season. The Woodlands (Texas) is making its first appearance at MAST after a 21-2-3 campaign last year that ended in the Texas 5A state semifinals. Florida programs Gulliver Prep (Miami, Fla.), Tampa Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.) and Pembroke Pines Charter (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) round out the field. Tampa Jesuit reached the state semifinals. Gulliver and Pembroke Pines Charter had strong seasons but suffered early playoff exits in 2016.

The SIMA FAB 50 preseson rankings will be released in November and at least six of the MAST participants figure to be preseason Top 50 teams. 

The MAST has grown to be one of the most important winter high school events on the calendar. In fact, the multi-state event directly has led to the crowning of the last four SIMA FAB 50 national champions -- which has been Montverde Academy each time.

Below are team-by-team preseason capsules for the 2017 MAST: 

 

GULLIVER PREP (Miami, Fla.)

2015-16 SIMA Winter FAB 50 Final Rank: not ranked

Coach: Matias Asorey, 8th season (114-12-9)

2015-16 Record: 12-4-1 [Florida 2A region quarterfinalist]

Returning Starters: 8

Key Players: GK Gabriel Meler, Sr.; D Santigo Burgos, Sr.; F Lucas Massolo, Jr.; Truman Gelnovatch, Jr.

 

MONTVERDE ACADEMY

2015-16 SIMA Winter FAB 50 Final Rank: 1

Coach: Mike Potempa, 7th season (129-0-7)

2015-16 Record: 19-0 [SIMA FAB 50 national champion]

Returning Starters: 3

Key Players: GK Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland), GK Connor Jones (Virginia), M Santiago Sarmiento (San Francisco), M Usman Gil Ivern (Butler), F Kizza Edward.

  

PARAMOUNT (Calif.)

2015-16 SIMA Winter FAB 50 Final Rank: 15

Coach: Rafael Villasensor, 8th year (139-39-22)

2015-16 Record: 20-2-3 [CIF Southern Section Division I quarterfinalist]

Returning Starters: 6

Key Players: F/M Bryan Ortega, Sr. (CS Northridge); M Bryan Duarte, Jr.; D Jesus Salazar, Sr.; GK Oscar Sierra, Jr.; M Oliver Mesa, Jr.; D Michael Guerra.

 

PEMBROKE PINES CHARTER (Fla.)

2015-16 SIMA Winter FAB 50 Final Rank: not ranked

Coach: Alvin James, 3rd year (26-12), 15th (228-27-12)

2015-16 Record: 14-6 

Returning Starters: 8

Key Players: F Rodrigo Souberville, Sr.; M L.J. Lemmers, Sr.; D Yannick Blackmon, Jr.; GK Matthew Levy, Jr.

 

ST. PAUL'S (Covington, La.)

2015-16 SIMA Winter FAB 50 Final Rank: 12

Coach: Sean Moser, 8th season (194-16-10)

2015-16 Record: 27-1-3 [Louisiana Division I state champion]

Returning Starters: 5

Key Players: GK Kyle Schmitt, Jr.; MF/F Reiss Thieler, Sr.; Michael Longo, Sr.; Adam Schellang, Sr.

 

TAMPA JESUIT (Tampa, Fla.)

2015-16 SIMA Winter FAB 50 Final Rank: 39

Coach: Eric Sims, 4th year (61-13-6), 16th overall (265-75-26)

2015-16 Record: 24-5-1 [Florida Class 3A state semifinalist]

Returning Starters: 7

Key Players: F Royce Pope, Sr.; D Noah Kurtz, Jr.; M Benny Ortiz, Sr.; GK Tim Gyenis, Sr.

 

THE WOODLANDS (Texas)

2015-16 SIMA Winter FAB 50 Final Rank: 43

Coach: Hans Kleinschmidt, 16th year at The Woodlands (269-50-43); 27th overall (370-144-65) 

2015-16 Record: 21-2-3 [Texas 5A state semifinalist]

Returning Starters: 7

Key Players: M Nicholas Pekel (Montevallo) , Sr.; F Wesley Mitchell, Sr.; M Julen Ormaza, Sr.; D Ryder Sousa, Jr.; D Hugh Cosculluela, Sr., Asa Graham, Sr.; GK Blake Havern, Jr.

 

WATSONVILLE (Calif.)

2015-16 SIMA Winter FAB 50 Final Rank: 22

Coach: Roland Hedgpeth, 38th year (610-101-63); 41st year (617-109-88)

2015-16 Record: 15-2-6 [CIF Central Coast Section Open co-champion]

Returning Starters: 6

Key Players: F Francisco Gonzales, Sr., D Martin Lopez, Sr.; M Oscar Rocha, Jr.; GK Isaac Frias, Jr.; D Agustin Sorroza, Sr.; M Daniel Sanchez, Sr.