Seth Neben of Lincoln Southwest accomplished something much rarer than his schoolmate Baker Steinkuhler: He's earned a full-ride scholarship to play soccer at New Mexico beginning next season.
BRENT C. WAGNER / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 7:00 pm
He loved everything about the place when he made his college visit.
The bond among the guys on the team, the sparkling facilities and the crazy fans. He could sense the program meant a lot to the people of the state.
Sound familiar?
"I compare Nebraska football to New Mexico soccer out there," Seth Neben said. "Soccer there is just the big thing."
Yes, there is another NCAA Division I athlete walking the halls of Lincoln Southwest High School. Neben has accepted a full-ride scholarship to play at New Mexico beginning next season.
His accomplishment is more rare than classmate Baker Steinkuhler playing football at Nebraska. Not many Nebraska kids land Division I soccer scholarships, and there aren't as many of them available.
And while we've become used to a few area girls each season going to play Division I soccer at Nebraska and Creighton, a boy making it to the top level is always more of a surprise. What's more, there are 314 schools playing Division I women's soccer, compared with only 202 men's teams.
A Lincoln boy is not believed to have played Division I soccer since 2002, when Lincoln Southeast grad Chris Hamburger went to Drake.
So consider this a special year for our city. Neben and Lincoln Pius X players Marcus Schademann (Bradley) and Nathan Polak (Drake) will each play for a Division I school.
"Holy cow, this is a big deal," Southwest coach Dan Carpenter said. "In Nebraska it's hard to get recognized because soccer is not as big of a deal in this state. It's great because it brings national attention to soccer and the community."
Neben will play for one of the better programs in the country. In past years, New Mexico has been in the College Cup and led the nation in attendance, averaging 3,600 fans per game one year.
New Mexico coaches saw Neben at a regional club tournament when he scored five goals in one game. Ohio State and Creighton recruited him, too.
Earning a scholarship was what Neben had been working toward since the game started being the big deal in his life sometime around fifth grade.
"It will be tough up there, but it will be a great experience traveling around at the highest level possible," Neben said. "That's always been my dream — to play at the highest level for a good team."
If you think Neben sounds excited to play for the Lobos, you should know his future coach feels the same way.
"Seth is a player who comes in under the radar, and I think he will become an impact player for us," New Mexico coach Jeremy Fishbein said. "He is athletic, intelligent and a very determined athlete. He competes every time he gets on the field, and it will be hard to keep him off of it come game time."
Don't think Neben is looking past his senior season, though. He's started since he was a freshman, and keeps rewriting the record book. Neben's never been much of an individual guy, though, and that's good, because this figures to be Southwest's best season yet.
The attacking midfielder is known creating something out of nothing and setting up scores. Neben had 14 assists last season, along with four goals.
He's the guy who after taking care of his defensive responsibilities sprints 80 yards on the attack to try and make a play. Sometimes it doesn't work, but when Neben finds space, he'll often pass to a teammate for an easy score. Neben lives for the assist.
"That's a hard quality in this day and age of immediate gratification," Carpenter said. "He's all about, ‘Can I attack here, and what does that do for the team around me.’”
So another Southwest athlete will soon play a Division I sport. Do his teammates must think it's pretty swell to be playing with somebody like that?
"They're teenagers," Carpenter said. "I don't think they care or realize. They just know that Seth is one of those guys that they can always look up to, and is always going to work hard.
"If Seth is doing it, you better darn well buckle down and do it as well."
Reach Brent C. Wagner at 473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com.