Dan Hagey lands on elite WVA squad

In his three-year career as a starter for the Mounts, Dan Hagey has notched more than 140 points on the soccer pitch-third in school history. This fact caught the attention of several big-time collegiate soccer programs. It was West Virginia University that caught the eye of Hagey.

"It's enormous," Hagey said. "That's what I wanted. I wanted (to go to) a big college."

The 'big school' atmosphere appealed to Hagey, and during a visit to the campus earlier this year, he was hooked. He said he instantly bonded with the players and coaches. But, he did not make the decision without visiting the campuses of Lafayette College, University of Massachusetts, and Lebanon Valley College.

The lure of the Big East drew Hagey to become a Mountaineer. West Virginia finished with the top record in the Big East with nine wins and one tie. The team did not record a loss in Big East play until the tournament championship when they suffered a 1-0 loss to St. John's.

"Next year we should be top notch," Hagey said.

He expects to play outside midfielder as he did at Ephrata and is excited to make the trip to Morgantown.

"I just want to go down and get some playing time,' Hagey said.

His 140 points assures him of that.

"He scores goals and you can't put a value on that," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said in a recent interview for MSNsportsNET. "We are going to look for him to play a number of roles."

Next year will be more than a new start for Hagey; the West Virginia team is also starting anew. After a setback in 2005 involving recruitment indiscretions, the NCAA limited the West Virginia program. The team and school were placed on probation until 2009. Former coach Mike Seabolt was accused of several improprieties and left the team before the 2006 season. This opened the door for LeBlanc, then an assistant at Penn State.

LeBlanc played soccer as a Nittany Lion and served as first assistant coach from 2001 to 2005. In his five years at Penn State, LeBlanc helped the team reach the NCAA tournament four times. During his tenure, the Nittany Lions won Big Ten championships in 2002 and 2005.

Hagey is impressed.

"He's just a great coach," he said.

Because of the NCAA sanctions against the school, Hagey was unable to attain any sports scholarships. His skills in the classroom took over and he was awarded academic scholarships from the University. However, he is quick to move from the subject back to soccer.

"I felt like I had a leadership role this year (at Ephrata)," Hagey said. "Taking that into one of the best soccer programs in the country right now is exciting… I'm going to do the best I can."

Hagey reports to camp August 12. Classes in his major of advertising and graphic design will begin shortly after. Until then, LeBlanc has Hagey completing a two-hour workout each day that emphasizes sprints and runs as well as weight lifting and speed and agility exercises. After only a week at the program, he can feel the effects.

"It's worth it," Hagey said. "I can definitely feel the progress."

He is also keeping busy playing local pick up games and enjoying life as a soon-to-be high school graduate. A drive past the middle school fields may offer a glimpse at this rising Mount to Mountaineer star as he hones his soccer technique.