Jesuit soccer star commits to USF

Ali Van Gurp, the Jesuit soccer team's leading scorer this season, has committed to USF. Van Gurp, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound forward, made an official visit to the school last week.

He also considered American University, Loyola-Chicago and Stetson.

"I visited there and I was really impressed," Van Gurp said. "They have great facilities and they have the best team out of all the schools I was looking at."

In helping lead the Tigers to the Class 5A final four, Van Gurp scored 23 goals and had 12 assists. For much of the season, his squad was nationally ranked.

A three-year starter, Van Gurp, who carries a 3.5 GPA, was born in the Virgin Islands. He moved to Tampa as a sophomore.

"I'm extremely excited," he said. "From the time I came up here, I wanted to play at a really good soccer program, and I think USF is exactly what I was looking for."

The bonus?

"They said I'd get a lot of (early) playing time and even possibly start," Van Gurp said.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR