Matt Van Oekel
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Matthew Van Oekel | ||
| Date of birth | September 20, 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Chesapeake, Virginia, United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | FC Edmonton | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004 | Longwood Lancers | ||
| 2005–2007 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | Minnesota Thunder | 1 | (0) |
| 2010–2014 | Minnesota United FC | 70 | (0) |
| 2015– | FC Edmonton | 54 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 29, 2016. | |||
James Matthew "Matt" Van Oekel (born September 20, 1986 in Chesapeake, Virginia) is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Edmonton in the North American Soccer League.
Career
Youth and College
Van Oekel played one year of college soccer at Longwood University before transferring to Rutgers in his sophomore year. With Rutgers, he played in 47 games and earned 20 wins.
Professional
Van Oekel signed with Minnesota out of college in 2008, after impressing staff at the Thunder combine in February 2008.[1]
He made his professional debut on September 13, 2009, in 1-1 tie with Montreal Impact.,[2] and was released at the end of the season when the Thunder failed, before being picked up by their successor NSC Minnesota Stars, in April 2010.[3]
Minnesota United FC, now playing in the North American Soccer League, re-signed Van Oekel for the 2011 season on March 11, 2011.[4] Minnesota announced in December 2011 that Van Oekel would return for the 2012 season.[5]