PHILADELPHIA--Senior Penn men’s soccer midfielder, Alex Grendi was one of 65 college seniors from 45 Division I schools to be invited to participate in the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine. Grendi is the first Quaker to earn an invite to the combine.

The annual player combine will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 9-13, 2009. The 2009 MLS SuperDraft will take place Jan. 15 at the NSCAA Convention in St. Louis.

A native of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Grendi was a playmaker from the beginning, and goes in the Penn record book as such. His 20 career assists puts him in a tie for third all-time. More impressive is that, prior to his arrival, the top five marks were all set in the 1970s. He has led the Quakers in assists three of his four seasons and was twice named the team’s Offensive MVP. As a freshman, he was the team’s co-Most Valuable Freshman, and as a sophomore earned All-Ivy honors. Alex scored eight goals including four game-winners while wearing the Red and Blue.

This season, he was a unanimous All-Ivy first team selection and was named to the NSCAA All-Northeast region third team.

Though he is the first Penn player to be invited to the MLS Player Combine, Grendi could join recent Quakers to be drafted to the MLS. Goalkeeper Matt Haefner C’02 was selected in the sixth round of the 2002 MLS Superdraft while fellow keeper Dan Cepero, was taken in the 2007 Supplemental Draft. Cepero had a storybook season with Red Bull New York in 2008. After securing the starting role late in the season, Cepero helped the Red Bulls not only clinch a playoff berth, but battle through the post-season to the MLS Cup final.

Grendi and three other Ivy Leaguers will represent the conference at the combine.