Mixing academics, athletics and leadership ability proved to be the perfect combination for men’s soccer player Ryan Carr from the University of Hartford. Carr will graduate this spring with a degree in health science, and his role as the co-President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will help him be better prepared for life in the fast lane.

Carr will graduate with a GPA of more than 3.50 and his success doesn’t end there, as he was recently invited to take part in the Major League Soccer college combine held in California. The MLS combine brings together 54 of the top Division I players from throughout the country to try out in front of scouts, owners and coaches from all 12 MLS teams.

"Ryan Carr is not only an amazing student-athlete, he is an amazing person," said Assistant Director of Athletics/Academic Advisor Andrea Gerich-Miller. "His overall grade point average is better than 3.5, he is a co-president of our SAAC and has always been involved in community service projects. Two words describe Ryan – consistent and dependable."

On the athletic field, Carr started every single game he played in his four seasons as the Hawks’ number one goalkeeper. He came in as a freshman and played in all but one game, helping the team to an appearance in the America East Championship. The following year he came back to start every game and recorded 114 saves and a career-best six shutouts, leading the Hawks to an 11-9-2 overall record and the semifinals of the conference tournament. He also finished the year ranked fifth in the nation for saves-per-game (5.18).

"Academics and athletics are a complement to one another," said Carr. "Athletics helped me work harder in academics because it made me focus and give 110-percent effort. It’s especially helpful with time management — being able to balance classes, practices, games and activities like SAAC."

As a junior, Carr played in all but one of the team’s 17 games and posted his lowest goals-against-average of his career, allowing an average of 1.35 goals-per-game. He finished with 84 saves and a career-best save percentage of .785. As a captain his senior season, he led the Hawks to a 5-9-3 record while his team narrowly missed the conference tournament under the guidance of first-year head coach Dan Gaspar. He finished his senior campaign with the third-best save-per-game mark in the America East at 4.69.

"On occasion, you come across a very special student athlete," said Gaspar. "Ryan Carr is that special person, a true winner on and off the field."

As co-President of the school’s SAAC, Carr can be credited with assisting in many different initiatives this past year, including a men’s soccer "pass-the-can effort" which raised $600 to help benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. The SAAC also raised an additional $600 for the cause with its annual student-athlete date auction, an event Carr also helped organize.

"Working with the student-athlete committee helped me create great working relationships with others," said Carr. "SAAC forces me to work on different projects with different people, which prepares me for life after school, where things will be much more like the SAAC committee."

Carr’s chance to participate in the MLS combine was the culmination of his four-year career at Hartford. The annual event was at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. on January 12-15. Though he wasn’t selected in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft the following week, he was still happy about the experience.