Over the years, the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA) has produced countless collegiate and professional athletes. Recently, the United Soccer League (USL) named three SIMA alumni to their 20 Under 20 list, Albert Dikwa, Hassan Ndam and Michee Ngalina.

Ranked number 9, and his second consecutive time on this list, was Albert Dikwa ’17. Dikwa, 20 years old from Cameroon, plays for the Saint Luis FC and previously played for Orlando City B. He is known for his smart passes and field awareness which have greatly contributed to his second place tie in assists for the club. Head Coach Anthony Pulis contributes his 2,758 USL career minutes to a mature desire to improve as an athlete.

Ranked number 16, and his second consecutive time on this list, was Hassan Ndam ’17. Ndam, 19 years old from Cameroon, plays for the Red Bulls II and continues to make a name for himself as he racks up stats in aerial duels. Ndam has seen 2,000 minutes on the field for the Red Bulls II and has proven a tenacious spirit to earn him over 50 appearances for the club.

Ranked number 17, Michee Ngalina is an 18 year-old Congo native playing for the Bethlehem Steel FC. Ngalina arrived to the club midway through the season but has already proven himself a threat on the field. Despite his young age, Head Coach Brendan Burke notices a maturity in his style of play that contributes to his already 21 appearances and over 1,000 minutes. Ngalina’s speed has drawn attention throughout the league but his intelligent play continues to make him a threat.

While at Montverde Academy, Dikwa, Ndam and Ngalina briefly played together on the SIMA Gold team where Ndam was a captain for two years. Later, Dikwa and Ngalina would contribute to the team winning the MAST International tournament in 2017 where Dikwa was a team captain. Dikwa, Ndam and Ngalina were boarding students at Montverde Academy and when they arrived on campus they started in the first level of the ESL program. Despite different backgrounds they embraced the culture of SIMA that laid the foundation for their career as professional athletes. This preparation allowed them an easy transition to high level play within a year.