Moon Township, Pa.-A pair of former Robert Morris University men's soccer standouts have been selected to play on the Canadian National Team at the 2010 CONCACAF (North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Beach Soccer Championships. Joe Di Buono (2002-04), currently an assistant coach with the men's team, and Jacek Przednowek (2005-07) will don the red and white for the Canadian squad. The international event will take place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the third consecutive year from December 1-5.
"I understand the Canadian Soccer Association was looking for quick players with pro indoor experience, so Joe and Jacek will be ideal for this event," said RMU head coach Bill Denniston. "Joe played in this event last year for Canada and was instrumental in getting Jacek a shot with the team this year."
Di Buono played on the Canadian side of the 2009 event where the squad finished fifth overall. He has been an assistant coach with the RMU soccer team for the last two seasons. He has had a long and varied professional career that has taken him from his native Montreal to Poland and back.
In the spring of 2006, Di Buono became the first Robert Morris graduate to play in the Polish First Division. The Montreal-native signed a contract with Polonia Warszawa, earning a starting role in the defensive midfield for the Blackshirts. He has also spent three seasons playing indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave and the Philadelphia Kixx. Prior to that, he was a member of the United Soccer League's Montreal Impact.
Di Buono was a 2004 NSCAA / adidas Mid-Atlantic Regional All-American and a team captain in 2004. As a Colonial, he finished third in the Northeast Conference in 2004 with 17 points on six goals and five assists, scoring all of his points in the last 14 games of the season. He finished fifth in the conference in goal scoring and fourth in assists. A first team All-NEC selection, the forward was held scoreless for the first five games of the season before exploding for 17 points in final 14 games. His best game came in a 4-2 win at Mount St. Mary's when he scored two goals and added an assist for five points.
Przednowek was a two-time All-Northeast Conference First Team pick and earned All-Region honors as a senior leading the NEC with 15 goals and 34 points. He finished second in the nation in goals averaging 0.83 per game and was third in the nation in points, averaging 1.89. Among the Colonials all-time players, Przednowek sits fourth with 38 goals and 87 points while playing just three seasons at Robert Morris. To cap off a sensational career, he tallied the 14th-fastest hat trick in NCAA history using just 16:20 to tally three goals in a 3-3 deadlock with Mount St. Mary's.
