UCI alumni trio sign on pro teams

UC Irvine men’s soccer has some valuable alumni, as Joel Bagby, Amani Walker and Kyle Schmid have signed professional contracts this month.

Bagby has signed with Capital City Football Club of Ottawa, a professional club in the Canadian Soccer League. Bagby, an All-Big West Conference honoree, was also voted to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week. Bagby helped UCI to a 14-3-3 record and a conference regular-season title. Bagby played in all 20 games for UCI and keyed an Anteater defense that posted 11 shutouts.

Walker will join the NSC Minnesota Stars of the North American Soccer League (NASL). Walker was a Soccer America MVP second-team honoree and the Big West Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2010. The forward finished tied for sixth in the UCI career records with 65 points and amassed 27 goals to rank fourth in the annals. He tied for third with eight career game-winning goals and leaves as the program’s all-time leader in games played with 85. Walker was also an NSCAA All-West Region.

Schmid will play for the Carolina RailHawks of the NASL. Schmid, a defender, played at UC Irvine from 2005-08, earning All-Big West second-team honors as a senior after playing in 23 games and helping the Anteater post a 0.99 goals-against average and six shutouts. That season, UCI finished 15-2-6 and won the Big West regular-season and tournament titles before advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

— From staff reports