March 16, 1999

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.- Serge Daniv, a senior midfielder on the Wake Forest men's soccer team, has signed a Project 40 contract with Major League Soccer and will forego his final year of collegiate eligibility to enter the professional ranks. Daniv has not yet been allocated to a specific MLS team.

Daniv earned third-team NSCAA/Umbro All-America honors in both his freshman and sophomore seasons (1995 and 1996), but suffered a serious knee injury which caused him to miss the entire 1997 campaign. He eased back into the Demon Deacon lineup in 1998, starting 10 of the last 12 games and tallying five goals and two assists. He was named to the All-ACC first team and earned College Soccer Weekly Honorable Mention All-America honors. Had he returned for the 1999 season, Daniv would have been considered a strong candidate for the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top collegiate player in the nation.

Project 40 is a joint venture between the MLS and US Soccer, aimed at identifying America's top young soccer players and providing them with training in the professional arena to enhance international success. Project 40 signees train and compete with an MLS team on a daily basis, earning the minimum league salary, and are also awarded a five-year academic package covering tuition by the United States Soccer Federation. A traveling Project 40 squad will also compete in the USL's Division II A-League in the summer of 1999.

Daniv's departure comes shortly after the Demon Deacons announced the signing of one of the nation's top recruiting classes. The seven-member class, which boasts an impressive list of high school and international honors, is headlined by two-time Parade All-America marking back Aaron Thomas and Dutch National Team captain Bobby Gehring.