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By DAVE KONOPKI dkonopki@leader.net
 Sunday, January 30, 2005 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1B 





They were two of the biggest moments in the young life of Brian Kelly. And
he handled them with all the ease and class that personified his
soccer-playing days at Lake-Lehman High School. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kelly was called to the high school office on Jan. 26, 1993, where he was
greeted by Principal John Oliver. The news: Kelly had just been named the
national high school Player of the Year by PARADEmagazine. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The reaction: the 18-year-old politely thanked Oliver and quickly returned
to class. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Four years later, Kelly was wrapping up his collegiate playing days at Duke
University during a senior all-star game when he was approached at halftime.
The news: Kelly had just been selected in the first round -- fifth overall --
of the Major League Soccer draft. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The reaction: the 22-year-old quietly returned to the field and finished
the game. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "They were both very humbling, and memorable, experiences," said Kelly, a
30-year-old who now lives in Manhattan and works for an investment bank. "They
were tremendous individual accolades, but they were a tribute to the
outstanding teammates and coaches I had during my playing career." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although he hasn't played in the Wyoming Valley Conference in more than a
decade, Kelly remains the yardstick by which local players are measured. There
have been several outstanding players in the WVC, but none has come close to
matching what Kelly accomplished on the soccer field. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In addition to being named the best high school player in the nation, the
son of Mark and Linda Kelly played on several U.S. national teams, came within
a whisker of making the Olympic team, had an outstanding career at Duke, and
is the only person from Northeastern Pennsylvania to ever play in the MLS. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I had a great time playing soccer," said Kelly, who left the MLS in 2001
after playing the season with Tampa Bay. "I made so many friends, and I have a
lot of great memories. I'm very proud of my team and individual
accomplishments." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 What makes Kelly's accomplishments -- especially the ones at Lake-Lehman --
even more impressive is the time at which he played. While many regions in the
state had been playing high school-level soccer for decades, the WVC was only
3 years old when Kelly started playing as a freshman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I really enjoyed growing up and playing soccer in the area," said Kelly,
who played for head coach Bill Tooley at Lake-Lehman. "I played against some
very good players from Dallas, Valley West and Abington Heights. It was a
great time for high school soccer in the area." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While at Lake-Lehman, Kelly led the Black Knights to a pair of WVC Division
I and District 2 Class 2A championships. Lake-Lehman advanced to the state
semifinals during his senior year, before losing against Holy Ghost Prep.
Kelly finished his high school career with an amazing 145 goals and 44
assists. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The success continued at Duke University, where he was an Atlantic Coast
Conference first-team all-star. In 1995, Kelly and the Blue Devils advanced to
the national championship game, losing 2-0 against Wisconsin. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the semifinals, Duke posted a 3-2 victory against four-time defending
national champion Virginia in front of an NCAA-record 21,319 fans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The Virginia game still holds special place," said Kelly. "It was one of
the most exciting games I've ever been a part of. The players from both teams
played with a lot of heart." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Soccer trips around the globe have been replaced by business meetings with
CEOs and bank portfolio managers in the financial mecca of the world. Kelly
left professional soccer to take a job with Goldman Sachs &amp; Co. in New York
City. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The decision to leave the game wasn't easy, said Kelly. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Soccer had been such a big part of my life for so many years," he said.
"When I played, I made OK money, nothing lavish. I felt I had a couple of
years left to play, but I didn't want to become too old to start new career
outside of sports. And the job offer by Goldman Sachs was great." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm single, I work at one of premiere banks in world, and I live in a
great city. It's a very good situation." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That doesn't mean he's forgotten his roots. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "My parents moved to San Diego a couple of years ago and I don't get back
to the area as much as I'd like, but I think about it often," said Kelly.
"There were a lot of great games and moments, but I think what remember most
about playing high school soccer was the people. The teammates and coaches I
had at Lake-Lehman were like a second family." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Achieving His Goals