Mike Gentile
{{short description|American soccer player}}
{{for|the guitarist|Hey Monday}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name= Mike Gentile
| fullname =
| image =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|5|24}}
| birth_place =United States
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 = 1992–1995
| youthclubs1 = Wisconsin Badgers
| years1 = 1996–1999
| clubs1 = Milwaukee Rampage
| caps1 =
| goals1 = 4
| years2 = 1999–2002
| clubs2 = Minnesota Thunder
| caps2 = 82
| goals2 = 5
| nationalyears1 = 1993
| nationalteam1 = U.S. U-20
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| manageryears1 =
| managerclubs1 =
}}
Mike Gentile (born May 24, 1974) is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who, while drafted twice by teams in Major League Soccer, spent his seven-season career in the second division USISL. He was a member of the United States U-20 men's national soccer team at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Early years
Gentile attended Livonia Churchill High School along with Scott Lamphear and Jeff Cassar where they were finalist in the Class A State Championship in 1990 as a Junior.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mhsaa.com/sports/boys-soccer/yearly-champions|title=Yearly Champions {{!}} Boys Soccer {{!}} MHSAA Sports|website=www.mhsaa.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-23|archive-date=2019-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701051706/https://www.mhsaa.com/Sports/Boys-Soccer/Yearly-Champions|url-status=dead}}
College
Gentile attended college at the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he played on the soccer team from 1992 to 1995. In 1995, the Badgers won the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship while Gentile was selected a third team All-American. In 1993, he was part of the United States U-20 men's national soccer team at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship, but he never entered a game in the tournament.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=195724/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102124758/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=195724/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012|title=FIFA Tournaments - Players & Coaches - Mike GENTILE|website=FIFA.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-05-23}} In 2015, Gentile was added to the UW Athletic Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=http://www.uwbadgers.com/news/2015/9/3/UW_Athletic_Hall_of_Fame_Class_of_2015_Mike_Gentile.aspx|title=UW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2015: Mike Gentile|website=University of Wisconsin|language=en|access-date=2017-05-23}}
Professional
In March 1996, the Colorado Rapids selected Gentile in the first round (9th overall) of the 1996 College Draft.{{Cite web|url=http://www.intermark.com/rapids/rp030596.html |title=MLS soccer - Colorado Rapids Pick Four Players in Supplemental, College Draft |date=2016-08-28 |access-date=2017-05-23 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828155038/http://www.intermark.com/rapids/rp030596.html |archivedate=2016-08-28 }} The Rapids released Gentile during the preseason and he signed with the Milwaukee Rampage of the USISL.
In 1997, the Rampage won the league championship. On July 13, 1999, the Rampage unexpectedly released Gentile along with four other players. Gentile had started five games before being benched in June. He immediately signed with the Minnesota Thunder, going on to win the 1999 league championship with his new team.
In February 2000, Gentile was again drafted by an MLS team when the Tampa Bay Mutiny selected him in the sixth round (66th overall) in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. However, on February 22, 2000, the Mutiny released Gentile and he returned to the Thunder.{{Cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/transactions/2000/02/22/index.html |title=CNNSI.com - Transactions - Latest - Tuesday February 22, 2000 09:18 PM |date=2011-07-08 |access-date=2017-05-23 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708171709/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/transactions/2000/02/22/index.html |archivedate=July 8, 2011 }} In 2001, he signed a one-year contract, with a one-year option.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dansoccerzone.com/mnthunder/news/Display.php?NewsItemId=548|title=Thunder Re-Signs Mike Gentile|last=Buchholz|first=Djorn|date=January 30, 2001|website=Dan's Soccer Zone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708231852/http://www.dansoccerzone.com/mnthunder/news/Display.php?NewsItemId=548|archive-date=2011-07-08|url-status=dead}} He played through at least the 2002 season.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.uwbadgers.com/pdf/?id=1762 University of Wisconsin–Madison Media Guide]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- [http://www.uwbadgers.com/news/2015/9/3/UW_Athletic_Hall_of_Fame_Class_of_2015_Mike_Gentile.aspx University of Wisconsin Men's Soccer Hall of Fame]
{{RapidsFirstPick}}
{{1996 MLS College Draft}}
{{NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament MOP}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gentile, Mike}}
Category:American men's soccer players
Category:A-League (1995–2004) players
Category:Milwaukee Rampage players
Category:Minnesota Thunder players
Category:Wisconsin Badgers men's soccer players
Category:Colorado Rapids draft picks
Category:Tampa Bay Mutiny draft picks
Category:United States men's under-20 international soccer players