NEWTON, Mass. (12/9/15) – Former men's soccer standout midfielder Servi Barrientos (Providence, R.I.) has been called back for preseason after an invitational tryout with The Universidad SC (USAC), a Guatemalan soccer club that represents the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, the biggest and oldest university of Guatemala.  

Founded in 1922, the club has won six league championships, and is currently managed by Ramiro Cepeda, a former midfielder for Argentina. USAC plays in the top professional league in Guatemala, Liga Nacional de Futbol, and is based out of Guatemala City.

Barrientos is a native of Guatemala and moved to the United States in 2002, while his siblings and his mother still reside in Guatemala City. With the importance of family strongly guiding Barrientos in his journey, the former Laser commented, "The opportunity really came from my mother who was brave enough to contact the coaching staff. The team was in pursuit of a new head coach, and my mother used that opportunity to land a tryout for me. We now laugh about the fact that she was basically my manager for a day."

During his tenure at Lasell (2013-2015), Barrientos started in 36 of 39 games played, and registered four goals (two game-winners), 10 assists, and 64 total shots as a major contributor of the midfield. "I always knew that I would continue to play competitively after I finished at Lasell" commented Barrientos. "I was fortunate to have two great coaches that helped me develop as a soccer player on and off the pitch."

Lasell head men's soccer coach Burke Hazard commented on this thrilling journey, saying "We all are very excited and proud of Servi for earning such a rare and amazing opportunity. The majority of college athletes rarely get a chance to play at the professional level and this is a true testament not only to Servi's ability but to his dedication and love of the game. It is my hope that we can continue to help current and future Lasell College players make it to the next level, whether it be domestically or like in Servi's case, in the various professional leagues in other countries."

The University of San Carlos, a public university of over 150,000 students, abides by its school motto of "Go forth and teach everyone." "The school's motto definitely parallels with Lasell's connected learning," said Barrientos. "Lasell helped me become a better student and athlete, and the experiences I had in the classroom and in internships helped me develop professionalism which I will continue to use throughout my career."  

Barrientos is awaiting a final destination date from coach Capeda, with an anticipated departure of late January.