Menlo standout men's soccer player Sam Zipperstein will take his talents to the next level, agreeing to go to the Kitsap Pumas of the Professional Development League.  The Kitsap Pumas hail from Bremerton, Washington and will enter the 2012 season as the league's defending champions. 

"I am very excited," claimed Zipperstein on the opportunity to play in the PDL.  "Kitsap has a good team, so I am excited to have a shot yet I know that it is going to be a huge challenge, but I am ready for it." 

The Mountain View native spent his junior and senior seasons with the Oaks after transferring over from De Anza College.  Zipperstein's two years in Menlo blue were as good as any, compiling four goals and 18 assists throughout his Oaks tenure.  Zipperstein's 11 assists in the 2011 season ranked in the top 20 in the nation, as the team captain helped lead Menlo to an undefeated California Pacific Conference season, culminating in the squad's first ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament. 

"Sam's a really hard working guy and it's nice that it paid off for him," commented Oaks second year Head Coach Mike Keller.  "The coaching staff and the program are fired up for him.  It's a great opportunity and it's nothing but excitement for Sam." 

Along with the gaudy statistics, Zipperstein is a two-time All-Conference first teamer and this past season the senior mid-fielder was named as an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention as well as a Jewish Sports Review First Team All-American.