By Keith Mills

Alex Horwath, who helped McDonogh win the MIAA A Conference soccer championship in 2004, became the latest Baltimore area player to possibly get a chance to play Major League Soccer. Horwarth was signed as a pool goalkeeper for the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS, joining Santino Quaranta (Archbishop Curley), Kyle Beckerman (Arundel) and Zach Thornton (John Carroll) as local players already in the country's premier professional league.

Horwath is not on the Wizards’ active roster but could see action if Kansas City's two regular goalies, Eric Kronberg or Jimmy Nielsen, get injured.

Horwath suffered a severe concussion and actually underwent brain surgery during his sophomore year at McDonogh, but finished his high school career with 43 shutouts. No. 43 made 11 saves and earned his 15th shutout of the season in the MIAA A Conference championship game against Calvert Hall, helping the Eagles win, 3-0.

At the time it was the third conference championship for McDonogh under head coach Steve Nichols, who has since led the Eagles to two more. Horwath was named first team All-Metro by the Baltimore Sun after the 2004 season along with McDonogh teammates Justin Lichtfuss, Mike Marchiano and Matt Beckman, who was named the area's Player of the Year.

Horwath originally attended the University of Connecticut, but transferred to Wisconsin after the 2006 season. He made 51 starts for the Badgers in his career and allowed just over one goal a game. He spent much of last summer working out in Kansas City with the Wizards.

Horwarth is from the Woodbine section of Carroll County and is the son of Marilyn and Tony Horwath. Tony was an All-Anne Arundel County baseball player at Brooklyn Park and a two-year starter for head coach Tim McMullen, who is a member of Maryland Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

In 1980, Tony Horwarth helped Brooklyn Park win the Class B state baseball championship with a 4-2 win over Sparrows Point. He was also the quarterback of the Bees’ football team.

Posted April 20, 2010