Posted Oct. 21, 2003

Nathan Leboffe and Noah Manning squared off against one another in one of the East County’s hottest high school soccer rivalries. Now they’ve combined forces to help make the University of San Diego men’s soccer team one of the nation’s marquee draws.

Leboffe (pictured at right), a 2000 graduate of Monte Vista High School, had contributed two goals and one assist in the 15th-ranked Toreros’ 10-2-2 start while Manning, a Valhalla High School alumnus, had appeared in 10 games as part of a stingy USD defense that had recorded nine shutouts in 14 matches to start this season.

Both have had to work hard to crack the Toreros’ exceptionally strong lineup this season. Leboffe has become a second-half specialist, in particular, for strong-finishing USD while Manning, a 2000 Norseman grad, has had to play different roles on the team since joining the Toreros, who are ranked seventh overall in the Far West Region.

"I basically come in the second half to give the team a lift," said Leboffe, a junior midfielder. "I make a point to work hard. That comes from my hours of practice."

"Making the top 11 is very tough. Most of the guys on our team can start at any Division I school in the nation," said Manning, a senior defender.

Manning was part of a USD backline that limited opponents to 18 goals in 20 games last season while posting nine shutouts. However, it was as a midfielder that he earned his acclaim in high school. He scored 14 goals his senior year to earn Grossmont South League Player of the Year and First Team All-County honors and tallied nine goals his junior year to earn second team all-league recognition.

Valhalla won San Diego Section Division I championships his sophomore and junior seasons.

"I had great expectations coming in as a freshman but I had a slight injury with my lower back. It delayed my momentum. After that, it was playing different roles on the team," said Manning, a business major, who played club youth soccer for both the East County-based Hotspurs and La Jolla Nomads.

While at Monte Vista, Leboffe twice earned All-Grossmont South League honors and capped his senior year with six goals to earn recognition as a second team all-county pick.

Though recruited by San Diego State University, UC San Diego and Redlands, the two-time Monarch team MVP decided to walk on at USD.

"I wanted to stay in San Diego. This was the best soccer team here in my opinion. I liked the school also. It has a good academic program," the La Mesa native said.

Leboffe, who once juggled a soccer ball for 650 consecutive touches at age 12, appeared in 19 matches last season for the Toreros and netted the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory against Cal State Northridge. In 2001, he played in eight matches after sitting out the 2000 season.

The Toreros won the West Coast Conference title his first year at USD.

Pictured at left: Noah Manning

"We’re very deep. We have a lot of good players. We obviously want to win our conference," said Leboffe, who also got his start in club youth soccer with the Hotspurs.

The Toreros opened WCC play with key victories against St. Mary’s (1-0) and San Francisco (3-0). USD closes out conference play with matches against Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga, Portland and 12th-ranked Santa Clara. The Toreros conclude regular season play Nov. 13 by hosting UCLA, the nation’s top-ranked team.

A strong finish is particularly important for Manning, who is playing his last few games for the Toreros as his college career comes to a close.

"There’s eight of us seniors. It’s our last year for all of us. It’s very important for us to play to our potential. Last year we didn’t play to our potential. It’s left a bitter taste in our mouths," Manning said.

That could all change soon.