Whitecaps sign Arze and Wheeler

Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today the signings of midfielder Vicente Arze and striker Andrew Wheeler, pending international clearance. Arze and Wheeler have both agreed to one-year contracts, plus an option.

Arze, 22, joins the Whitecaps after four years at NCAA Division I school Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. The five-foot-ten, 170-pound, midfielder finished his university career ranked seventh all-time with 21 career goals, second all-time with 19 assists and tied for sixth with 61 points in 68 career matches with the Bears. He has also earned two first-team and two second-team all-conference honours. Arze, who was the All-Atlantic Sun Freshman-of-the-Year in 2004, is scheduled to graduate this May with a business degree in marketing.

The native of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, played youth soccer for Bolivia’s Club Blooming before transferring to Argentina’s highly acclaimed Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys in 2000. During his time with Newell, he represented his native country at the FIFA U-20 World Cup qualifying tournament in 2003.
YEAR
TEAM
LEAGUE
GP
GS
MIN
G
A
PTS
GW
SH
SG
F
C
E
2004
Mercer U.
NCAA DI
21
20
-
3
7
13
2
67
27
-
-
-
2005
Mercer U.
NCAA DI
14
14
-
8
3
19
3
31
14
-
-
-
2006
Mercer U.
NCAA DI
14
14
-
7
1
15
1
32
-
-
-
-
2007
Mercer U.
NCAA DI
19
19
-
5
7
15
0
55
25
-
-
-
Mercer U.
Totals
68
67
-
23
18
62
6
185
-
-
-
-

Wheeler, 21, arrives in Vancouver after attending NCAA Division III school York College of Pennsylvania since 2005. The six-foot-three, 185-pound striker was a potent offensive force for the Spartans, leaving the program ranked second all-time in goals with 45, and points with 116. He is also third in career assists with 26. Wheeler was twice named to the All-Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) first team and last year he was named the CAC Player-of-the-Year.

Last summer, the native of Baltimore, Maryland, played for the Hampton Road Piranhas of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL). In 16 regular season games with the Piranhas, Wheeler tallied 14 goals, including seven game winners, and added five assists. For his efforts, Wheeler was named to the PDL All-Conference team and was a finalist for league MVP honours. Wheeler’s Piranhas finished the season undefeated with the league’s best record of 14 wins and two draws.
YEAR
TEAM
LEAGUE
GP
GS
MIN
G
A
PTS
GW
SH
SG
F
C
E
2005
York C.
NCAA DIII
24
22
-
15
4
34
4
69
40
-
3
0
2006
York C.
NCAA DIII
23
21
-
19
11
49
11
90
48
-
2
1
2007
York C.
NCAA DIII
21
14
-
11
11
33
3
78
32
0
10
0
York C.
Totals
68
57
-
45
26
116
18
237
120
-
15
1
2007
Hampton R.
PDL
16
14
1208
14
5
33
7
41
-
16
2
0

Vancouver Whitecaps open the 2008 regular season at Swangard Stadium against the Montreal Impact on Saturday, April 12. Season tickets are now on sale, starting at $199. Call 604.669.WAVE (9283) or
CLICK HERE
for more information.