Head Coach Cameron Rast on Ballouchy:"Mehdi is really one of the special players in the college gamethis year. Tactically and technically, he is ahead of all the bestin college soccer at this point. I think has the ability to impacta game like few players in college can. When looked at our team twoyears ago in the College Cup, Mehdi was the one player we weremissing. We knew that then. He was on campus, redshirting, at thetime. When you speak about players who can win you a nationalchampionship, you speak about players like Mehdi Ballouchy. We knowthat he has a lot of creativity and ability, but maybe some of thethings that gets overlooked is the fact that he may work thehardest of any player on our team in terms of his workrate on thefield. There is no question that his ability on both sides of theball are a big factor in why we are in the NCAA Tournament. Mehdihas been a good leader for us and a player we didn't have two yearsago"
Decided to forgo his senior year and enter the Major LeagueSoccer SuperDraft ... selected as the second pick overall in thefirst round by Real Salt Lake ... the highest overall pick everfrom Santa Clara and the sixth first round draft selection.
AS A JUNIOR IN 2005: WCC Player of the Year ...first-team NSCAA/adidas Men's Division I All-America ... first-teamAll-America by Soccer America, Soccer Times and College Soccer News... named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy ... first-teamall-WCC selection ... first-team NSCAA Far West All-Region slection... first-team National Team of the Season by Top Drawer Soccer ...started 21 of 22 matches at midfield ... did not start the LMUmatch to provide an opportunity for a deserving senior player tostart the match ... named to the 25-person preseason MAC HermannTrophy Watch List ... selected preseason All-America by SoccerAmerica and College Soccer News ... team co-captain ... hard25-yard shot led to a UCLA handball and a penalty kick to give SCUa 2-0 first half lead over the then No. 2-Bruins ... registeredseven assists on the season ... scored only goal of the year, thegame-winner in a 3-2 overtime win over Saint Marys ... namedall-tournament at the Maryland adidas Classic.
AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2004: Started all 20 matchesin which he appeared... All-WCC First Team honoree... third-teamNSCAA/adidas Men's Division I All-America ... paced the team with15 points in 2004... scored three goals on the season... assistedon a team-high nine Bronco goals... ranked second in the WCC inassists... earned diadora Classic MVP and WCC Player of the Weekhonors in his first weekend as a Bronco... scored a goal andassisted on the game-winner in SCU's season opening victory overUMass... added another goal against UC Davis to bring his openingweekend total to five points... named to both Soccer America's andCollege Soccer News' National Teams of the Week after the diadoraClassic... named the All-GMU/Comfort Inn Classic Offensive MVPafter leading SCU to its second tournament title... also earnedAll-SCU/adidas Classic honors after tallying two assists in theBronco's two wins over the weekend... provided the game-winninggoal in SCU's 2-0 victory at Stanford on September 24... named theWest Coast Conference Player of the Month for September afterposting double digit points and four assists in the month...recorded four assists during WCC schedule, including assisting onthe game-winner against Loyola Marymount on November 12.
AT CREIGHTON: Played one year at Creightonunder head coach Bob Warming... College Soccer News FreshmanAll-American in 2002... named to Missouri Valley ConferenceAll-Newcomer Team... also First Team NSCAA All-Midwest selection...appeared in 24 matches, starting 20 as a true freshman... scoredfive goals and tallied four assists... ranked fourth on the teamwith 14 points on the year... helped lead the Bluejays to thenational semifinals and a MVC tournament championship... named tothe All-MVC Tournament team... posted first multiple goal game in aNCAA Tournament match against Boston College... scored game-winneragainst St. John's in first round of the NCAA Tournament... namedto the College Soccer News Team of the Week after performanceagainst Boston College.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2002 graduate of Henry Gunn HighSchool in Palo Alto, Calif... spent junior season at South HighSchool in Denver, Co... earned all-league honors while at South...played at Yassine High School in Casablanca, Morocco in first twoprep seasons... member of the Morocco U17 and U16 National Teams...named first team all league in 1998 and 1999... MVP for club teamin Raja, Morocco... played in youth program of the localprofessional team, Raja Casablanca.
PERSONAL: Born April 6, 1983 in Morocco...parents are Driss and Malika Ballouchy... has an older sister andolder brother... father is a former French second divisionplayer... enjoys watching soccer and reading poetry... major isfinance.
Ballouchy's Career Statistics
| Year | M-S | Shots | Goals | GWGoals | Assists | Points |
| 2004 | 20-20 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 15 |
| 2005 | 22-21 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| Total | 42-41 | 77 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 24 |
Ballouchy's Career Honors
Soccer America All-America First Team 2005
NSCAA/adidas Men's Division I All-America First Team 2005
CSN All-America First Team 2005
NSCAA First Team Far West All-Region 2005
TDS First Team National Team of the Season 2005
Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Semifinalist 2005
West Coast Conference Player of the Year (2005)
All-WCC First Team 2005
Maryland/adidas Classic All-Classic Team (9/11/05)
Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List 2005
College Soccer News Preseason All-America 2005
All-WCC First Team 2004
West Coast Conference Player of the Month (Sept. 04)
Santa Clara/adidas Classic All-Classic Team (9/18/04)
GMU/Comfort Inn Classic Offensive Most Valuable Player(9/12/04)
diadora Classic Most Valuable Player (9/6/04)
West Coast Conference Player of the Week (9/6/04)
Soccer America's National Team of the Week (9/6/04)
College Soccer News' National Team of the Week (9/6/04)
