USF Senior Writer

TAMPA - USF head men's soccer coach George Kiefer always knows what he's going to get from Wesley Charpie.

Practices, games, film sessions, it doesn't matter. The freshman midfielder is eager and his work ethic is tireless.

"Every day he brings the same mentality," Kiefer explained. "Every day he works. It's an honest work ethic, an honest work rate. He absorbs the information we're giving him."

Charpie has been putting the Bulls coaching staff's wealth of knowledge to good use.

Through five games, the Tarpon Springs native led USF in assists (3) and was second on the team in points (3).

"I really don't think about that," Charpie said. "I just try to go hard every practice, every game."

Charpie really learned how to bring the all-out mentality from a place far away.

As an incoming high school senior, he took his talents all the way to England to train with the Aston Villa and Blackburn youth teams in the summer of 2010.

"It was the best experience of my life," Charpie said. "I learned a lot about the game of soccer and life. It's guided me to where I am today."

Soccer in Europe is a little different than in the United States. Players have a few months of preseason to prepare over there, while teams only have a few weeks to get ready for a season here.

"You really have to be on top of your game for every training session or else you'll fall off the track," he said.

Conditioning at that point was well underway and Charpie was in midseason mode during his month in England. He was already doing numerous 30-minute games and technical work by the time he got off the plane.

Charpie noticed how the big trip affected his game when he got home to play one more year of club soccer in Clearwater before becoming a Bull.

"My touch on the ball was sharper. My thought process was sharper," he said.

USF noticed and took a good look at the local recruit numerous times before bringing him in. Charpie was glad the Bulls did because they were on the top of his list. Combine that with the fact that his brother, Josh, attends USF and you have a soccer player who was eager to wear the green and gold.

"It's right next to my house. I can't get any better than that really," he said.

Once it became official, Charpie said he set his hopes and standards high - make a way into the starting 11.

"Every day you just have to give 100 percent," said Charpie, whose hard work has translated into making him a starter for every game this season.

The best likely has yet to come as well for a player who has gained a lot of respect from Kiefer.

"I always know what I'm going to get with Wes and now we can just keep getting him a little better every day with that same work rate mentality. He's going to be a top guy," Kiefer said.