irvine, california – Orange County SC announced Thursday that the club has signed midfielder Ben Norris with the USL Academy for the remainder of the 2023 USL Championship season. Norris will be signed to his OCSC First Team roster by the USL Academy, along with goaltender Mark Heian, defender Ashton Miles and forward Nico He Lewis.
Norris is now an OCSC II player, qualifying for the USL Championship and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with the club’s first team while maintaining his college eligibility.
OCSC Sporting Director Peter Nugent said: “Ben completely deserved this deal for his performances with our reserve team. “He’s an exciting young player who is a constant source of excitement every time he sees the field. I play with zero energy.”
A native of Poway, California, Norris had an impressive youth career with San Diego Surf before attending OCSC II. The 16-year-old was named to his squad of the Elite Club National League U15 All-America for the 2020-2021 season. He followed that up with a nod for the ECNL U16 Boys Southwest All-Conference Team in 2021-2022.
“Being professional has been a dream of mine since I was four years old, so it feels great to be signing with OCSC,” said Norris. “I started working in Orange He County about a year ago and have loved it ever since I got here.”
During his time with OCSC II, Norris appeared in all four games at the 2022 USL Academy Finals in Tampa, Florida last November, where OCSC II won the Showcase division title.
