 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Spirit score Wagner, more in draft Posted: Friday February 14, 2003 11:33 AM
Trades and surprises as WUSA teams load up on attackers Boston got Devvyn Hawkins, Philadelphia took Hope Solo, and Lauren Orlandos lasted until the second round of WUSA's draft in Atlanta. Santa Clara University playmaker Aly Wagner, no surprise, was taken by San Diego with the first pick, the second successive year a Broncos star has led off the collegiate/amateur draft. Carolina took former Santa Clara defender Danielle Slaton with the No. 1 selection in 2002. Penn State striker Christie Welsh went to New York with the second choice, and Hawkins -- who played behind Wagner in Santa Clara's midfield -- was taken by Boston with the pivotal third selection. Philadelphia, with three first-round selections, didn't fail to surprise. University of Washington goalkeeper Hope Solo went to the Charge with the fourth selection, and Coach Mark Krikorian took speedy Clemson forward Deliah Arrington with the sixth pick and Dartmouth midfielder Mary McVeigh with the seventh. Krikorian has made surprising draft picks previously, and most have worked out very well. Wagner, Hawkins and Solo are part of the pool from which U.S. women's national team coach April Heinrichs will choose her roster for next fall's Women's World Cup. Welsh has previously been in the U.S. pool. There also were four trades, with six players -- half of them first-round picks from 2002 -- and a handful of draft choices changing hands. Competition for jobs will be fierce. The league plans to limit rosters to 16 players with two "reserves" this season. Last year the rosters were 18 with three "reserves." Orlandos, the top central defender in a draft not deep in backline players, went to New York with the ninth pick, the first of the second round. Her stock was hurt by the perception that her footspeed is poor and that she'll struggle against top WUSA attackers. A superb College Cup with NCAA champion Portland had, in some scouts' minds, eased such concerns. Stanford midfielder Callie Withers, to Atlanta with the fifth selection, and Nebraska defender Breanna Boyd, to Carolina with the eighth pick, also were first-round selections. Most teams weren't willing to take Boyd, a Canadian national-teamer whose primary position is right back, because she would count against the foreign-player limit. She is the fifth foreigner on Carolina's roster, one more than the limit. Hege Riise, Birgit Prinz and Unni Lehn aren't leaving, so the choice is Boyd or Finnish forward Minna Mustonen. New San Diego coach Omid Namazi appeared to have a particularly strong draft day. Wagner, the U.S. national team's starting playmaker, was joined on the Spirit by North Carolina forward-midfielder Susan Bush (15th pick), North Carolina goalkeeper Jenni Branam (17th) and Pepperdine defender Susan Palmer (26th). In addition, San Diego acquired Canadian national-teamer Christine Latham, a forward from Nebraska, as a foreign signing. The Spirit has five foreign players, but Namazi said either Chinese forward Zhang Ouying or defender Fan Yunjie will be released. Nigerian forward Mercy Akide, who has not produced in the WUSA, is another option. The Spirit was involved in two of the trades Sunday, sending midfielder Lori Lindsey to Washington as part of a move to grab Bush and trading defender Anna Kraus and its second-round pick in the 2004 draft to Philadelphia for midfielder Kerry Connors. Philadelphia also acquired Finnish midfielder Anne Makinen from Washington for midfielder Rebekah McDowell and the draft pick the Freedom used to grab St. Mary's goalkeeper Ruth Montgomery in the third round. In the day's final trade, San Jose sent defender Danielle Borgman to Boston for defender Keri Sanchez. Borgman, Lindsey and Kraus were first-round picks last year. So was Mustonen, who was traded by New York to Carolina last fall. Atlanta had three picks among the first 13, using them on Withers, North Carolina defender Leslie Gaston and Michigan forward Abby Crumpton. Some envision Crumpton as an attacking wing-back in the WUSA. San Jose took Portland midfielder Betsy Barr with its first selection, in the second round, and Washington drafted Christian Brothers striker Missy Gregg with its first pick, in the third round. Barr joins her older sister, Washington defender Emmy Barr, in the WUSA. Gregg and Bush, like Orlandos, were expected to be drafted sooner. There are concerns about Bush's oft-injured knees and Gregg's level of competition at Christian Brothers, the NCAA Division II champion. Others taken later than expected were Connecticut midfielder Sarah Popper (by Boston) and California forward Laura Schott (by Washington), both in the fourth round. Other significant selections include Stanford forward Marcia Wallis to Boston with the 11th pick and Portland midfielder Erin Misaki to Philadelphia with the 14th pick. Eleven forwards and 10 midfielders were among the 32 selections, and goalkeepers also proved popular. Five were selected: Solo, Saint Louis' Meghann Burke (to Carolina), Branam, Montgomery and Oregon's Sarah Peters (to San Jose). North Carolina (Gaston, Bush, Branam) and Portland (Orlandos, Barr, Misaki) each saw three of its players drafted. Schools with two selections were Santa Clara (Wagner, Hawkins), Stanford (Withers, Wallis), Clemson (Arrington, New York's Heather Beem), and Virginia (Boston's Kelly Worden, Washington's Darci Borski). 2003 WUSA DRAFT FIRST ROUND
1. San Diego - Aly Wagner, Midfielder, Santa Clara SECOND ROUND
9. New York - Lauren Orlandos, Defender, Portland THIRD ROUND
17. San Diego - Jen Branam, Goalkeeper, North Carolina FOURTH ROUND
25. New York - Heather Beem, Forward, Clemson TRADES 1. Washington Freedom traded 15th pick to the San Diego for midfielder Lori Lindsey and 18th pick. 2. Philadelphia traded 22nd pick and midfielder Rebekah McDowell to Washington for midfielder Anne Makinen. 3. San Diego traded defender Anna Kraus and 2004 second-round pick to Philadelphia for midfielder Kerry Connors. 4. Boston traded defender Keri Sanchez to San Jose for defender Danielle Borgman. TEAM BY TEAM ATLANTA -- 5. Callie Withers, m, Stanford; 10. Leslie Gaston, d, North Carolina; 13. Abby Crumpton, f, Michigan; 21. Katie Antongiovanni, m-f, Denver; 29. Sandra Kayulu, m, Hartford. BOSTON -- 3. Devvyn Hawkins, m, Santa Clara; 11. Marcia Wallis, f, Stanford; 19. Kelly Worden, d, Virginia; 27. Sarah Popper, m, Connecticut. CAROLINA -- 8. Breanna Boyd, d, Nebraska; 16. Meghann Burke, g, Saint Louis; 24. Heather Ragsdale, f-m, Texas A&M; 32. Kate Gordon, f, Marquette. NEW YORK -- 2. Christie Welsh, f, Penn State; 9. Lauren Orlandos, d, Portland; 25. Heather Beem, f, Clemson. PHILADELPHIA -- 4. Hope Solo, g, Philadelphia; 6. Deliah Arrington, f, Clemson; 7. Mary McVeigh, m, Dartmouth; 14. Erin Misaki, m, Portland; 30. Rachel Kruze, m, West Virginia. SAN DIEGO -- 1. Aly Wagner, m, Santa Clara; 15. Susan Bush, f-m, North Carolina; 17. Jenni Branam, g, North Carolina; 26. Susan Palmer, d, Pepperdine. SAN JOSE -- 12. Betsy Barr, m, Portland; 28. Sarah Peters, g, Oregon. WASHINGTON -- 18. Missy Gregg, f, Christian Brothers; 20. Darci Borski, f, Virginia; 22. Ruth Montgomery, g, St. Mary's; 23. Ali Fennell, d-m, USC; 31. Laura Schott, f, California. BY POSITION GOALKEEPERS -- 4. Hope Solo, Washington; 16. Meghann Burke, Saint Louis; 17. Jenni Branam, North Carolina; 22. Ruth Montgomery, St. Mary's; 28. Sarah Peters, Oregon. DEFENDERS -- 8. Breanna Boyd, Nebraska; 9. Lauren Orlandos, Portland; 10. Leslie Gaston, North Carolina; 19. Kelly Worden, Virginia; 23. Ali Fennell, USC; 26. Susan Palmer, Pepperdine. MIDFIELDERS -- 1. Aly Wagner, Santa Clara; 3. Devvyn Hawkins, Santa Clara; 5. Callie Withers, Stanford; 7. Mary McVeigh, Dartmouth; 12. Betsy Barr, Portland; 14. Erin Misaki, Portland; 21. Katie Antongiovanni, Denver; 27. Sarah Popper, Connecticut; 29. Sandra Kayulu, Hartford; 30. Rachel Kruze, West Virginia. FORWARDS -- 2. Christie Welsh, Penn State; 6. Deliah Arrington, Clemson; 11. Marcia Wallis, Stanford; 13. Abby Crumpton, Michigan; 15. Susan Bush, North Carolina; 18. Missy Gregg, Christian Brothers; 20. Darci Borski, Virginia; 24. Heather Ragsdale, Texas A&M; 25. Heather Beem, Clemson; 31. Laura Schott, California; 32. Kate Gordon, Marquette.
Courtesy of Soccer America magazine.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
