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2017 NWSL College Draft Recap

01/13/2017, 2:30pm EST
By Admin

Chicago takes RSL star Vasconcelos 11th overall; Orlando steals TSF’s Driesse

LOS ANGELES, CA - The 2017 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft took place yesterday afternoon at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention in Los Angeles, CA. Forty players would have their dreams of becoming a professional women’s soccer player come true, but all would not be lost for those not selected, as the NWSL tryout process is set to ensue and there are more opportunities to continue playing careers than ever here in the United States and abroad.

Four players with connections to United Women’s Soccer (UWS) member teams were selected by NWSL teams, led by BYU & Real Salt Lake Women midfielder/forward Michele Vasconcelos who was drafted 11th overall (1st pick, 2nd Round) by the Chicago Red Stars. The Orlando Pride would get a steal with Penn State University & TSF Academy midfielder Nickolette Driesse with the 32nd overall selection (2nd pick, 4th Round). Leading the way for UWS team alumni was former New England Mutiny midfielder Morgan Andrews who was selected 3rd overall by the Boston Breakers while the Real Women would have two Top 15 picks, as team alum & UCLA forward Darian Jenkins was drafted 7th overall by the North Carolina Courage.

“All of us here at United Women’s Soccer would like to congratulate Michele and Nickolette,” said League Director Joe Ferrara, Jr. “We think that Chicago and Orlando will be very pleased with their selections. We also hope that both players’ experience in UWS helped them to make their pro aspirations come true. As for those team alumni selected in the NWSL Draft, its always rewarding to see the development of the players you’ve coached come to fruition in such a rewarding manner.”

Vasconcelos led the Real Women in scoring (three goals, three assists) last summer and was named to the All-UWS Honorable Mention Team and All-West Conference First Team. At BYU this past fall, Michele was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year and totaled 16 goals & 13 assists which ranked her fifth nationally (2.14 points per game). Driesse was named UWS East Offensive Player of the Week (Week 6) when she led TSF Academy to their first win of the season with her two-goal performance in a 3-1 victory over New England. At Penn State, Driesse was a team co-captain and a All-Big Ten First Team and NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team selection.

For the complete list of players drafted in yesterday’s NWSL College Draft, click HERE.

About United Women’s Soccer (UWS): UWS is a national women’s soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer through the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

UWS is managed by EDP, a leading soccer management company that runs a number of leagues and tournaments. In addition to UWS, EDP operates youth leagues that includes an NPL league, the EDP Super Club program, the EDP Premier League and the EDP Championship League. EDP also runs EDP Futures programs for U-7’s to U-12’s and it conducts more than 20 youth tournaments, including tournaments within its EDP Cup Series and EDP Showcase Series.

Media can contact UWS Director of Communications Jorma Kansanen by e-mail at Press@UWSSoccer.com. You can visit the league’s official website at UWSSoccer.com. Interested team applicants can contact League Director Joe Ferrara by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.

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