Chicago Red Eleven :: powered by Demosphere

36 W-LEAGUERS HEADED TO WPS

10 of 11 First Round Draft picks played in USL

USL News Release

Friday, January 15, 2010

PHILADELPHIA, PA – In the Women’s Professional Soccer Draft held Friday at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, 10 of the 11 First Round selections were players with USL W-League experience. In all, 36 former W-League players were chosen in the seven-round, 65-player draft.

Seven of the 10 USL players taken in First Round Leading the list of W-League selections on the day was a large pack of alumnae from the Pali Blues, who saw their players go in the first five selections of the draft. Tobin Heath was taken first overall by the expansion Atlanta Beat, followed by Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Kelly O’Hara (FC Gold Pride), Whitney Engen (Chicago Red Stars) and Nikki Washington (Los Angeles Sol). Ali Riley became the sixth taken in the First Round (FC Gold Pride, 10th overall) and Ashlyn Harris made the final tally seven in the Second Round (St Louis Athletica, 19th).

The New Jersey Wildcats and Washington Freedom Futures each had four former players taken in the draft. Heath, Becky Edwards (FC Gold Pride, 12th), Carolyn Blank (St Louis, 46th) and Elisabeth Redmond (St Louis, 64th) previously for the Wildcats and Edwards, Katie Schoepfer (Sky Blue, 26th), Mara Osher (Washington Freedom, 54th) and Caitlin Miskel (Washington, 63rd) previously played for the Freedom’s W-League team.

Out west, the Blues were not the only club to see a number of players move on. Former Seattle Sounders Katherine Reynolds (Boston, 34th), Veronica Perez (St Louis, 37th) and Sophie Reiser (Chicago, 42nd) were taken while the Colorado Force trio of Nikki Marshall (Washington, 7th), Estelle Johnson (Los Angeles, 25th) and Carly Peetz (Boston, 52nd) were selected.

Another story on the day was reunion of the Gordon sisters Shameka (Tampa Bay Hellenic) and Shaneka (Hampton Roads Piranhas), who played on separate W-League teams during the 2009 season. The Atlanta Beat selected the duo with Shameka going 23rd and Shaneka 57th.

W-League Defender of the Year Brittany Taylor of the Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues was taken sixth overall by their affiliate Sky Blue with teammate Reiser going later to Chicago.

2010 WPS Draft List with W-League experience [+]