MLS Super Draft next week (21st Jan US time is Round 1).
With little/no college football in 2020, has been difficult to work out list of likely picks apparently. But seems Calvin Harris will be an early selection. This Mock Draft has him at No 2!
Real bugger he was never somehow tied to NZ eligibility (if he wanted it).
Is he born in Hong Kong (too good for them), and of English parentage (not good enough for them)?
AWs could have been a nice fit. Maybe he'll end up like Boyd one day playing for the US of A.
More kudos to the Nix Academy if he is an early pick. Remembering another ex grad Joe Bell was a likely No 1 Draft pick last year, if he tried the MLS rather than Norway.
Alex Greive is in there - looked great in the ISPS Handa Prem. That's it for Kiwis though
Cheers.
Again be another nice feather in the Welnix Academy's cap if Harris is an early selection, after Joe Bell being a possible top pick last year if he hadn't signed in Norway.
As a freshman in a squad with four GKs I don't think he played much (if at all), but former Wests/Ole player and 2019 Central League winner Frankie Walkington was in the Marshall squad that won the NCAA championship this year.
Jarrod McKechnie also left Wests a couple of weeks ago to join Liberty University.
Randall is only a freshman at Northern Kentucky (ranked 197 in 2021) so doubt he would enter the draft this early. For context of how difficult it is to get drafted, considering there’s typically 60 spots, there are 208 Div1 MSOC teams across 21 Conferences. Of guys to have played age group stuff for New Zealand, who are now at US Div 1 colleges, I can only really think of these guys who would potentially put their names forward:
Luke Johnson: (2015 U17 World Cup, 2017 U20 World Cup), defender at Conference-USA University of North Carolina (ranked 47 in 2021);
Billy Jones: (2019 Pacific Games, 2019 OFC Olympic qualifying), defender at Western Athletic Conference University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV) (ranked 154 in 2021)
Willem Ebbinge: (2017 U17 World Cup, 2019 U20 World Cup), midfielder at Ivy League Conference Harvard (ranked 78 in 2021)
It’s worth noting though, that the draft isn’t what it’s like in NBA/NFL, as the best young players are joining MLS academies as teenagers and going through that route more frequently, similar to European football. Most drafted players, if they get signed, spend at least the first season on loan at USL sides, with only really the top 5 draftees normally going straight into MLS first teams.
A few younger guys who are at top 60 teams, but probably too early to put themselves forward:
Jaylen Rodwell: freshman defender at Portland (ranked 29), 14/19 games played this season
Campbell Strong: freshman midfielder at Seattle (ranked 35), 21/22 games played this season
Kris Naicker: freshman defender at Central Arkansas (ranked 49), 17/17 games played this season
Ronan Wynne: sophomore defender at Denver (ranked 51), 17/19 games played this season
Adam Hillis: freshman defender at UNCW (ranked 54), 9 starts, 15/17 games played this season
Where do these stats come from? Don’t reflect top drawer 2021 end of season stats on all 100 or all freshmen 100 or college soccer news teams? Interested to know how the ratings work here.
Where do these stats come from? Don’t reflect top drawer 2021 end of season stats on all 100 or all freshmen 100 or college soccer news teams? Interested to know how the ratings work here.
I got the rankings from the NCAA website for 2021 Div 1 Men’s Soccer here. The appearances I got from the respective teams’ websites.
Randall is only a freshman at Northern Kentucky (ranked 197 in 2021) so doubt he would enter the draft this early. For context of how difficult it is to get drafted, considering there’s typically 60 spots, there are 208 Div1 MSOC teams across 21 Conferences. Of guys to have played age group stuff for New Zealand, who are now at US Div 1 colleges, I can only really think of these guys who would potentially put their names forward:
Luke Johnson: (2015 U17 World Cup, 2017 U20 World Cup), defender at Conference-USA University of North Carolina (ranked 47 in 2021);
Billy Jones: (2019 Pacific Games, 2019 OFC Olympic qualifying), defender at Western Athletic Conference University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV) (ranked 154 in 2021)
Willem Ebbinge: (2017 U17 World Cup, 2019 U20 World Cup), midfielder at Ivy League Conference Harvard (ranked 78 in 2021)
It’s worth noting though, that the draft isn’t what it’s like in NBA/NFL, as the best young players are joining MLS academies as teenagers and going through that route more frequently, similar to European football. Most drafted players, if they get signed, spend at least the first season on loan at USL sides, with only really the top 5 draftees normally going straight into MLS first teams.
A few younger guys who are at top 60 teams, but probably too early to put themselves forward:
Jaylen Rodwell: freshman defender at Portland (ranked 29), 14/19 games played this season
Campbell Strong: freshman midfielder at Seattle (ranked 35), 21/22 games played this season
Kris Naicker: freshman defender at Central Arkansas (ranked 49), 17/17 games played this season
Ronan Wynne: sophomore defender at Denver (ranked 51), 17/19 games played this season
Adam Hillis: freshman defender at UNCW (ranked 54), 9 starts, 15/17 games played this season
MLS SuperDraft 2022 eligible players. Don't think any Kiwis, in list of 176 names??
There is at least one New Zealander, though might be more (I didn’t search any names I didn’t recognise), in 23 year old midfielder Sebastian Schacht, from Christchurch. I only searched the name because I recognised it from Football Manager, so bit of a coincidental discovery. I don’t believe he has had any youth appearances for New Zealand, but neither did Elliot Collier, and he has over 50 MLS appearances since being drafted.
He’s been at St. Mary’s College in California, who play in the Division 1 West Coast Conference, and started all 18 matches they played this season. He was picked in the All West Region second team (while Aucklander teammate, junior centre back Boyd Curry made third team this year after getting second team last year), which features at least four conferences and at least 33 teams. He also made All West second team in 2019 and 2020. Schacht was also named All-WCC First Team (conference honour) for the third consecutive year this year.
For reference, Boyd and Schacht are the only New Zealanders in either 2020 or 2021 to get All Region team honours, and they have both gone back-to-back. In 2019 there were 4 New Zealanders: Noah Billingsley, Alex Grieve, Joe Bell and Schacht, so it’s quite esteemed company to be in.
There is at least one New Zealander, though might be more (I didn’t search any names I didn’t recognise), in 23 year old midfielder Sebastian Schacht, from Christchurch. I only searched the name because I recognised it from Football Manager, so bit of a coincidental discovery. I don’t believe he has had any youth appearances for New Zealand, but neither did Elliot Collier, and he has over 50 MLS appearances since being drafted.
He’s been at St. Mary’s College in California, who play in the Division 1 West Coast Conference, and started all 18 matches they played this season. He was picked in the All West Region second team (while Aucklander teammate, junior centre back Boyd Curry made third team this year after getting second team last year), which features at least four conferences and at least 33 teams. He also made All West second team in 2019 and 2020. Schacht was also named All-WCC First Team (conference honour) for the third consecutive year this year.
For reference, Boyd and Schacht are the only New Zealanders in either 2020 or 2021 to get All Region team honours, and they have both gone back-to-back. In 2019 there were 4 New Zealanders: Noah Billingsley, Alex Grieve, Joe Bell and Schacht, so it’s quite esteemed company to be in.
carlind
There is at least one New Zealander, though might be more (I didn’t search any names I didn’t recognise), in 23 year old midfielder Sebastian Schacht, from Christchurch. I only searched the name because I recognised it from Football Manager, so bit of a coincidental discovery. I don’t believe he has had any youth appearances for New Zealand, but neither did Elliot Collier, and he has over 50 MLS appearances since being drafted.
He’s been at St. Mary’s College in California, who play in the Division 1 West Coast Conference, and started all 18 matches they played this season. He was picked in the All West Region second team (while Aucklander teammate, junior centre back Boyd Curry made third team this year after getting second team last year), which features at least four conferences and at least 33 teams. He also made All West second team in 2019 and 2020. Schacht was also named All-WCC First Team (conference honour) for the third consecutive year this year.
For reference, Boyd and Schacht are the only New Zealanders in either 2020 or 2021 to get All Region team honours, and they have both gone back-to-back. In 2019 there were 4 New Zealanders: Noah Billingsley, Alex Grieve, Joe Bell and Schacht, so it’s quite esteemed company to be in.
All west region 3rd team... what does that even mean?
There is at least one New Zealander, though might be more (I didn’t search any names I didn’t recognise), in 23 year old midfielder Sebastian Schacht, from Christchurch. I only searched the name because I recognised it from Football Manager, so bit of a coincidental discovery. I don’t believe he has had any youth appearances for New Zealand, but neither did Elliot Collier, and he has over 50 MLS appearances since being drafted.
He’s been at St. Mary’s College in California, who play in the Division 1 West Coast Conference, and started all 18 matches they played this season. He was picked in the All West Region second team (while Aucklander teammate, junior centre back Boyd Curry made third team this year after getting second team last year), which features at least four conferences and at least 33 teams. He also made All West second team in 2019 and 2020. Schacht was also named All-WCC First Team (conference honour) for the third consecutive year this year.
For reference, Boyd and Schacht are the only New Zealanders in either 2020 or 2021 to get All Region team honours, and they have both gone back-to-back. In 2019 there were 4 New Zealanders: Noah Billingsley, Alex Grieve, Joe Bell and Schacht, so it’s quite esteemed company to be in.
The Academy would like to wish @HenryHamilton09 all the very best on his move to @GoJaspers@JaspersSoccer. Henry has joined graduates Harry Bark, Noah Boyce & Liam Moore at Manhattan College. Henry is one of our longest serving players, joining us in 2015. Good luck Henry. pic.twitter.com/Dv8XLuKdOQ
— Wellington Phoenix Academy (@WgtnPhoenixAcad) January 23, 2022
Anthony Hudson was US U19/20 coach for awhile, but now looks like he is an assistant with USMNT (senior men's team) - so presumably he will be going to a World Cup as a coach (assistant) after all.
New Zealand eligible Tyler Bindon - the son of former Football Fern Jenny Bindon - earns an invite to a USA under-19 training camp https://t.co/vYa6FfMRjN
No doubt a new crop of players heading over in the next month or so to begin scholarships at schools.
Another point of interest, Kiwi Coaches at US Colleges.... Stu Riddle - Unknown Neil Jones - University of Wisconsin Jonny Raj - Assistant Coach, Fairfield University
No doubt the list is much longer but is a potential new thread.
With college soccer beginning in earnest over over the weekend, here should be a list of all the New Zealand players over there at either Div 1 or Div 2 programs. 83 players, 49 Div I and 34 Div II.
DIVISION I
Atlantic Coast Conference (ranked 1st of 23)
Sebastian Schacht (North Carolina, 19th); Graduate / Midfielder / Christchurch / ’21: All West Region Second Team, All-WCC First Team (at St Mary’s)
Pacific 12 Conference (2nd of 23)
Thomas Raimbault (UCLA, ranked 24th of 208); Freshman / Forward / Wellington
American Athletic Conference (3rd of 23)
Paul Richnow (Tulsa, 9th); Junior / Defender / Christchurch
Oscar Hough (Central Florida, 58th); Freshman / Midfielder / Wellington
Mid-American Conference (5th of 23)
Alex Clayton (West Virginia, 13th); Sophomore / Defender / Wellington
Big 10 Conference (6th of 23)
Xavier Green (Ohio State, 95th); Senior / Midfielder / Kapiti Coast
Conference-USA (7th of 23)
Luke Johnson (Charlotte, 47th); Graduate / Defender / Tauranga
This is amazing, well done. Would be even greater if this could also be done for the Women's players too....? carlind
With college soccer beginning in earnest over over the weekend, here should be a list of all the New Zealand players over there at either Div 1 or Div 2 programs. 83 players, 49 Div I and 34 Div II.
DIVISION I
Atlantic Coast Conference (ranked 1st of 23)
Sebastian Schacht (North Carolina, 19th); Graduate / Midfielder / Christchurch / ’21: All West Region Second Team, All-WCC First Team (at St Mary’s)
Pacific 12 Conference (2nd of 23)
Thomas Raimbault (UCLA, ranked 24th of 208); Freshman / Forward / Wellington
American Athletic Conference (3rd of 23)
Paul Richnow (Tulsa, 9th); Junior / Defender / Christchurch
Oscar Hough (Central Florida, 58th); Freshman / Midfielder / Wellington
Mid-American Conference (5th of 23)
Alex Clayton (West Virginia, 13th); Sophomore / Defender / Wellington
Big 10 Conference (6th of 23)
Xavier Green (Ohio State, 95th); Senior / Midfielder / Kapiti Coast
Conference-USA (7th of 23)
Luke Johnson (Charlotte, 47th); Graduate / Defender / Tauranga
Tallulah Nemet-Sargent (Mississippi Valley, 340th); Sophomore / Midfielder / Wellington
As an aside, it's interesting how many more soccer programs there are for women than for men (342 versus 208). It's not just the small colleges in the middle of nowhere dropping MSOC either, in fact the opposite, it's the flagship universities that don't sponsor the sport. If you look at the 65 universities in the 'Power Five' conferences, typically seen as the biggest football schools with the most successful (and expensive) programs, only 30 provide men's soccer, compared to 64 offering women's. Two of those conferences, Big 12 and Southeastern, don't even have leagues.
The reason so many big programs drop it is because of a rule (Title IX) which states that the institutions cannot discriminate by giving more scholarships to men than women. Most sports can have an equivalent (baseball/softball, m/w basketball), but football has no female equivalent, so the massive money poured into scholarships and funding has to be equaled somewhere else (women's soccer). To add men's soccer they would have to add in another women's sport, replace a men's sport, massively boost women's sport funding, or lower expenditure of football. Considering college football brings in 80,000+ crowds, you're not going to do anything to it.
It is a shame for male players, especially here where the US university system is seen as such a beneficial route, that the main universities with the biggest budgets and best facilities turn a blind eye to soccer (only 24 of 53 flagship state universities offer it, most in the northwest and northeast).
Thanks for posting. Be interesting to see how Hannah Blake goes this season in her senior year. Another promising forward in a position NZ needs depth.
Here's a bit of an update on a dozen or so of the Division 1 guys.
In the latest rankings by United Soccer Coaches, for games through to the 18th of September, Ronan Wynne’s Denver are the highest ranked team with a New Zealander, sitting at 11th in the country. The Pioneers are 4-1-2 (w-l-d). Wynne has played almost every minute so far, scoring one goal (against 9th ranked Maryland) and assisting one, while also making the College Soccer News (CSN) National Team of the Week on the 4th of September.
Former U20 World Cup squad member Luke Johnson has been picking up late minutes at 12th ranked Charlotte. The 49ers are 6-0, scoring 25 and conceding only one, though are yet to face truly top competition. Johnson, in his final year, has played in five of the six matches, though has only managed 65 minutes.
Xavier Green’s Ohio State have been gradually climbing the rankings, not making the first three Top 25 lists, before making their debut last week at 22, and now jumping up to 13th, with a 5-0-2 record. Goals this past week against Akron (then 14th) and Indiana (15th) saw Green named in the CSN National Team of the Week. He has been a fixture for the Buckeyes so far, playing 575 out of 630 minutes, scoring twice and assisting once.
Matt Jones has featured in all six of 17th ranked Missouri State’s games. The defender has 297 minutes so far and scored his first goal for the Bears last week in the 7-0 rout of CSUN. Missouri State are 4-0-2, though have only one match against a top program, a 1-1 draw against UCSB. Their next match, against Tulsa, will be a decent litmus test.
Thomas Raimbault’s 20th ranked UCLA are the next best team, so far, with a record of 4-2-1. Raimbault has appeared in five matches, starting one, totalling 161 minutes. He has yet to score or assist for the Bruins, though they are not usually big scorers, bar one big win against Liberty, they average only 1 goal a game. They have had a tough program so far, including losing to solid sides in Portland and Grand Canyon.
The final team in the Top 25 with a New Zealander is UCF, who enter the rankings for the first time this week at 23rd. Ex-Western Suburbs freshman Oscar Hough has appeared in four of the Knights’ five matches, only missing the first match, totalling 261 minutes, and laying on one assist. Their one defeat was the opener, away to current 1st ranked Wake Forest, so Hough has won all four matches he’s appeared in.
Outside the Top 25, ex-Western Suburbs striker Nathan Simes picked up his second consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week, for the best freshman of the week. Simes has 5 goals and 1 assist in 396 minutes for Fordham, who are 2-1-4 to start the season.
Former NZ U17 defender Adam Hillis scored his first goal of the season for UNCW in a 2-0 conference home win over Drexel last week. The win puts the Seahawks at 3-1-2. Striker Thomas Drillien also scored his first goal for Fairfield this season, in a 3-1 home win over Princeton, to help them to a 4-3-0 start. Less impressive this week, freshman striker Fraser Brown received a straight red card in Northeastern’s 1-2 defeat to Hofstra, for whom ex-Miramar winger Owen Barnett played 21 minutes.
A few other New Zealanders might feel a bit unlucky they missed out on either automatic or at large selections for the College Cup, with over 50% win ratios.
Jamie Lamb's Campbell finished with a 11-4-5 (w-l-d) record, with Lamb featuring for 1,119 minutes in 16 matches, scoring once. Luke Johnson's Charlotte went 9-5-2 with a goal difference of +29, though Johnson only managed 496 minutes across 12 games, scoring once and being sent off once. Willem Ebbinge's Harvard finished with a 9-4-4, with Ebbinge recording a very impressive 3 goals and 11 assists in 1,057 minutes (16 games).
Several players also received honours either during or post-season. Three leagues are yet to announce post-season awards, so possibility a couple more could come, especially Ebbinge in the Ivy League. During: Kaea Rangihaeata: 29/8 Metro Atlantic Rookie of the Week Fraser Brown: 5/9 Colonial Rookie of the Week Brooklyn Baker: 6/9 America East Rookie of the Week Louie Danielson: 12/9 Big South Freshman of the Week Xavier Green: 18/9 College Soccer News National Team of the Week Nick Burke: 11/10 Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Week Jamie Lamb: 11/10 Big South Defensive Player of the Week nominee Boyd Curry: 30/10 West Coast Defensive Player of the Week nominee Owen Barnett: 31/10 Colonial Rookie of the Week
Willem Ebbinge: 12/9 and 3/10 Ivy League Honour Roll Nathan Simes: 12/9 and 19/9 Atlantic10 Rookie of the Week
Kieran Richards: 30/8, 4/10 (nominee), 11/10 (nominee) and 18/10 (nominee) Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week Ronan Wynne: 4/9 College Soccer News National Team of the Week, 6/9 (nominee), 26/9 (nominee) Summit League Defensive Player of the Week
Post-Season: Nathan Simes: Atlantic10 Rookie Team Henry Hamilton: Metro Atlantic Second Team Sam Philip: America East Second Team Xavier Green: Big 10 Second Team Kieran Richards: Southern Conference First Team Ronan Wynne: Summit League First Team and Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.
All up, New Zealanders made at least 686 Division I appearances this year, culminating in 37,546 minutes, scoring 64 goals and laying on 49 assists, whilst receiving 68 yellow cards and 5 reds. I probably missed some though.
Wynne led both appearances and minutes (20 and 1,601 respectively) and was followed in appearances by Sam Philip, Kaea Rangihaeata, Harry Bark and Henry Hamilton (all 19) and in minutes by Xavier Green (1,462), Philip (1,439) and Sebastian Schacht (1,360). Richards led goals with 11 and was followed by Hamilton (6), Nathan Simes (5) and Max Chretien and Xavier Green (both 4). Ebbinge led assists with 11 as well, ahead of Wynne (6) and Green, Owen Smith, Seth Clark and Karan Mandair (all 3). Adam Hillis and Boyd Curry led yellows with 5 each, ahead of Kieran Richards and Fraser Brown (4 each), though Hillis and Brown were both also sent off.
Hopefully a few of these guys can kick off into professional football and even the national team in the near future.
