MLS releases initial list of 2017 MLS Player Combine invitees

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Major League Soccer announced on Wednesday the initial list of 53 NCAA Division I college players that have been invited to participate in the 2017 Adidas MLS Player Combine in Los Angeles from Jan. 8-12.


All invited players will be eligible for selection in the 2017 SuperDraft presented by Adidas, which will take place on Friday, Jan. 13 at the LA Convention Center.

MLS releases initial list of 2017 MLS Player Combine invitees -

A committee of MLS and NCAA Division I coaches from every conference selected the invitees, all of whom completed their college eligibility this season. Further invitees, including Generation Adidas signings, non-collegiate players and additional college seniors, will be announced in the coming weeks.


Headlining the list are University of Denver defender Reagan Dunk, a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist, and Hermann Trophy semifinalists Wake Forest midfielder Jacori Hayes and Indiana University midfielder and All-America First Team pick Tanner Thompson, the brother of MLS midfielder Tommy Thompson. Four other Hermann Trophy semifinalists join them as invitees: UMass-Lowell attacker Wuilito Fernandes, Butler University forward David Goldsmith, Providence College midfielder Julian Gressel and University of Vermont forward Brian Wright.


Additionally, representing two-time defending NCAA champion Stanford University at the Player Combine is defender Brian Nana-Sinkam, the team captain and a 2016 All-Pac 12 First Team selection.


A mix of MLS academy personnel and college head coaches will make up the Combine coaching staff.


Columbia University head coach Kevin Anderson, Seattle University head coach Pete Fewing, University of Denver head coach Jamie Franks and East Tennessee State head coach Bo Oshoniyi will serve as the head coaches for the four Combine teams. The assistant coaches will be CASL Director of Classic Dan Popik, Michigan Rush Director of Coaching Brian Doyle, Sporting Kansas City Academy Director Jon Parry and Beachside of Connecticut Soccer Club Founder and Technical Director Mickey Kydes.


NCAA Division I College Invitees

Name
School
Pos.
Hometown
Citizen
Lalas Abubakar
Dayton
D
Accra, Ghana
GHA
Michael Amick
UCLA
D
Sunnyvale, CA
USA
Brandon Aubrey
Notre Dame
D
Plano, TX
USA
Kwame Awuah
UConn
M
Toronto, ON
CAN
Nazeem Bartman
South Florida
F
Cape Town, South Africa
RSA
Kyle Bjornethun
Seattle
D
Snohomish, WA
USA
Brandt Bronico
UNC-Charlotte
M
High Point, NC
USA
Russell Cicerone
SUNY-Buffalo
M/F
Bloomfield Hills, MI
USA
Suliman Danikeh
Maryland
D
Reston, VA
USA
Michael DeGraffenriedt
Louisville
D
Baltimore, MD
USA
Guillermo Delgado
Delaware
F
Tres Cantos, Spain
ESP
Nick Depuy
UC Santa Barbara
F
Irvine, CA
USA
Francis de Vries
Saint Francis (Penn.)
D
Christchurch, New Zealand
NZL
Reagan Dunk
Denver
D
Dallas, TX
USA
Jack Elliott
West Virginia
D/M
London, England
UK
Wuilito Fernandes
UMass-Lowell
F/M
Praia, Cape Verde
CPV
Alec Ferrell
Wake Forest
GK
Westlake, OH
USA
David Goldsmith
Butler
F
Bristol, England
UK
Jorge Gomez Sanchez
Temple
F
Talavera De La Reina, Spain
ESP
Julian Gressel
Providence
M
Neustadt an der Aisch, Germany
GER
Sam Hamilton
Denver
M
Evergreen, CO
USA
Niko Hansen
New Mexico
F
Sacramento, CA
USA<br> DEN
Jacori Hayes
Wake Forest
M
Bowie, MD
USA
Joe Holland
Hofstra
M
London, England
UK
Walker Hume
UNC-Chapel Hill
D
San Angelo, TX
USA
Daniel Johnson
Louisville
M
Duluth, GA
USA
Aaron Jones
Clemson
D
Great Yarmouth, England
UK
Eric Klenofsky
Monmouth
GK
Lincoln Park, NJ
USA
Austin Ledbetter
SIU-Edwardsville
D
St. Charles, MO
USA
Zeiko Lewis
Boston College
M
Pembroke, Bermuda
BER
Connor Maloney
Penn State
D
Harrisburg, PA
USA
Napo Matsoso
Kentucky
M
Louisville, KY
LES
Billy McConnell
Indiana
D
Richboro, PA
USA
Jake McGuire
Tulsa
GK
Chino Hills, CA
USA
Lindo Mfeka
South Florida
M/F
Durban, South Africa
RSA
Robert Moewes
Duke
GK
Dortmund, Germany
GER
Brian Nana-Sinkam
Stanford
D
Lititz, PA
USA
Chris Nanco
Syracuse
F
Brampton, ON
CAN
Jakob Nerwinski
UConn
D
Lawrenceville, NJ
USA
Chris Odoi-Atsem
Maryland
D
Mitchellville, MD
USA
Evan Panken
Notre Dame
M
Edina, MN
USA
Danilo Radjen
Akron
D
Broadview Heights, OH
USA
Robby Sagel
Penn State
D
Las Vegas, NV
USA
Eddie Sanchez
Portland
M/F
Canby, OR
USA
Auden Schilder
Washington
GK
Bellingham, WA
USA
Justin Schmidt
Washington
D
Albuquerque, NM
USA
Colton Storm
UNC-Chapel Hill
D
Mechanicsburg, PA
USA
Christian Thierjung
California
F
Dove Canyon, CA
USA
Tanner Thompson
Indiana
M
Loomis, CA
USA
Felix Vobejda
UCLA
M/D
Bielefeld, Germany
GER
Chris Wehan
New Mexico
M
Laguna Niguel, CA
USA
Jordan Wilson
Kentucky
D
Auchterarder, Scotland
UK
Brian Wright
Vermont
F
Ajax, ON
CAN