News Release

Three D3 Men Selected In The 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft

Three of this year's best D3 men's soccer players will now have a chance to continue their soccer careers after being selected in the 2008 Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft. UC-Santa Cruz's Adam Smarte, Messiah's Kai Kasiguran, and Trinity-TX's Kyle Altman were all selected during the January 24th draft.

Smarte, a senior at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes with the number one overall pick of the draft. During the 2007 season, Smarte played in 20 games, scored 7 goals and had 4 assists. He was named to the All-Independent team and was also to the D3Kicks.com Third Team All-West Region Team. Smarte say of his selection, "I am very excited that I have been given this opportunity to keep playing soccer. This is a very exciting and opportunistic time of my life. I look forward to this new challenge with eagerness and modesty. I hope to learn from veterans and at the same time show what I have to offer. To whom much is given much is tested."

Kasiguran, a senior at Messiah College, was selected by the Chicago Fire with the 12th overall pick of the draft. A three time D3 champion, four time All-American, and two time D3Kicks.com Player of the Year, Kasiguran is arguably the most accomplished D3 player of all time. Kasiguran recently spent a week participating in the adidas MLS Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, FL where he was the only Division III athlete invited to participate. "The combine was a lot of fun, and I felt the Messiah Men's Soccer program prepared me well for the experience," said Kai Kasiguran. "It is an honor to be drafted and I'm excited to see what happens in the next few months."

Altman, a senior at Trinity-TX, was selected by Steve Nicol and the New England Revolution with 27th pick of the draft. Altman, a two time D3Kicks.com All-American selection, captained the 2007 Tigers, who went 23-0-1 during the season. "I'm just proud to be given this opportunity to play in the MLS. I know at Trinity we feel our program can compete with most D1 schools, and I'm sure many other D3 programs feel the same way. I feel like I've been given an opportunity to represent both Trinity and D3 soccer and prove that D3 players can play with the country's best. New England has been very professional and generous thus far, and it�s a great honor to be a part of this great organization. It may take time and a lot of hard work, but I hope at some point I can make an impact for the team."



Submitted 2008-02-10 13:36:18 by D3Kicks.com Sports Information Department

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