Women’s Professional Soccer held the league’s annual draft on Friday in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in Kansas City, Mo.
With the first overall pick of the 2012 Draft, Atlanta Beat selected U.S. Soccer rising star Sydney Leroux out of UCLA. The Vancouver, British Columbia native missed out on attending the WPS Draft while training with the U.S. Women’s National Team in Los Angeles in preparation for the upcoming CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament.
As expected, the reigning NCAA National Champions Stanford University saw three of their top seniors – Defender Camille Levin, Forward Lindsay Taylor and 2011 MAC Hermann Trophy and Honda Award Winner Midfielder Teresa Noyola – all going in the first round as the fourth, sixth, and seventh overall respectively.
Philadelphia’s second round picks, CoCo Goodson (University of California, Irvine) and Boston’s third round Melinda Mercado (Oklahoma State University) were in the draft room and were welcomed to the League by WPS CEO Jennifer O’Sullivan and each of their new head coaches.
Draftees will get their first taste of WPS in March when preseason camps open. The league will open its fourth season of competition in April.
2012 WPS Draft
Kansas City, Missouri
January 13, 2012
Round 1
1. Atlanta Beat – Sydney Leroux, F, UCLA
2. Sky Blue FC – Melissa Henderson, F, Notre Dame
3. Boston Breakers – Stephanie Ochs, F, University of San Diego
4. Sky Blue FC – Camille Levin, D, Stanford University
5. Philadelphia Independence – Sarah Hagen, F, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
6. Western New York Flash – Lindsay Taylor, F, Stanford University
7. Western New York Flash – Teresa Noyola, M, Stanford University
Round 2
8. Western New York Flash – Tori Huster, M, Florida State University
9. Sky Blue FC – Ingrid Wells, M,Georgetown
10. Atlanta Beat – Katy Frierson, M, Auburn University
11. Boston Breakers – Courtney Jones, F, University of North Carolina
12. Philadelphia Independence – Courtney Goodson, D, University of California, Irvine
13. Philadelphia Independence – Toni Pressley, D, Florida State University
Round 3
14. Philadelphia Independence – Bianca Henninger, GK, Santa Clara University
15. Sky Blue FC- Jillian Mastroianni,GK, Boston College
16. Boston Breakers – Melinda Mercado, D, Oklahoma State Univesrity
17. Philadelphia Independence – Danielle Foxhoven, F, University of Portland
18. Western New York Flash- Tahnai Annis, M/F University of Florida
Round 4
19. Sky Blue FC – Laura Heyboer, F, Michigan State University
20. Boston Breakers – Jessica Luscinski, F, Boston University
21. Philadelphia Independence, Jasmyne Spencer, F, University of Maryland
22. Western New York Flash- Erica Henderson, D, West Virginia
23. Atlanta Beat – Kate Deines, M, University of Washington
