NWSL announces list of 2017 College Draft early registrants

With just over one week before the 2017 NWSL Draft, the NWSL has released a list of over 140 collegiate players who have already completed registration for this year’s draft.

The 2017 NWSL College Draft will be held at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention in Los Angeles on Thursday, January 12.

Sky Blue FC currently has six draft picks in this year’s draft, include the no. 4 and no. 10 overall picks. Last year Sky Blue traded Nadia Nadim to Portland for the second overall pick, which they used to select Raquel Rodriguez, who would go on to be named the NWSL Rookie of the Year. Goalkeeper Caroline Casey, midfielder Leah Galton and defender Erica Skroski were also taken in last year’s draft and proved an essential part of the 2016 starting lineup.

This year’s list currently includes Rose Lavelle (Wisconsin), Jane Campbell (Stanford), Ashley Hatch (BYU), and Christina Gibbons (Duke). Lavelle, Campbell and Gibbons were named to the January USWNT camp list also released today, and Hatch was capped with the national team back in October 2016.

Lavelle, or "Sweet Baby Rose" as she is often referred by players and fans alike, is predicted to be the first overall draft pick. Lavelle has been a staple in the U.S. youth national system, and helped lead Wisconsin to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Not only is Lavelle an exemplary talent on the soccer field, she is also well-versed in the art of social media, endearing her to many fans of the USWNT.

Two other noteworthy names on the list are Morgan Andrews and Savannah Jordan. Andrews recently won the 2016 NCAA College Cup, scoring one of the three goals to help win USC’s second national title. She is also a Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann trophy finalist, meaning she is one of the three best collegiate players in the nation. The MAC Hermann trophy has previously been won by Sky Blue FC players Kelley O’Hara (Stanford, 2009) and Raquel Rodriguez (Penn State, 2016).

Jordan was invited to USWNT camp during the fall but turned the invitation down, presumably to focus on post-season play with Florida. Jordan played in 94 games for Florida, scoring 81 career goals. That puts her second in both Florida and Southeastern Conference (SEC) history for most goals scored, behind only USWNT legend Abby Wambach.

The deadline for registration is not until Wednesday, January 11, so any other players left off the list still have time to declare for the draft. The 2017 NWSL College Draft is Thursday, January 12 at 3 p.m. EST and will streamed live on the NWSL Soccer YouTube channel.