Three More Men's Soccer Athletes Selected in MLS Draft
CHICAGO, Ill -- Three more MAC Men's Soccer athetes heard their names called during the 3rd and 4th rounds of the 2019 MLS Super Draft on Monday afternoon. The trio will join Akron standouts Ben Lundt, and Abdi Mohamed who were both taken during the second round on Friday, January 11th.
Bowling Green defender Ebenezer Ackon was the 53rd pick overall to the Chicago Fire in the Third Round. Ackon was an All-MAC First-Team selection in 2018, and also was named to the All-Ohio Team by the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association. He finished second on the Falcons in scoring in 2018, and his total of 11 points included a BGSU-best five goals. He picked up his first career game-winning goal on Senior Night at Cochrane Stadium (Nov. 3), as the Falcons ended the regular season with a 2-0 win over SIUE. Ackon led the team with three goals and an assist in the five MAC matches, and was a mainstay on the BG defense.
The defender played in a career total of 19 matches for the Falcons. He joined the BGSU program in the fall of 2017, and after being cleared to play by the NCAA, made his BGSU debut in that season's West Virginia match (Oct. 14, 2017). He started each of the final five matches and had an assist in back-to-back matches.
Northern Illinois forward Kevin Rodriguez was the next MAC player selected off the board with the 75th overall pick to Minnesota FC. During his senior season, the Pasadena, Texas, native started all 18 matches for the Huskies, scoring a pair of goals while tallying nine assists, the third-best total in the Mid-American Conference and tied for 18th nationally. Rodriguez recorded points in 10 games during his senior season and helped spearhead a Huskie attack that scored 28 total goals, the most scored by a NIU team since the 2011 season.
Earlier this fall, Rodriguez was named to the All-MAC First Team, becoming the first Huskie to earn first team honors since Isaac Kannah in 2014.
With the 84th overall pick in the draft, the New York Red Bulls selected 2018 MAC Player of the Year Joey Piatczyc. The Missouri native led West Virginia to thier first MAC Regular Season title during the 2018 season which included an NCAA tournament appearance. Piatczyc concluded his senior season ranked No. 7 nationally with 0.56 assists per game and 10 total assists, No. 11 with five game-winning goals, No. 27 with 1.44 points per game and No. 29 with 26 total points. He also led the team with eight goals and was second with 36 shots and 17 shots on goal.
His five game-winning goals tied a program record, while his 0.56 assists per game rank No. 5 all-time, and his 10 game-winning points and 10 assists are both tied for No. 6 in team history.
2019 MAC MLS Draft Selections
Ben Lundt, Akron, Goalkeeper, 37th Overall Pick
Abdi Mohamed, Akron, Defender, 43rd Overall Pick
Ebenezer Ackon, Bowling Green, Defender, 53rd Overall Pick
Kevin Rodriguez, Northern Illinois, Forward, 75th Overall Pick
Joey Piatczyc, West Virginia, Midfielder, 84th Overall Pick
