CANADIAN PREMIER LEAGUE ANNOUNCES U SPORTS DRAFT PICKS
Toronto, ON (November 13, 2018) – There is a new, professional soccer league coming to Canada in 2019.
And Gryphons men's soccer star
Jace Kotsopoulos will be a part of it.
The newly-founded
Canadian Premier League (CPL), which is set to debut in April 2019, is pleased to announce the top seven draft picks from the CPL-U SPORTS draft held following the 2018 U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championship at UBC in Vancouver, BC.
Twenty-one players (3 rounds) have been invited to CPL Club's preseason camp in early 2019, including Guelph's Jace Kotsopoulos, who was
taken 3rd overall by
Hamilton-based Forge FC. Players were notified in order of draft pick and were invited to participate in preseason camp by the club that drafted him with the opportunity to sign either with a Standard Developmental Contract for non-graduating student-athletes or a Pro Contract for graduating seniors.
In 2018, fourth-year striker Jace Kotsopoulos
became just the second Gryphon in program history to be named national player of the year.
First-round CPL-U SPORTS draft selection:
- Cavalry FC
Gabriel Bitar (Ottawa, ON) – Carleton University – Forward – 2
nd year
- Valour FC
Dylan Carrerio (Winnipeg, MB) – York University – Midfielder – 3
rd year
- Forge FC
Jace Kotsopoulus (Burlington, ON) – University of Guelph – Forward – 4th year
- York9 FC
Daniel Gogarty (Scarborough, ON) – York University – Defender – 5
th year
- HFX Wanderers
Peter Schaale (Bernkastel-Kues, Germany) – Cape Breton University – Defender – 3
rd year
- Pacific FC
Thomas Gardner (North Vancouver, BC) – UBC – Forward – 1
st year
- FC Edmonton
Connor James (Edmonton, AB) – University of Alberta – Goalkeeper – 5
th year
*the seven clubs took part in a randomized lottery system to determine the draft order. Click here for more information.
This truly unique partnership between the CPL and
U SPORTS will provide student-athletes with an opportunity to be signed to a CPL-U SPORTS Developmental Contract. This will allow a student-athlete with one to four years of eligibility remaining to play with a CPL club in the spring and summer before returning to U SPORTS competition.
To read more about each player and see the 2
nd and 3
rd round picks
here.
About the Canadian Premier League
Canadian Premier League (CPL) is Canada's professional men's soccer league set to debut in April 2019. Playing in world-class and unique venues, and partnering with strong community-led ownership groups, CPL is a league for Canadians by Canadians that will bring professional soccer to communities coast-to-coast.
For updates and more information, please go to
CanPL.ca.
Connect with us on Twitter:
@CPLsoccer and
#CanPL
About U SPORTS
U SPORTS is the national brand for university sports in Canada. Every year, close to 20,000 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. U SPORTS also provide higher performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous World University Championships. For further information, visit USPORTS.ca or follow us on:
Twitter/Instagram/YouTube: @USPORTSca
Facebook: @USPORTSCanada
Media Contacts:
Micki Benedetti
Communications Director
Canadian Premier League
micki.benedetti@canpl.ca
Ken Saint-Eloy Alan Hudes
Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Communications
U SPORTS U SPORTS
Cell: 647-871-7595 Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242
ksainteloy@usports.ca Cell: 647-991-5343
ahudes@usports.ca
