Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

(Join us throughout the day Friday and into the weekend for continuing coverage of the WPS Draft.)

1 – Atlanta – Melissa Henderson – F – Notre Dame

The tea leaves seemed to be pointing to last season’s basement club taking UCLA’s Sydney Leroux with the first overall pick of the draft, but recent momentum has the Beat perhaps pulling a 180 and opting for the Irish’s Melissa Henderson.

Henderson has been a steady force for Notre Dame for the better part of the past four seasons at the college level and has a blend of power and pace that has seen her elevated into the mix for the USWNT in recent months, a move that many feel has been long overdue. At the height of her powers, Henderson is a complete forward, plenty capable of leading the line for a WPS side. In truth, her senior year was not Henderson’s best season, with some noted struggles in some big matches for the Irish. But WPS teams probably won’t hold that against her as they search for the next big thing up front.

2 – Sky Blue FC – Sydney Leroux – F – UCLA

Truthfully, SBFC has many a hole to fill on draft day, with arguably the weakest of the five squads on paper coming into Friday. With gaping holes in midfield and up front, the inaugural WPS champs have work to do if they want to return to the pinnacle of the league. They’ll likely be looking to solve the scoring problem early, taking Leroux in all likelihood if Henderson comes off the board first.

Leroux in many ways resembles former Tar Heel forward Casey Nogueira at this point in her career. The Bruin starlet has shown her brilliance at the U20 level in 2008′s U20 World Cup triumph as well as at club level but has also shown some maddening inconsistency in some of her most important college matches. Leroux’s shown a frustrating tendency to disappear at times in crunch encounters, something that she’ll need top coaching to alleviate if she wants to become an impact player not only in WPS but with the USWNT as well. With little proven offense right now on the squad, Leroux may be asked to carry the load for Gabarra’s side. That could be potentially dangerous pressure to put on a rookie.

3 – Boston – Lindsay Taylor – F – Stanford

With Sydney Leroux and Melissa Henderson likely to go one-two, Boston will be in a tough spot. The Breakers need defenders and forwards en masse, though the latter need was eased slightly with the signing of Australia’s Kyah Simon. With the team hopeful of re-signing Lauren Cheney and the ability of Meghan Klingenberg, Kelly Smith, and Heather O’Reilly to attack gleefully from midfield, it’s possible that Boston may search for a defender to bolster their ranks with their first pick. But current whispers are that the Breakers may be plowing full steam ahead with another addition to their frontline in Stanford’s Lindsay Taylor.

As has been the custom the past few season’s for Stanford and their senior strikers, Taylor exploded in her final year on The Farm, finally putting her sometimes inconsistent ways to bed and emerging as one of the nation’s top attacking threats. With great pace, a laser-like shot, and tremendous finishing instincts, there’s no reason why Taylor’s game can’t translate at the next level. There may be some inevitable growing pains as she tries to acclimate to the jump in competition level, but really, who can you not say that about as a rookie?

4 – Sky Blue FC – Bianca Henninger – GK – Santa Clara

It could be an enormous game of chicken between Sky Blue and Philly in the pursuit of the services of Broncos goalkeeper Bianca Henninger. The New Jersey side may have been prompted to move up in the draft by worries that the Independence may have struck at the five spot with their goalkeeping situation very much unsettled at the moment. Sky Blue has worries of their own, missing Karina LeBlanc in all likelihood for Olympic duty and without a backup right now. It likely means that Jim Gabarra’s side will be looking to use one of their early picks on a keeper with the ability to come in immediately and be a factor.

Henninger is far and away the top goalkeeper in this season’s class and perhaps the best netminding prospect to come out in a long time. The Santa Clara product has fantastic reflexes, great penalty stopping ability, and a strong command of her area for someone so young. Henninger also has the confidence and mindset to dominate in between the pipes, making a her prime candidate to take over the #1 spot in goal for the USWNT when Hope Solo hangs them up. Nitpickers would quibble with Henninger’s size, as she’s a few inches below the ideal height for a modern keeper, but she’s not let it trouble her so far in her burgeoning career.

5 – Philadelphia – Camille Levin – D – Stanford

Paul Riley has indicated a desire to bring aboard a top level striker through the first few rounds of this year’s draft and certainly has more than enough picks to accomplish that goal. Riley still has to worry about signing Amy Rodriguez and the USC alum’s international duties if she does get signed, while Vero will miss part of the season in Sweden, meaning Philly may not be as deep up front as once hoped. The problem for Riley though is that there might not be a forward that’d be good value at this spot, leaving him and Philly to look towards another area needing to be filled. With Leigh Ann Robinson still not under contract and Estelle Johnson not always the most consistent figure, Riley may opt to take full-back Camille Levin.

Levin was a fine player heading into this season but elevated her game enormously as a senior, especially in the NCAA Tournament as Stanford claimed a championship. Possessing a tireless motor and no shortage of workrate, Levin, like ex-college teammate Ali Riley, could be a terror up and down the flanks in this season. Levin’s versatility is also a major asset for whoever drafts her. The Card star was also key in her time at attacking midfielder, using her dribbling and offensive ability to slice through stubborn defenses and could feature there again, or even out wide as an attacker.

6 – Western New York – Teresa Noyola – M – Stanford

The defending WPS champions don’t really have a massive need in the midfield, but at some point, value trumps need in these drafts, and you’d have to think that the Flash would strike if Noyola was still on the board by the time they made their first three picks. While the club signed Allie Long and Lori Lindsey in the offseason, the latter could be on international duty for much of the season, while Noyola provides something different than Long. The Stanford forward’s immaculate vision could help make a potentially lethal Flash frontline that much more dangerous.

Noyola has excelled over the past four seasons with the Card en route to lifting the national title this season in Kennesaw. Once one of the U.S.’ top prospects at youth international level, Noyola saw her opportunities to represent the full USWNT dwindle, eventually making the decision to turn out for Mexico, and was involved in the nation’s 2011 WWC journey in Germany. After, Noyola came back stateside and engineered Stanford’s all-conquering effort to finally lift the national title that had eluded them for so long. Besides her obvious strength in creating opportunities, Noyola has shown improvement in front of goal and no small degree of intelligence on the pitch, including for the goal that won Stanford the title against Duke. Concerns about Noyola’s to keep up with the pace of the professional game may still linger for some, but the midfielder did little wrong in her senior season. Given the right environment and team style, Noyola could yet reach the stardom predicted of her before she stepped foot in Palo Alto.

7 – Western New York – Stephanie Ochs – F – San Diego

Western New York needs some attacking punch for when Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair are on international duty and may look towards Stephanie Ochs for help early in this draft. Ochs may have raised her stock as much as anyone down the stretch for the Toreros. The San Diego forward didn’t do it with her goalscoring as much as her creating, as she tallied assists on USD’s last six goals of the season and had assists in ten of the Torero’s last twelve matches. That’s not to say Ochs is a shrinking violet in front of goal, as she scored eight times in each of the past two seasons. Her multifaceted repertoire would make her a real asset for the Flash here.

8 – Western New York – Melinda Mercado – D – Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State’s Mercado is one of the best of a nice class of center-backs from which WPS squads get to choose from this season. Mercado has been the star attraction for the past four seasons on a Cowgirl backline that has rounded into one of the best in the nation as OSU has competed for honors consistently. A fantastic athlete who even moonlighted on the Cowgirl basketball team briefly a few years ago, Mercado figures to be a pillar of strength in the center of defense while remaining a big threat in the box on set pieces as well. The Flash need reinforcements in defense, and an Engen-Mercado pairing in central defense could be one that bears much fruit for WNY down the line.

9 – Sky Blue FC – Katy Frierson – M – Auburn

Few will benefit from Ingrid Wells’ sojourn to Europe more than Frierson, who becomes a much hotter commodity with the elite playmaker field shrunk by one in this draft class. The list of criticisms against Frierson shrunk this year as the midfielder finally got her hands on a trophy, leading Auburn to the SEC Tournament title in Orange Beach, winning three matches in five days. With tremendous vision and an ability to play the killer ball, Frierson has proven to be hard to handle for collegiate defenses over the past four years. The Homewood native isn’t just about serving up her teammates though, as she strikes a ball pretty well herself and is capable of lacing shots into the goal from distance as well as being a great set piece taker, be it from free kicks or from corners. Despite being a reasonable 5’5″, Frierson is still of slight build and may have to adapt to being harassed by some of the more physical midfielders at this level. But if she does, she has all the technical tools and smarts to be a factor as a professional. Sky Blue still needs a schemer to pull the strings in midfield, and Frierson could well be that playmaker.

10 – Atlanta – Tori Huster – M – Florida State

An energizer bunny between the boxes, Huster was the engine that made Florida State’s College Cup team tick this season and for the three before those in Tallahassee. Though she may never make it rain goals or assists, Huster is guaranteed to never stop running, making her a prime candidate to be a super sub at the professional level. If the Beat even want to entertain the option of playing with three in the midfield with Carli Lloyd, they need a runner to help do the dirty work in the middle of the field and provide energy. Even if she couldn’t crack the Atlanta lineup initially, Huster has super sub written all over her. Wherever she lands, it’d hardly be shocking to see the Seminole midfielder turn into a fan favorite with her workrate and motor.

11 – Boston – CoCo Goodson – D – UC Irvine

An absolute mountain of a woman, UC Irvine’s CoCo Goodson has been a major part of the rise of the Anteaters into a force to be reckoned with on the national stage the past two seasons. After impressing early in her college career at Texas, Goodson made the move to the burgeoning Big West power and immediately showed she had a very bright future ahead of herself with some fabulous performances for Scott Juniper’s club. Goodson has also seen time in the attack at college level and obviously makes an appealing target for set pieces or as a target forward in desperate situations. The UCI star also strikes a ball with real venom, meaning she could be an asset offensively as well as defensively for any team that drafts her. This isn’t exactly rocket science. Boston needs center-backs in a bad way, and Goodson is one of the best ones available.

12 – Philadelphia – Sarah Hagen – F – Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Hagen has overcome no small degree of adversity in her life, beating cancer to turn into one of the nation’s top prospects in attack, potentially one that could fill the Wambach role on the USWNT if all goes according to plan. For the past four seasons, the forward they affectionately call “Apple” has been terrorizing college defenses and burning up the record books in the process. Quite likely the Horizon League’s best player in conference history, Hagen has proven to be an irrepressible force in the air for the Panthers, always a danger to score on headers. Hagen has proven to be no flat track bully either, coming in with an impressive strike rate for the U.S. U23 team.

Having signed for Bayern Munich recently, Hagen would miss a good part of the WPS season while competing in the Frauen Bundesliga for her new club. But the Milwaukee legend also hasn’t played down talk of perhaps coming into WPS after the European season ends in June. Though it’s not a sure thing that he’d be able to convince her to come and play for the Independence for a few months, Hagen would represent tremendous value at this spot, and with plenty of picks, it’s a risk worth taking for Riley and co.

13 – Philadelphia – Jillian Mastroianni – GK – Boston College

Getting Mastroianni at this slot would be good value, with the vastly experienced Boston College keeper having been a steady presence in between the pipes for all four of her seasons with the Eagles. Mastroianni’s a bit unfortunate to be in the same goalkeeping class as Bianca Henninger, as in most years, she’d be the top goalkeeping prospect, with plenty of talent and experience at both college and youth international level. Capable of dominating a game when in form, Mastroianni’s probably a little more consistency away from being a contender for a starting job at the professional level. As is, she stands a good chance of rounding into a fine backup keeper with some nice upside to work with. Philadelphia needs a backup (and maybe even more) in the worst kind of way, and Mastroianni could do a respectable job if called upon as a rookie.

14 – Philadelphia – Ingrid Wells – M – Georgetown

It’s about as perfect a match as you could hope for as far as team and player-who-likely-won’t-actually-be-in-WPS-in-2012 goes. Wells opted to sign a contract in Sweden to play professionally, all but ruling her out as far as the 2012 WPS season is concerned. But Philadelphia would still hold her draft rights, potentially opening the way for a move to the Independence and WPS in 2013 should Wells opt that route. “The Little General” has recently started to train with the full USWNT team and is a true #10 in every sense of the word, with the ability to play the killer ball while also capable of contributing in front of goal herself. She was seen as a potential first-round pick before looking abroad. The Independence have more than enough draft picks to play around with, and this would be a low-risk move that could reap huge benefits down the line for Paul Riley’s side.

15 – Sky Blue FC – Toni Pressley – D – Florida State

Pressley has been one of the nation’s most promising center-backs for some time now but left a bad last impression in her final collegiate game in a calamitous display against Stanford in the College Cup semi-final defeat for FSU. The powerful central defender looked slow to react to danger and generally awkward in the face of Stanford’s multifaceted attacking threat. Physically, Pressley is as solid as they get, big enough and powerful enough to give the biggest forwards a hard time. But her imposing strength may also be her Achilles’ heel, as her unchecked aggression has caused her to rely on brute force rather than finesse at times, much to her detriment. Pressley still has loads of talent and the potential to turn into a contender for a USWNT spot, but she isn’t a sure thing and will need the right coaching and the right situation if she is to truly come close to hitting her peak as a professional.

16 – Boston – Kate Deines – M/D – Washington

Though she seems most comfortable directing traffic in midfield, Deines also has proven capable on the backline when needed in a pinch at UW, a role she could well see herself repeating in the pros. Deines has great size, standing at 5’9″, and plenty of experience at a high level in college, having started eighty-six matches for the Huskies in her college career. The Washington native has also shown a nose for goal through her time in Seattle with twenty-one goals in four years in the Emerald City. Deines is another who may be slipping under the radar after her Huskies missed out on the NCAA Tournament in her senior season but might just make her name yet at the professional level as one of this year’s dark horses.

17 – Philadelphia – Natalie Garcia – D – San Diego

In a class with plenty of promising center-backs, Garcia stands out as a potential difference maker. The Mexican international was a huge part of San Diego’s WCC title run this season and has been a steadying presence for the Toreros in recent successful campaigns. Garcia has also been one of the stars of Mexico’s ascent to relevancy in CONCACAF in the past few years and could be the nation’s rock at the back for many years to come. If she continues to grow as a player, she could have a big impact at club level as well, adding to an already formidable defense for Paul Riley’s bunch.

18 – Western New York – Kathleen Beljan – D – Dayton

The Flash need depth defensively all over the backline and could look to fill a hole at full-back with Dayton’s Beljan late in the draft. One of the more impressive players in recent A10 history for the Flyers, Beljan is one of many full-backs that will be looking to sneak into the later rounds in a rather down year for wide defenders in this class. Beljan can play at either left-back or higher up as a left winger, though her offensive stats weren’t overwhelming at the college level. She’s a bit undersized at 5’2″ as well, but she was dominant at the mid-major level and will be yearning for a chance to prove herself at the professional level.

19 – Sky Blue FC – Laura Heyboer – F – Michigan State

Heyboer would represent excellent value at this spot after a strong senior season for the Spartans. After suffering a double leg break in 2009, Heyboer looked to still be far from her best as a junior in 2010 with just ten goals to her name. But Heyboer rebounded in a big way last year, going out with a bang for the Spartans. Eighteen goals and nine assists was an impressive haul for the MSU offensive talisman and enough to vault her back up into the realm of draft hopefuls. Besides any lingering effects from the devastating injury as a sophomore, the only other worry would seem to be a lack of big match pedigree after Michigan State missed out on the NCAA Tournament and a final chance for Heyboer to make a lasting impression in November for WPS teams.

20 – Boston – Jessica Luscinski – M/F – Boston University

The Breakers haven’t been shy about drafting in talent from local collegiate sides and could again find a gem with the under the radar Luscinski. A major part of Boston University’s fantastic success over the past few seasons, Luscinski again made a major impact for the Terriers despite missing four matches this season through injury. That BU side was as different as night and day with and without Luscinski in the lineup, only underlining her importance to the America East titans. Luscinski was afforded a chance to strut her stuff early on as a senior in a showdown with Boston College at the beginning of the season and was by many accounts the best player on the pitch in BU’s draw with the much more fancied Eagles. Though she won the America East Striker of The Year Award as a junior and senior, Luscinski could also feature in the midfield as a pro, such is her versatility.

21 – Philadelphia – Katie Ryan – F – Villanova

Paul Riley’s made no bones about openly declaring that he’s looking for local talent with some of his later picks in the draft. By far the top prospect around the City of Brotherly Love this year is Villanova forward Katie Ryan. Lethally consistent for all four years with the Wildcats, Ryan was deadly in front of goal as a senior with twelve goals in just forty-eight shots in her final year with Nova. Ryan’s got great instincts in front of goal and is a calm finisher but may not possess the necessary pace to be a standout at this level.

22 – Western New York – Danielle Foxhoven – F – Portland

Another pick with a degree of risk attached to it, Foxhoven nonetheless would be a masterstroke of a draft pick if she can return to the form that made her such a deadly threat in front of goal as a freshman and sophomore. Through two seasons, Foxhoven had scored forty-one goals and looked for all the world to have the potential to go down as one of the college game’s all-time greats. But then, the goals dried up abruptly and Foxhoven, like the fortunes of her club, sank back away from stardom. Eight goals as a junior was a middling return, and Foxhoven was unable to top that total as a senior this past season. While the blatant downturn in goalscoring form has to be concerning to say the least, the talent is still obvious for all to see, with her virtuoso performance against Florida State in the regular season an example.

23 – Atlanta – Allysha Chapman – D/M – LSU

Chapman projects out wide in defense despite playing much of her college career as a defensive midfielder for the Tigers. The Canadian looks undersized to stay in the middle of the midfield at the professional level though, making a move to the backline, where she played much of her junior year, optimal for all involved. Chapman has made a name for herself in Baton Rouge with her crunching tackles but has also shown a real ability offensively as well for LSU. The Tiger senior showed an explosive first step in her time at full-back in college and could be a good fit for a system that relies heavily on its wide defenders motoring forward.

Send to Facebook

Tweet This Post

Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

Filed Under:  

• Soccer
• Sports
• NWSL

This post is related to an event on our Calendar:

• Women's Professional Soccer Draft

This post is related to an ongoing story:

• 2012 WPS Draft

View Original Post at allwhitekit.wordpress.com

View jennaawk's Full Profile