COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Columbus Crew today selected four players in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft, which was held via teleconference from the league headquarters in New York. A total of 51 players were selected by the league's 13 member clubs in the four-round draft.
All players who were eligible for and not selected in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, held on Friday, Jan. 12, as well as additional players nominated by teams, were eligible for selection in the Supplemental Draft. The original order of the four-round MLS Supplemental Draft is determined from the reverse order of finish following the 2006 season.
The Crew selected defender Ryan Junge (Creighton University) with the No. 15 pick, midfielder Tonci Skroce (Univ. of Illinois -Chicago) at No. 23, midfielder Ted Niziolek (Seton Hall) at No. 41 and midfielder Kevin Burns (University of Connecticut) at No. 50.
"I am pleased to add such a diverse group," said Crew Head Coach Sigi Schmid. "Ryan Junge is a left-footed defender with pace, Skroce is a skilled attacking midfielder, Ted Niziolek is a versatile defender/midfielder with size and Kevin Burns is a skillful ball-control midfielder."
Junge,a 22-year-old native of Omaha, Neb., was a first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference and All-Midwest Region selection as a senior, having helped lead Creighton to nine shutouts and 0.95 goals-against average. He also showed some attacking ability, scoring two goals and finishing second on the team with five assists. Junge's three-year career at Creighton followed a freshman campaign at NAIA Hastings.
Skroce, a 22-year-old native of Zadar, Croatia, played three seasons at the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he was a two-time first-team All-Horizon League selection, and one season at Kendall College in Evanston, Ill. (NAIA). The 2006 Horizon League Player of the Year and a second-team NSCAA/adidas All-Amerca selection, he scored seven goals, including five game-winners, and assisted on seven others as a senior. In his three-year career at UIC, Skroce amassed 19 goals, 10 assists and 48 points in 54 games.
Niziolek, a 21-year-old native of Clifton, N.J., had a career-year as a senior, tallying five goals, including two game-winners, and four assists for a career-high 14 points. He also demonstrated versatility by filling in on the back line for four games, during which Seton Hall posted a pair of shutouts. Niziolek started played in all 79 games of his career, starting 78 of them, earning second-team All-BIG EAST honors in both 2005 and 2006. He also represented the U.S. at the Under-20 National Team level.
Burns, a 21-year-old from Greenfield, Ind., appeared in 65 games over four years at the University of Connecticut and accumulated 16 points on four goals and eight assists. As a high school senior, he attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he was named best attacking player was rostered on the U.S. Under-18 National Team.
The Columbus Crew is Ohio's Major League Soccer club, anchoring a diverse sports and entertainment enterprise. One of the league's Charter Members, it will open its 12th season overall and ninth in first-of-its-kind Columbus Crew Stadium on Saturday, April 7, when it plays host to the Eastern Conference-rival New York Red Bulls.
