In today's 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft, Red Bull New York drafted midfielder Danleigh Borman from the University of Rhode Island (1st round, 7th pick), midfielder/forward Michael Palacio (2nd round, 21th pick) from Stony Brook University, defender John Gilkerson from Winthrop University (3rd round, 35th pick) and defender Laurent Manuel from Brown University (4th round, 49th pick).
In 2007, Borman, from Cape Town, South Africa, was on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team after finishing the year with one goal and seven assists - a mark that tied him for second on the team. A year before, the 5-9, 160-pound midfielder earned the A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player award when he helped the Rams to a 2-0 win over Saint Louis University in the A-10 championship game. That season, the 2004 A-10 Rookie of the Year ended the year with two goals and five assists. During his time at URI, Borman accumulated seven goals, 16 assists while playing in 83 games. On the international level, Borman has been called up to the U-19 South African Men's National Team.
Palacio was a three-time selection on the America East First Team and was named to the All-Northeast region second team in his junior season. In 2007, the Long Beach, NY, product scored four goals and six assists for the Seawolves as they earned a 9-7-3 record. During his junior year, Palacio scored two goals and four assists and the Stony Brook all-time leader in assists was named the America East Midfielder of the Year. His best year statistically was in 2005, when he played in 22 games and led Stony Brook with 11 goals and seven assists.
Hailing from Winchester, VA, Gilkerson was named to the All-Big South First Team for his junior and senior year and in 2006, he was named to the NSCAA/adidas All-South Atlantic Region Team. In 2007, Gilkerson started in all of the Eagles' 18 regular season games, scoring one goal and two assists while leading a defense that conceded just 13 goals all year. Gilkerson, who has also played for the Hampton Roads Piranhas (PDL), helped guide a Winthrop defense that earned a 0.73 goals against average in 2006, a mark that was 16th in the nation.
Manuel joins New York after helping Brown to an Ivy League Championship and a NCAA Tournament berth in 2007. The New York, NY, native played in 13 games, recording two goals and one assist for the Bears. Brown let in only 16 goals during the 2007 campaign. Manuel, who attended The Browning School prior to enrolling in Brown, played in a total of 64 games over four seasons for the Bears. He was also an All-Ivy Honorable Mention in 2004 and previously trained with Olympique de Marseilles' U-18 squad in 2003.
The Red Bulls home opener is scheduled for Saturday, April 5 against the Columbus Crew at Giants Stadium at 7:30 PM ET. For ticket information, contact the Red Bulls at 1.877.RBSOCCER.
