Blast selects five players in MISL Amateur Draft
Published on March 8, 2007 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Baltimore Blast News Release
Baltimore, MD - The Baltimore Blast selected five college players in today's MISL Amateur Draft. The Blast chose Kevin Mezzadra in the Territorial Round of the Draft and had the seventh selection in each of the draft's five rounds. The team selected two defenders, two midfielders and one forward.
Mezzadra, who is from Fallston was a three-time America East All-Conference selection. The 6-2, 190-pound midfielder was named 2006 First-Team America East Conference after recording nine goals and 20 total points. Mezzadra, a graduate of Loyola High School, was also a 2005 America East Second-Team selection and a 2003 Conference All-Rookie pick. He finished his UMBC career with 19 goals and 46 points.
"The Amateur Draft has been very important to the success of our franchise," said Blast General Manager Kevin Healey. "I have high hopes for this year's draft selections."
Baltimore chose Michael Todd from Hofstra in the first round. Todd, a 6-0, 182-pound native of Cleveland, England was the 2006 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year after recording 13 goals and five assists for 31 points. He was also named First-Team All-South Atlantic Region and Second-Team All-America. He was just the second player in Hofstra history to record 100+ points in his career (101) and led the Pride to three straight CAA Championships and the school's first three NCAA appearances. In the second round, Baltimore chose Jared Kent, a midfielder from Old Dominion University. Kent, a 2006 First-Team All-CAA and Second-Team All-Region selection, helped lead the Monarchs to four straight NCAA tournament appearances and two CAA finals.
The Blast chose Hofstra defender Gary Flood in the fourth round and Mike Tuddenham, a defender from James Madison University, in the final round. Flood, a 2006 First-Team All-CAA selection, played every minute of every game for the Pride last season as the team's defensive captain. Tuddenham, who was a red-shirt senior defender for the Dukes last season, was an NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-East Region Team honorable mention after recording four goals (eight points) in his last season.
The five-round Major Indoor Soccer League Amateur Draft was held this afternoon via conference call. The draft consisted of one territorial round and four standard rounds of selections. Draft order was as follows: 2007-08 expansion Orlando Sharks, New Jersey, California Cougars, Chicago Storm, Philadelphia KiXX, Milwaukee Wave, Baltimore Blast and then the Detroit Ignition.
The Blast (14-9) is tied to rank second in the MISL with just seven games remaining in the regular season. The team is on a seven-game winning streak heading into this Sunday's game in Stockton against the Cougars. The Blast has two home games remaining this season - against the Chicago Storm on the 23rd and the Philadelphia KiXX on the 30th. Single-game tickets for the remaining Baltimore Blast 2006-07 regular-season home games are on sale now by calling 410-73-BLAST, at the 1st Mariner Arena Box Office and at all TicketMaster outlets including TicketMaster phonecharge at 410-547-SEAT. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Baltimore Blast 2005 MISL Amateur Draft Picks:
Round Player Position College
Territorial Kevin Mezzadra Midfielder UMBC
1st Michael Todd Forward Hofstra
2nd Jared Kent Midfielder Old Dominion University
3rd Gary Flood Defender Hofstra
4th Matt Tuddenham Defender James Madison University
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from March 8, 2007
- Ignition selects six during MISL College Draft - Detroit Ignition
- Storm Gets Three in Amateur Draft - Chicago Storm
- Blast selects five players in MISL Amateur Draft - Baltimore Blast
- KiXX select five in 2007 MISL College Draft - Philadelphia KiXX
- Cougars go all California in college draft - California Cougars
- UW-Milwaukee product Mallace leads Wave draft - Milwaukee Wave
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