Sports stats



MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Select Santa Clara University Stars Ryan Cochrane and Steve Cronin in MLS SuperDraft

January 16, 2004 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


San Jose (Friday, January 16, 2004) – The San Jose Earthquakes acquired six players during today's MLS SuperDraft at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. With their two first round picks, the Earthquakes selected a pair of Santa Clara University standouts, taking All-American defender Ryan Cochrane with the fifth selection and then drafting Broncos goalkeeper and U.S. Under-23 National Team member Steve Cronin with the tenth pick. The Quakes also drafted midfielder Mike Wilson (27th pick) from Stanford University, and selected Lindon Pecorelli (30th), Marin Pusek (40th) and Tighe Dombrowski (50th).

"We are very pleased with getting Steve and Ryan with our first two picks," Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear said. "They are players that we have had an interest in, and at the end of the day I am pleased that we got who we wanted. They are local players who we think are going to be able to help the team."

Cochrane and Cronin were two of the main reasons for Santa Clara's success in 2003. The Broncos advanced to the 2003 NCAA Semifinals as the duo led a defense that owned a 0.70 goals against average in 2003.

Cochrane, 20, leaves Santa Clara after a stellar three-year career with the Broncos. Cochrane is a member of NIKE Project 40, meaning he will not count on the Quakes senior roster in 2004. The Portland, Ore. native helped lead the Broncos to the 2003 NCAA Semifinals, starting 19 matches. Cochrane was named First Team All-American by College Sports Television and was selected to the 2003 NSCAA/adidas All-American second team in addition to earning All-West Coast Conference First Team honors. A leading member of the United States Under-20 National Team, Cochrane started all five matches for the U.S. at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, making 20 international appearances for the Under-20 squad.

"I am really excited," Cochrane said. "This is the best situation for me, to stay local. I love the area and I am looking forward to starting the season off with the MLS Champions. You can't ask for anything more than that."

The Quakes selected Cochrane's Santa Clara teammate, Cronin with the tenth pick of the first round. Cronin, 20, is also a NIKE Project-40 member and leaves Santa Clara following his junior season. Cronin started 18 matches for the Broncos in 2003, recording 10 shutouts and owning a 0.60 goals against average in 2003. For his solid play, Cronin was a First Team All-West Coast Conference selection in 2003. The Sacramento, Calif. native is currently training with the United States Unde-23 National Team after starting all five matches for the U.S. Under-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, where he was named to the all-tournament team.

"I am definitely happy," Cronin said. "I still have a lot of friends from Santa Clara in the area and I am excited to be here. My family is excited because they are going to be close by. The Earthquakes are one of the teams I wanted to play for, so I am happy to be with them."

In the third round, the club selected another local player, Stanford University standout Mike Wilson, with the 27th overall pick. A native of New Zealand, Wilson is a member of the New Zealand National Team. Wilson, 23, was a key member of the Cardinal for four seasons, helping Stanford to a 58-25-6 record in his career. The 2003 co-captain played in 17 games and registered two assists during his senior year. Wilson was selected to the 2002 All-Pac-10 Second Team. Also in the third round, the Quakes drafted midfielder Lindon Pecorelli (University of Connecticut) with the 30th overall pick. Pecorelli scored three goals and added five assists in 21 games in 2003, earning All-Big East Second Team and NSCAA

All-New England Second Team honors.

"We always want to bring players like this in and give them a chance," Kinnear said about the Quakes late round selections. "You never know what kind of players they are going to turn out to be, so we believe it is important to give them an opportunity and see how they can play."

The Earthquakes picked up two more players in the SuperDraft, selecting Canadian Youth National Team midfielder Marin Pusek (University of Alabama Birmingham) with the 40th overall selection and taking midfielder Tighe Dombrowski (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) with the 50th overall selection. Pusek was a First Team All-Conference USA choice for the fourth straight season, scoring four goals and registering four assists in 2003. Dombrowski was a First Team All-Horizon League selection for the third straight year and was a member of the Horizon League All-Tournament Team. The Wisconsin native scored career-high seven goals in 2003. San Jose traded its 2004 sixth round pick to the MetroStars for their 2005 sixth round selection.

Player Bios

Ryan Cochrane (1st Round, 5th Overall)

Position: Defender, College: Santa Clara University Ht: 6-1 Wt: 170, Hometown: Portland, Ore. Born: August 8, 1983

As a junior in 2003, played in 19 games, helping Santa Clara to the NCAA Final Four...Member of a Broncos defense that recorded 10 shutouts and a 0.53 goals against average...Was a semifinalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy...Signed a NIKE Project-40 Player contract with MLS prior to draft ... All-West Coast Conference First Team in 2003...Member of 2003 NSCAA/adidas Division I All-American Second Team ... Member of CSTV 2003 All-American First Team ... Started five matches at 2003 FIFA World Championships for United States Under-20 National Team ... Tied for second on U.S. Under-20 National Team with 20 international appearances.

Steve Cronin (1st Round, 10th Overall)

Position: Goalkeeper, College: Santa Clara University Ht: 6-2 Wt: 195 Hometown: Sacramento, Calif. Born: May 28, 1983

Started 18 games for Santa Clara in 2003, earning 10 shutouts ... Helped Broncos to NCAA Final Four ... Currently training with United States Under-23 National Team ... Recorded 44 saves and a goals against average of 0.60 in 2003 ... Named First Team All-West Coast Conference ... Signed as a NIKE Project-40 Player prior to draft ... Started five matches for U.S. Under-20 National Team at FIFA World Championships, named to the All-Tournament team, recorded pair of shutouts ... Played three seasons for Santa Clara.

Mike Wilson (3rd Round, 27th Overall)

Position: Midfielder College: Stanford University Ht: 5-11 Wt: 165 Hometown: Plimmerton, New Zealand Born: Nov. 25, 1980

Member of New Zealand National Team ... Co-captain of Cardinal in 2003 ... Played in 17 games and registered two assists in 2003 ... Played in over 70 games at Stanford in four-year career, compiling a 58-25-6 record ... Member of Pac-10 Championship winning team and a NCAA National Finalist team in 2002 ... All-Pac-10 Second Team in 2002.

Lindon Pecorelli (3rd Round, 30th Overall)

Position: Midfielder College: University of Connecticut Ht: 5-9 Wt: 170 Hometown: LaCrescenta, Calif. Born: Jan. 1, 1982

Played in 21 games for the Huskies in 2003 ... Scored three goals and added five assists his senior season ... Selected to All-Big East Second Team in 2003 ... Played 85 games in UConn career ... Selected to NSCAA All-New England Second Team in 2003 ... Named to All-Big East Third Team in 2002 and 2001.

Marin Pusek (4th Round, 40th Overall)

Position: Midfielder College: University of Ala. Birmingham Ht: 5-9 Wt: 160 Hometown: Brampton, Ontario Born: June 29, 1980

First Team All-Conference USA Selection in 2003 for second straight season ... Scored four goals and four assists in senior season ... Co-Captain of Blazers in 2003 ...Honorable Mention All-American by College Soccer News in 2002 ... NSCAA First Team All-South Region in 2003, 2002 and 2001 ... Finished collegiate career with nine goals, 14 assists and 32 points ... Canadian Youth National Team Player

Tighe Dombrowski (5th Round, 50th Overall)

Position: Midfielder College: University of Wisc.-Milwaukee Ht: 5-8 Wt: 155 Hometown: West Allis, Wis. Born: March 3, 1982

First All-Horizon league in 2003 for third straight season ... 2003 Horizon League All-Tournament Team ... First Team 2003 All-Great Lakes Region ... Scored career-high seven goals in senior season ... Led Panthers to third straight Horizon League season title ... Helped Panthers advance to second round of NCAA Tournament in 2003.

Check out the San Jose Earthquakes Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Major League Soccer message board...

Major League Soccer Stories from January 16, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central