Pacific FC Selects Two Players in 2022 CPL-U SPORTS Draft
January 20, 2022 - Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Pacific FC News Release
Langford, BC - Pacific FC had the 8th and 16th draft picks and selected players Luca Ricci from Montreal and Rees Goertzen from Victoria from the 2022 CPL-U SPORTS Draft held during a live broadcast on Thursday, January 20.
Ricci and Goertzen will be invited to preseason training with the hopes of securing a 2022 U SPORTS Development Contract for the upcoming season that allows a student-athlete with one to four years of U SPORTS eligibility remaining to sign with a CPL Club, while preserving their eligibility before returning to U SPORTS competition.
Since 2018 the Canadian Premier League has held a draft for eligible U SPORTS men's soccer players who have registered and declared themselves available to be selected through the League's annual draft.
Ricci, a 23-year-old central midfielder, already has plenty of experience, having spent four years in the Montreal Impact (now CF Montreal) Academy, even earning an emergency loan up to the first team in 2019. Ricci has also spent time in professional environments in the USL Championship with Phoenix Rising FC in 2018 and Ottawa Fury FC in 2019. Ricci's first-round selection comes off a successful stint in U Sports. The Montreal-born midfielder recently helped lead the University of Montreal to a victory in the U Sports Men's Soccer Championship in November and was subsequently named to the tournament all-star team. The highly-regarded midfielder is comfortable on the ball, capable of combining well with teammates and picking a final pass.
The club's second-round pick, Goertzen, is originally from Calgary but has been on the Island for many years now. Prior to his university career, the 21-year-old spent time with the Van Isle Wave while also attending Mount Doug Secondary School in Victoria. The six-foot-two defender is also a former member of the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency Program. Goertzen's strong reading of the game and ability to disrupt opposition attacks allows him to play the game at his pace. In addition, he is comfortable playing out from the back - a prerequisite for any potential Pacific FC centre back.
Canadian Premier League Stories from January 20, 2022
- Wanderers Selections Announced for the 2022 CPL-U SPORTS Draft - HFX Wanderers FC
- Forge FC Selects Two Players in the 2022 CPL-U Sports Draft - Forge FC
- Pacific FC Selects Two Players in 2022 CPL-U SPORTS Draft - Pacific FC
- Canadian Premier League Announces 2022 CPL-U SPORTS Draft Selections - CPL
- Cavalry FC Selects Local Pathway Players from 2022 CPL-U SPORTS Draft - Cavalry FC
- Valour FC Select Two Players in CPL-U Sports Draft - Valour FC
- FC Edmonton Selects Kairo Coore and Quentin Paumier in 2022 CPL-U SPORTS Draft - FC Edmonton
- Atlético Ottawa Selects Cunha, Bruce in 2022 CPL-U SPORTS Draft - Atletico Ottawa
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