Thunder selects two in 2005 USL First Division Player Draft

Published on January 19, 2005 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Minnesota Thunder News Release


ST. PAUL, Minn. (Wednesday, January 19, 2005) - The Minnesota Thunder participated in the 2005 USL First Division Player Draft Tuesday afternoon. In the first round with the sixth pick, the Minnesota Thunder selected former Woodbury (Minn.) High School standout Sasha Gotsmanov from the University of Rhode Island. With the 18th pick in the second round, the Thunder selected Gonzalo Segares from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Gotsmanov was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year his senior year and was also selected to the All-Atlantic 10 First-Team. Gotsmanov finished the regular season leading the entire country in goals with 19 and points with 46. The 175-pound forward was a 2001 graduate from Woodbury High School and was named All-State three times, earning All-Midwest region and All-American honors in 2000.

Segares, a 5-11 defender from San Jose, Costa Rica, was one of three finalists for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, the official NSCAA Player of the Year award for Division I. The defender earned First-Team All-American honors and was also one of 11 players named to Soccer America Men's MVP's. Segares was part of a stingy defense that recorded eight shutouts his senior year and only allowed 22 goals in 21 games. The Chicago Fire (MLS) also drafted Segares in the MLS SuperDraft on Friday Jan. 14. He was picked in the third round with the 35th overall pick.

The Thunder also has several other Division I players that head coach Buzz Lagos is interested in. Three of these include players that are from the metro area including Brett Branan (Lakeville), Chris Brisson (Hugo), and Eric Schwebach (Eden Prairie).

Branan, the brother of Thunder defender Dustin Branan, has recently finished his career at St. Louis University as a defender. Branan is originally from Lakeville, Minn. and played his high school soccer at St. Paul Academy.

Brisson played is collegiate soccer at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. The midfielder is originally from Hugo, Minn. and played at White Bear Lake High School.

Schwebach is from Eden Prairie, Minn. and started his soccer career at Eden Prairie High School. The 6-1 defender recently finished his collegiate career at Ohio State.

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USL First Division Stories from January 19, 2005


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