February 8, 2001

 

TAMPA, FL -- The 2001 A-League Draft held today via conference call finished with 23 Premier Development League players being selected, including one of the PDL's all-time greatest players Boniventure Maruti and former star Paul Oyuga, both former members of the Jackson Chargers and Southern Connecticut State.

Maruti was selected by the Connecticut Wolves, who finished last in 2000, in the opening Territorial Round in an effort to add some offensive firepower to a team that scored the fewest goals in the A-League last season at 22.
 

The two-time PDL leader in points and goals (1998 and 2000) helped lead the Mid Michigan Bucks to the 2000 PDL National Championship match with 49 points and 22 goals and was surprisingly not selected in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft held Monday. Maruti, was originally a member of the defunct Chargers prior to joining the Bucks in 2000.
 

The Wolves tabbed another former Charger in the First Round, picking Oyuga, who led the PDL in assists and finished second points in 1998.

The expansion Portland Timbers passed in the Territorial Round, making their selection the first overall pick in the First Round. With the first overall pick, the Timbers took Seattle Pacific Univ. forward Vadim Tolstolutsky.

"Vadim is an outstanding reader of the game," said Timbers Head Coach Bobby Howe. "He has excellent soccer intelligence. He has the potential of developing into a first-class player for the Portland Timbers. We're excited to have him."

Tolstolutsky emigrated from Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia, as a 15-year-old in 1994. His family resides in Vancouver, Wash.

He was a four-year letterman and starter at Seattle Pacific and was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) All-Region First Team and All-Pacific West Conference as a sophomore, junior and senior.
 

Also selected in the Territorial Round was 1998 PDL Rookie of the Year Brian Ching of the Spokane Shadow. Ching, who was also selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy Monday, was taken by the Seattle Sounders.

In his rookie season he recorded 39 points with 15 goals. Early in his second season, he was sidelined for the season, ironically, in an exhibition match against the Sounders when he collided with goalkeeper Bill May and fractured his eyesocket.
 
The Charlotte Eagles, the 2000 D3 Pro League champions, took Boulder Nova midfielder Caleb Norkus, who was drafted by D.C. United in the SuperDraft.

Seattle, who received Portland's picks in the open rounds yesterday in a trade for 2000 A-League Rookie of the Year Greg Howes, selected defender Michael Casale, a member of the club's PDL affiliate Seattle Sounders Select, with the second overall pick.  Seattle also drafted Sounders Select midfielder Mark Hogenhout, who also previously played for Spokane in 1999 and the Seattle BigFoot (now Sounders Select) in 1998.

Mid Michigan midfield standout Paul Snape, who led the PDL in assists in 1999 and was second in 2000, was drafted by the Long Island Rough Riders in the First Round.

The Richmond Kickers selected former PDL players with all three of its picks in the draft. Richmond started off with Palm Beach Pumas defender Craig Ziadie, who was also selected by D.C. United in the SuperDraft, in the Territorial Round. The Kickers followed up with Univ. of Connecticut standout Darin Lewis, who played for the Central Jersey Riptide in 1999, in the First Round and Rockford Raptors midfielder Bryan Namoff, who was also chosen by D.C. Monday.

The defending A-League champion Rochester Raging Rhinos began their replacement process for MLS-drafted defender Craig Demmin and midfielder Yari Allnutt by selecting Syracuse midfielder Mario Cristofori in the Territorial Round. Rochester traded its open round picks to the San Diego Flash last June for goalkeeper Kevin Rueda.

The Minnesota Thunder, who have met Rochester the A-League National Championship the past three years, selected Twin Cities Tornado midfielders Kirk Miller and Donny Mark in the Territorial and Second Rounds, respectively, and Stanford defender Chris Gores in the First Round.

In all, 20 players who were chosen by MLS clubs in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft Monday were selected in hopes that they may be released by MLS within the 2001 season, giving the A-League club that selected the player first rights to sign them.