On a day the Baltimore Blast lost five players to the Major Indoor Soccer League Expansion Draft, the team managed to maintain its core group of players.
The Blast was the league?s first franchise to have the maximum number of players drafted on Monday when MISL?s three newest franchises-New Jersey, Monterrey, Mexico and Orlando-laid the foundation for their teams by plucking talent from others.
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“We?re very happy with the core group of players we?re bringing back,” Blast President/General Manager Kevin Healey said. “We knew we were going to lose some players, but we feel we have a good group coming back next year. With the additions we?ll add to the team, it should be a great year for us.”
The Blast lost midfielder Jonathan Steele, 21, with the third overall pick in the draft, and goalkeeper Brian Rowland, in the second round of the draft. Both players went to the Orlando Sharks.
“They?re both good young players, and I think Orlando made good picks there,” Healey said. “Both have a good future ahead of them with several years of indoor experience behind them.”
However, New Jersey and Monterrey traded various picks to existing franchises for veteran players, which enabled teams such as California and Philadelphia to use those selections in Monday?s draft.
Midfielder Gordon Chin was chosen by California in the fourth round. Former forward/defender Ibrahim Kante was taken by Milwaukee in the sixth round, while forward Patrick Shamu went in the seventh round to Monterrey.
With the first pick in the seventh round, Shamu represented the fifth and final Blast player selected.
Steele ? whose clash with the coaching staff led to a late-season suspension ? went to Orlando, shortly after Philadelphia selected former California forward Aaron Susi, with Detroit taking former Milwaukee defender Chad Dombrowski.
Philadelphia acquired the first pick in each of the first four rounds of the draft in a trade with Monterrey by sending All-MISL first-team defender Genoni Martinez to the Mexican club.
The Blast, which entered last season having won three of the past four league titles, went 15-15 this winter, falling one game shy of making the playoffs.
NOTABLE LOSSES
Jonathan Steele » Midfielder scored nine goals with six assists in 26 games last season.
Brian Rowland » Reserve goalie was 3-3 with a 9.34 goals against average in six starts
Gordon Chin » Midfielder played in 15 games, scoring one goal with one assist
Ibrahim Kante » Forward/defender last played for the Blast in 2004; currently with Crystal Palace USA
Patrick Shamu » Forward never played for the Blast.
