The Union used a draft pick for the first time since 2018
For the first time since 2018, the Philadelphia Union selected a player in the MLS SuperDraft on Wednesday, using their 28th pick in the first round to select High Point goalkeeper Holden Trent.
The Union also used the 28th picked in the second round to draft the MLS rights to Union II forward Stefan Stojanovic and passed on the 28th pick in the third round.
Trent, a Greensboro, N.C. native, made 52 appearances for High Point over three seasons after transferring to the North Carolina school from West Virginia. He was the third goalkeeper taken in the draft and if he makes the team would provide a fourth goalkeeper option in a season where the Union will compete in Concacaf Champions League, U.S. Open Cup and the Leagues Cup in addition to their 34-game regular season.
The Union has three keepers on the first team roster with reigning Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake, homegrown Matt Freese and veteran Joe Bendik, who was signed earlier this week to a new one-year contract.
Stojanovic, a 21-year-old from Chicago, signed with Union II last season after his junior season at Georgetown and had a goal and two assists in 16 appearances in MLS Next Pro. He played two seasons at St. Louis University prior to transferring to Georgetown.
A few players with local ties were also chosen in Wednesday’s draft. Penn forward Ben Stitz went 31st overall to DC United, Philadelphia Union Academy grad MD Myers went in the third round to NYCFC, Penn goalkeeper Nick Christoffersen went in the third round to Montreal and Villanova forward Lyam MacKinnon went in the third round to Nashville SC.
MacKinnon played in USL League 2 with West Chester United and Reading United. Former Ocean City Nor’easter Josh Bolmer was drafted fourth by the New England Revolution, the highest ever pick for an Ocean City alum. Myers has also played for Ocean City and fellow Ocean City alums Luis Grassow (Orlando City), Andrew Privett (Charlotte FC) and Abdi Salim (Orlando City) were also drafted. Former Reading United midfielder Amferny Sinclair was drafted in the second round by Real Salt Lake, Frantz Pierrot, who spent his first season of college soccer at St. Joseph’s in 2018, was drafted by the Houston Dynamo and Russell Shealy was drafted by the LA Galaxy.