University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Zach Wright signs with Sporting KC
January 17, 2018 | Men's Soccer
Sporting Kansas City announced Wednesday that the club has signed 22-year-old former Tar Heel Zach Wright as a Homegrown player. Wright has signed a one-year contract with options for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
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Wright is the 47th Tar Heel to join a MLS team either by the draft or via homegrown signing since 2000, and the 26th Tar Heel to do so since 2009. The Tar Heels have had at least one player sign with a MLS team every year since 2005.
A heralded college recruit, Wright embarked on a successful career at North Carolina where he played 79 matches with 61 starts. He assisted at least five goals in all four seasons with the Tar Heels — reaching a career-high with 11 assists during his senior campaign in 2017. He bagged 10 goals across 2015 and 2016 and added four more during the 2017 season, including a pivotal strike and game-winning assist in UNC's 2-1 victory over Fordham University in the national quarterfinals on Dec. 2.
Wright helped North Carolina to a 51-14-10 record from 2014-2017, a stretch that produced four straight NCAA tournament appearances as well as consecutive trips to the Men's College Cup in 2016 and 2017. In each of his final two seasons as a Tar Heel, Wright was a Second Team All-ACC selection and ranked third on the ACC assist charts.
From 2014-2016, Wright was college teammates with current Sporting KC defender Colton Storm, who joined the club last year as the No. 14 overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.
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Wright is the 47th Tar Heel to join a MLS team either by the draft or via homegrown signing since 2000, and the 26th Tar Heel to do so since 2009. The Tar Heels have had at least one player sign with a MLS team every year since 2005.
A heralded college recruit, Wright embarked on a successful career at North Carolina where he played 79 matches with 61 starts. He assisted at least five goals in all four seasons with the Tar Heels — reaching a career-high with 11 assists during his senior campaign in 2017. He bagged 10 goals across 2015 and 2016 and added four more during the 2017 season, including a pivotal strike and game-winning assist in UNC's 2-1 victory over Fordham University in the national quarterfinals on Dec. 2.
Wright helped North Carolina to a 51-14-10 record from 2014-2017, a stretch that produced four straight NCAA tournament appearances as well as consecutive trips to the Men's College Cup in 2016 and 2017. In each of his final two seasons as a Tar Heel, Wright was a Second Team All-ACC selection and ranked third on the ACC assist charts.
From 2014-2016, Wright was college teammates with current Sporting KC defender Colton Storm, who joined the club last year as the No. 14 overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.
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