University of North Carolina Athletics
Harrington Leads Four Tar Heels Taken In MLS SuperDraft
January 12, 2007 | Men's Soccer
Jan. 12, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS - Defender Michael Harrington went third overall to the Kansas City Wizards to headline a record four University of North Carolina players selected Friday in the 2007 Major League Soccer SuperDraft from the Indiana Convention Center. Midfielder Corey Ashe, goalkeeper Justin Hughes and forward Ben Hunter were also selected.
In addition to Harrington's first-round selection, Ashe went with the final pick of the second round (26th overall) to the MLS champion Houston Dynamo, Hughes was chosen in the third round (36th overall) by the Colorado Rapids and Hunter went in the fourth round (49th overall) to the Columbus Crew.
Carolina's four draftees were the most of any school in a draft dominated by the Atlantic Coast Conference, which accounted for 14 of the 52 players selected. The four Tar Heels surpass the previous school record of three draft picks established in 2001 and matched in 2003 and 2005. Carolina has now had 11 players chosen in the last five drafts and also had 11 players on MLS rosters in 2006.
Harrington is the highest drafted Tar Heel since Chris Carrieri went No. 1 overall to San Jose in 2001 and the fourth first-round pick out of Carolina since MLS went to its current SuperDraft format in 2000. Dax McCarty went sixth overall to FC Dallas a year ago.
A two-time All-ACC and NSCAA All-Region selection, Harrington totaled 14 assists and 22 points over 81 career starts. This past season he was a key part of a defense that posted eight shutouts and logged a 0.77 goals against average. Harrington tallied six points on one goal and four assists from his outside back position and started 19 games in 2006.
Ashe scored 22 goals and tallied 54 points in 75 games at Carolina from 2003-06. He was an All-ACC selection in 2004 and was a member of the league's All-Freshman Team in 2003. Ashe scored at least 10 points in each of his four collegiate seasons, including a career high 18 points on nine goals in 2004. He matched a career best with four assists this season.
Hughes, who was the second goalkeeper selected in Friday's draft, recorded 19 shutouts in 43 career starts. As the Tar Heels' full-time keeper in 2006, he allowed just 16 goals and posted a 0.85 goals against average. In 12 starts as a junior, Hughes recorded a 0.50 GAA, which ranks as the second-best mark in school history.
A transfer from Rio Grande, Hunter led the Tar Heels in scoring each of the last two seasons with a combined 44 points on 17 goals and 10 assists. He started 36 games in 2005-06 and was at his best during the 2005 postseason when he scored seven goals over a six-game stretch in the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
Harrington, who was one of six consecutive ACC players picked to open the draft, will team with fellow Tar Heel Kerry Zavagnin in Kansas City, while Ashe will join former Carolina standouts Eddie Robinson and Marcus Story with the Dynamo. Hunter will team with ex-Tar Heel Chris Leitch in Columbus.
Harrington, Ashe, Hughes and Hunter were part of a seven-man senior class at Carolina that combined for 50 victories and four trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2003-06. Four players from the Tar Heels highly-touted 2003 freshman class were picked in the first three rounds of the MLS SuperDraft, including 2005 second-round pick Jamie Watson.
