Seattle University became a Division 1 program in the 2009-10 school year with the hope of helping their student- athletes be more successful after their time playing collegiate sports are over.
Kyle Bjornethun, No. 6, goes for a header against CSU Bakersfield.
Seattle U received some good news on that front as men’s soccer player Kyle Bjornethun was just drafted by the Seattle Sounders in the 2017 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft. He was taken with the 22nd pick in the fourth round.
He is the third player in the history of Seattle U’s soccer program to be selected in the MLS SuperDraft, following Sean Morris who was also taken by the Sounders in 2011. The first player to be drafted out of Seattle U was Tom Hardy in 1998, who was taken by Sporting Kansas City. Morris is currently playing for the Sounders and tweeted his congratulations to Bjornethun over Twitter, stating that the team made a great pick.
Bjornethun himself was excited creating his own tweet stating that he is ready to start playing and enter the next chapter of his soccer career.
“I’m thrilled for Kyle,” said Coach Pete Fewing. “He gets to stay home and play in a familiar environment. He’s going into a situation where he has a better understanding of the team than any other.”
Bjornethun has previously participated in the Sounders FC Academy to help hone his skills which should give him a leg up when training camp rolls around.
The senior defender finished off a stellar career as a Redhawk by winning his second consecutive Western Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Award. He added to that hardware by earning First Team All- WAC honors for the third consecutive year. Among his many accolades, he was also a NSCAA Second Team All-American in 2015, two-time NSCAA All-West Region selection and two-time member of the WAC All-Tournament Team.
In his time at Seattle U Bjornethun anchored a defense that was in the in the WAC. He was key in helping lead the team to seven shutouts this past season. He started all 86 games that he played in and was an iron man for the team, playing every minute of every game. His presence will surely be missed as the team prepares for life without him.
“I think he has a good opportunity,” said Fewing. “I’m very pleased for he and his family.”
Bjornethun, who is from Snohomish, Wash., has a chance to continue living in the city he played for the past four years, but nothing is guaranteed. The Sounders are fresh off of a MLS Cup Championship and won’t necessarily be looking to add too many players to their roster. Bjornethun will report to Sounders camp on Jan. 23 looking to play his way onto the roster.
Willy may be reached at
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